Bio-wheel with no bio-wheel.

[Marconis]

While chatting this evening, a few said that the bio-wheel itself in bio-wheel filters isn't necessary. I want to hear others advice. I have a Penguin 200.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If there's other media in the filter, it's not needed. But where most people remove the biowheel is in CO2 injected planted tanks, as the biowheel will gas off the CO2, making the CO2 injection ineffective.

 

[Tentacles]

I find the idea behind the biowheel sound, but when they are in use it just doesnt work. The wheels tend to build up bad things like ammonia and nitrates, and dont do their said job which I believe is to export nutrients. That being said, a filter without the wheels can perform its job just fine, AquaClears dont use biowheels at all and are amazing filters. The media in the Penguin is enough to build up beneficial bacteria to stabilize your system, and bio-wheels just arent necessary.

 

[Marconis]

What's up tentacles lol.

So tis alright to have it out? I have two filter media in it and I love how all theere is is humming and no water noise.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I find the idea behind the biowheel sound, but when they are in use it just doesnt work. The wheels tend to build up bad things like ammonia and nitrates, and dont do their said job which I believe is to export nutrients. That being said, a filter without the wheels can perform its job just fine, AquaClears dont use biowheels at all and are amazing filters. The media in the Penguin is enough to build up beneficial bacteria to stabilize your system, and bio-wheels just arent necessary.

I've never heard of that, lol. The purpose of the biowheel is as a biofilter, it builds up bacteria to convert ammonia to nitrite, and nitrite to nitrate. It doesn't cause ammonia, and does not remove nitrate. That is why you do PWC's, to keep Nitrate levels down. And it does not export nutrients, just eliminates ammonia and nitrite, when completely cycled. And yes, gunk should build up on it.

If you have a tank with no plants and are not injecting CO2, you should have it in, unless you have other biomedia in the filter as well.

 

[SparKy697]

The idea behind the bio-wheel is to provide the bacteria that lives in the wheel with more oxygen than they get when they are submerged in the tank. I think they do a fine job of exactly that. In fact maybe too good. In my tank the output of the filter contained a constant stream of little tiny bubbles. This always tended to make the water look "dirty" like it had little specs of matter floating around in it. While that is a good thing for the tank as a whole, it bugged the heck out of me. That and the noise made it not my favorite filter.

This is a real nice material that will fin into your biowheel filter in the second media slot. It is a very porous material that is great for biological growth. Remember that when you take the wheel out, you are removing a fair amount of bacteria and IMO need to provide a place for more to grow in the filter. The sponge that is supplied in the filter is just not enough.

 

[Marconis]

So it should stay in? Without it, there are no bubbles, so my "bubbles along surface" thread can be abolished.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

If you don't have another media source, yes, it should stay in. But as Sparky pointed out, if you put in another media source like he suggested, then you don't need it.

 

[Marconis]

So hmm, two filter media cartridges isn't enough?

 

[Lonewolfblue]

I have an Emperor 280, with the cartrige in one slot, and the basket with ceramic rings in it in the 2nd slot. That's all that's needed. But I like having the biowheel in as well, but it's not needed. As long as you have biomedia in the filter, the wheel is not needed.

So hmm, two filter media cartridges isn't enough?

Also, even carbon in the cartriges provide a place for the bacteria to live. Yes, it is enough.

 

[Marconis]

Yes! So, Im sorry but I really need someone to clarify again because I worry way too much about these things.

It is 100% okay, with two filter media cartridges in, to keep the bio-wheel out of the filter?

I love not hearing that water sound especially because the tank is in my bedroom.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Yes, you can remove it.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Yes, it is ok as long as they are cycled. If they are new, keep the wheels in for a couple weeks, then you can take the biowheels out.

 

[Marconis]

Yay, thanks for assistance all.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

 

[SparKy697]

Just remember not to change them both out at the same time when you do maintenance.

 

[Marconis]

Wow thanks Sparky, I actually forgot about that. Do you have your wheel in or just that filter media and the regular filter media?

 

[Tentacles]

My post may have sounded weird to some people but Ill find the research on it, theyre just like bio-balls in a reef, mostly useless. I tested my water after I had the wheels running in it, and the wheels harbored nitrates, my levels were bad, and after 3 days of no wheels, back to normal, I repeated the process and the exact same thing happened again. They also clogged with fish poop and ammonia was also a problem. As nutrient exports I meant yes that they allow more O2 to the beneficial bacteria in your carbon filter inserts on the penguin (which is plenty of media) and in the water in your tank, Oxygen is a nutrient My 55g ran for 8 months, smooth sailing, and boo to bio-wheels.

 

[Marconis]

OK thanks

 

[Idealconcepts]

My post may have sounded weird to some people but Ill find the research on it, theyre just like bio-balls in a reef, mostly useless.

I think we need to clear up bio-balls being usless, they are the heart of the biological filtering for an aquarium, for salt water, reef, and fw water tanks that use them.

Bio-balls in any aquarium are usually located in the sump/wetdry filter system. This is where the bacteria is located that converts ammonia to, nitrite, as well as the bacteria that converts nitrite to nitrate. The fact the bio-balls are not sumbmerged allows the bacteria to use more oxygen in the nitrogen cycle.

Regarding you HOB/power filter with a bio-wheel. When your tank water, that contains ammonia/nitrite, passes through your filter pads they are converted into nitrite/nitrate by the nitrogen prcess which uses oxygen that is obtained from the water. With the bio-wheel your bacteria receives more oxygen and thus more efficient at converting amonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate. See above paragraph on why bio-balls are not submerged in tank water, similar to a bio-wheel.

To answer your question yes you can remove the bio-wheel if you use two filter pads. Personally I like the bio-wheels and would never remove them since they are more efficient with the nitrogen cycle. As long as you have all the correct information its your tank and you have to decide what you want to do.

See the qoute below and the link for a source regarding the nitrogen cycle and bio-balls.


These bacteria are living entities that require oxygen and food (an ammonia source) to survive, grow on the surfaces of everything in the tank, and the waste from nitrobacter are shown in the form of nitrate with a test kit. When nitrate readings begin to increase, you can tell that these beneficial nitrifying bacteria are starting to establish themselves

Nitrogen Cycle http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/bionitrogencycle/a/aa073199_2.htm

Bio-balls http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/wetdrytricklefilters/a/aa062103a.htm