5 gallon hex question

[James_in_MN]

I recently purchased the following for a betta tank:

Amazon.com: Marineland Eclipse Seamless Integrated Aquarium System, 5 Gallons, Hex: Kitchen & Dining

After setting this up, and reading more into the Amazon reviews, I have a few questions.

- My water was abnormally warm today, leading me to believe that the bulb is also heating the tank (along with my heater). Is there a good alternative to the bulb that comes with this kit that I could use, like an LED replacement that would fit my aquarium?

- This tank comes with a bio wheel, which I've seen a few mixed reviews on in the Amazon comments. The compartment that the bio wheel rests in would be able to fit some other type of biological media, like ceramic rings or the API bio chem stars I've seen. Should I switch out the wheel, or keep it?

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

What temperature was it? How long did you leave the light on? Bettas prefer warmer waters, so this may not be a problem. And personally, I have three tanks with bio-wheels, but I have ceramic rings in them also. Some people don't like them, some do. It's a matter of preference.

 

[fishguy1]

I have one. The light does warm the water some, but it's natural to have the temperature rise and fall from day to night. Only in the aquarium do the fish get a consistent temperature.

I use an aquacear sponge instead of the cartridges. IME that's all that's needed.

 

[James_in_MN]

What temperature was it? How long did you leave the light on? Bettas prefer warmer waters, so this may not be a problem.

It was over 84[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]°[/FONT], but I found out that the bulk of the problem was a touchy heater, not the light. I was thrown off by how hot the acrylic plate under the light was.

And personally, I have three tanks with bio-wheels, but I have ceramic rings in them also. Some people don't like them, some do. It's a matter of preference.

There won't be room for both the bio-wheel and ceramic rings (or the bio-chem stars), so I'd have to choose either-or.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

Oh... hm... I have a 8g hex and use filter floss as the cartrige, so I guess I found some room. I don't use the entire bag of the rings anyway, that wouldn't fit. I'm at a loss as to what to tell you, other than I see no problem with the bio-wheel.
And good job on the temp problem! Bettas like it around 78*-80*, so just keep that in mind.

 

[BigJim]

I've got the same 5g hex full of RCS. I can't say I've noticed the light warming the tank excessively. I recently replaced the burned-out Marineland bulb with a spiral CFL of slightly higher wattage and it still doesn't heat the tank up much.

I tore the blue material off the original cartridge and cut some foam to fit the slots. It works well.

The biowheel is good at what it's intended for. It provides a high-oxygen environment for bacteria similar to a wet-dry filter. If the biowheel stops turning, it's time to clean the filter.