Ugly Bio-Wheel problem

[Leto]

We are starting a 2nd aquarium....only a small Hex aquarium.....we were using the Bio-Wheel 20 gallon filter, but 2 of them have completely stopped working inside of 1 day.

Anyone have any idea why that might be? Terribly frustrating and disheartening.

small-gravel bottom, water level seems high enough.

No fish or plants or anything in the tank yet.

Really no idea what is causing it, but the start fine then a few hours later they are dead.

If anyone has any insights, we need help please

 

[QTOFFER]

It's perfectly normal for the biowheel to slow down or stop turning intermittently. Is this what's happening, or is the filter completely stopping altogether? Can you hear the motor humming?

Check the impeller. I have a couple of Penguin minis, and the impellers are prone to getting gunked up. When that happens, the flow isn't strong enough to move the biowheel.

Also check that the siphon tube and the biowheel are both seated properly.

 

[Zagz]

Another thing that has happened to me is that the spray bar that water comes out of and rotates the bio wheels gets clogged and needs to be cleaned. Then the wheels turn just fine again.

 

[lovemybarbs]

Yeah, mine too. I think I had what he had. The tube above the wheels that shoots water on them and helps them spin on my penguin must have gotten clogged. I had an algae bloom problem at the time and everything was getting blah.

 

[Leto]

I am not talking about the wheel itself but the entire filter.....when it stops there is no water-flow whatsoever, I can't hear or feel the motor/impeller trying to work at all....just completely dead silent with no water movement at all. (everything set up properly, filter primed, plugged in etc).


I have a larger model Bio-Wheel in an established tank and never had this kind of issue with one before, but I have had 3 seperate Bio-Wheels stop like that inside of 2 days for no reason I can tell.

The last one stopped once after running for a few hours, so I unplugged it, and took the impeller out to see if anything looekd visually wrong, but everything looked normal and clean (new tank, no plants or algae or anything like that in the tank at all yet), so I put it back in and plugged it back in and it ran fine, so far hasn't stopped again yet.

going on 2 days running now, but I'm worried there is something going on with the tank (small gravel maybe? Its not sand - intank is about 4 1/2 inches above the gravel so I wouldn't think taht would be a problem) but 3 different bio-wheels stopping inside of 2 days is just weird and not something I want to have happen once I populate the tank.

 

[Elmware2000]

You may just have to lift the intake pipe up or down until it starts pumping water. These filters are known to stop completely if the pipe is not in the right position (either too high or too low). they are very fineky.

If that doesn't fix the problem, check the intake pipe to see that it's not clogged by any debris from plants, waste, etc. You might even have to take a toothpick and scoop the waste out of the pipe on the end where the turbine is, if it's on the pipe (Some filters have the turbine on the pipe, while others have them inside). Also, check that peice which goes over the end to make sure it's not plugged.

 

[krap101]

pretty much what everybody else said, but check the impeller housing, and check that the impeller is straight. this would be a good time to do some filter maintenance too.