Bio-wheel and power outage- did I do the right thing? - Aquarium Advice

EricMack · 09-07-2004, 11:47 AM

OK, so we had a little power outage this morning. About an hour and 15 minutes. About ten minutes into the outage, I took the bio-wheel and submersed it into a big glass of water taken from the tank. The power came back on about an hour later.
Did I do the right thing? If I didn't, what should I have done, and what now. Thanks!

BrianNY · 09-07-2004, 12:12 PM

You did exactly the right thing Eric. As long as the biowheels do not dry out, the nitrifying bacteria will live

dud · 09-07-2004, 12:18 PM

Probably good that you used the water from the tank, not from the tap.

dud · 09-07-2004, 12:19 PM

[acronym:289d5dcd89="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:289d5dcd89], anybody knows how long a power outage it would take to significantly destroy the bacteria population in the biowheel? Say Eric didn't do anything during the outage, what do you suspect would've happened to the bacteria in the biowheel?

grimlock3000 · 09-07-2004, 12:40 PM

Quote:

submersed it into a big glass of water taken from the tank.

Quote:

Probably good that you used the water from the tank, not from the tap.

No doubt a good idea

To make it easier, next time you lost power, just toss the Bio Wheels right into the tank.

Quote:

[acronym:221ae14794="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:221ae14794], anybody knows how long a power outage it would take to significantly destroy the bacteria population in the biowheel? Say Eric didn't do anything during the outage, what do you suspect would've happened to the bacteria in the biowheel?

If any part of the wheel dries out, that bacteria dries. Simple as that. My father's tank lost power a few months ago, he had 4 Bio Wheels of bacteria die off since it happened when no one was home. Put the tank into a mini-cycle when everything started up again. This is one of the reasons why I refuse to use a Bio Wheel...

EricMack · 09-07-2004, 01:06 PM

Thanks for the re-assurance, everyone. I wonder how long it would take for the wheel to dry, and kill everything off (say I was not home)? Of course, the bottom third of the wheel would still be submersed in a little water, I think.

With my luck, If I threw it in the tank, I'd knock out the loach!

grimlock3000 · 09-07-2004, 01:37 PM

The ammount of time the wheel takes the dry out really depends on the temperature and humidity at the time. If the room is 85F with 5% humidity, the wheel would likely die off is less than an hour. At 60F with 98% humidity, it could likely make it a few hours since the moisture would evaporate very slowly in those conditions.

TankGirl · 09-07-2004, 11:20 PM

I routinely store biowheels in my tanks- floating hidden behind decorations or plants - and find them to remain viable and are extremely useful tossed into cycling tanks. I use them as convenient and portable seed media. They are either submerged or rotating in the current if they are floating.

bobtrop · 09-08-2004, 02:58 PM

What about when doing water changes on a tank? Should the biowheels be placed in some water until you are done or will just leaving them in the filter be OK?

grimlock3000 · 09-08-2004, 03:13 PM

Quote:

What about when doing water changes on a tank? Should the biowheels be placed in some water until you are done or will just leaving them in the filter be OK?

Most people leave the filters running during a water change

09-07-2004, 11:47 AM	#1
EricMack Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 16	Bio-wheel and power outage- did I do the right thing? OK, so we had a little power outage this morning. About an hour and 15 minutes. About ten minutes into the outage, I took the bio-wheel and submersed it into a big glass of water taken from the tank. The power came back on about an hour later. Did I do the right thing? If I didn't, what should I have done, and what now. Thanks!

09-07-2004, 01:37 PM	#7
grimlock3000 Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: maine Posts: 1,971 Images: 1	The ammount of time the wheel takes the dry out really depends on the temperature and humidity at the time. If the room is 85F with 5% humidity, the wheel would likely die off is less than an hour. At 60F with 98% humidity, it could likely make it a few hours since the moisture would evaporate very slowly in those conditions. __________________ 26 freshwater 2x Sunburst Platys (2M, 2F) // 3x Neon Tetras (?) // 2x Cherry Barbs (1M, 1F) // 2x YoYo Loaches (?) // 1x Bushy Nose Pleco (M) // 1x Clown Pleco (?) // 15H marine -30# Live Rock -Mixed Snails (Nassarius // Cerith // Astrea // Black Turbo // Mexican Turbo) -8x Blue Leg Hermit Crabs // 1x Banded Serpent Star // 1x Cleaner Shrimp -1x Royal Gramma // 1x Percula Clownfish -2x Mushroom Leather // Metallic Green Star Polyps // Pulsing Xenia // Striped Xenia // Blue Mushroom -Remora + Maxi-Jet 1200 // 2x Maxi-Jet 600 // Maxi-Jet 400 // Visi-Therm Deluxe 50 // Current USA Orbit 2x 40w [acronym:f2db8017b4="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:f2db8017b4]

09-07-2004, 11:20 PM	#8
TankGirl Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: May 2003 Location: Richmond VA Posts: 8,279 Images: 16	I routinely store biowheels in my tanks- floating hidden behind decorations or plants - and find them to remain viable and are extremely useful tossed into cycling tanks. I use them as convenient and portable seed media. They are either submerged or rotating in the current if they are floating. __________________ TG Central Virginians click here and join the Regional Forum! View My Gallery Here

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09-07-2004, 12:12 PM	#2
BrianNY Aquarium Advice Addict Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NY Posts: 4,259 Images: 18	You did exactly the right thing Eric. As long as the biowheels do not dry out, the nitrifying bacteria will live

09-07-2004, 12:18 PM	#3
dud Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Missouri Posts: 87 Images: 1	Probably good that you used the water from the tank, not from the tap.

09-07-2004, 12:19 PM	#4
dud Aquarium Advice Regular Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Missouri Posts: 87 Images: 1	[acronym:289d5dcd89="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:289d5dcd89], anybody knows how long a power outage it would take to significantly destroy the bacteria population in the biowheel? Say Eric didn't do anything during the outage, what do you suspect would've happened to the bacteria in the biowheel?

09-07-2004, 01:06 PM	#6
EricMack Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 16	Thanks for the re-assurance, everyone. I wonder how long it would take for the wheel to dry, and kill everything off (say I was not home)? Of course, the bottom third of the wheel would still be submersed in a little water, I think. With my luck, If I threw it in the tank, I'd knock out the loach!

09-08-2004, 02:58 PM	#9
bobtrop Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Illinois Posts: 42	What about when doing water changes on a tank? Should the biowheels be placed in some water until you are done or will just leaving them in the filter be OK?