View Full Version : What is a Bio Wheel ?
Deleted User
03-20-2009, 01:07 PM
Hi guys.
I keep seeing in peoples posts referring to bio wheels.
What exactly are they ? and a pic would be great to understand better.
Thanks :ssmile:
Lady Hobbs
03-20-2009, 01:09 PM
That wheel that turns around in "hang on the back" filters and tosses the water into the tank. Ya know? All those things I removed from all my tanks. LOL
Lady Hobbs
03-20-2009, 01:11 PM
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Deleted User
03-20-2009, 01:14 PM
What a strange looking bit of kit.
Never seen one before.
Thanks Lady Hobbs :ssmile:
fishlover49
03-20-2009, 01:15 PM
That wheel that turns around in "hang on the back" filters and tosses the water into the tank. Ya know? All those things I removed from all my tanks. LOL
LOL! Sounds like you like them as much as I do. :hmm3grin2orange:
Jaster
03-20-2009, 01:34 PM
Just out of curiousity, why do you guys not use them? What do you use for a bio-filter?
brentw
03-20-2009, 02:01 PM
All my BB are housed snuggly in my canister filter. Although I may purchase a HOB in the future depending on how my water prameters are.
ILuvMyGoldBarb
03-20-2009, 02:07 PM
brent, they are talking about Bio Wheels, not Bioballs.
Biowheels are in fact the most efficient biomedia available, however they are a real pain to maintain sometimes. I took my Emperor 400 off my tank because of too much evaporation. I prefer my canister filters.
Northernguy
03-20-2009, 02:10 PM
I love my Aqua clear HOBs! I never have a problem with them and making my own media is a breeze.No silly cartridges!:19:
Those bio wheels must get packed with crud.
I do like my rena xp3 canister though!
brentw
03-20-2009, 02:11 PM
brent, they are talking about Bio Wheels, not Bioballs.
Biowheels are in fact the most efficient biomedia available, however they are a real pain to maintain sometimes. I took my Emperor 400 off my tank because of too much evaporation. I prefer my canister filters.
When I said BB I ment benificial bacteria
fishlover49
03-20-2009, 02:36 PM
I love my Aqua clear HOBs! I never have a problem with them and making my own media is a breeze.No silly cartridges!:19:
Those bio wheels must get packed with crud.
I do like my rena xp3 canister though!
Ditto!! thumbs2:
frizzlefish
03-20-2009, 02:48 PM
Those bio wheels must get packed with crud.
EXACTLY! That's why I like them!
Kadina
03-20-2009, 02:57 PM
My Eclipse Systems (I have a 3 and 12) have biowheels on the built in filter and I love them both. The wheels don't get cruddy at all, the muck tends to gather on the cartridge/sponge before the wheel and they are easily rinsed out in old tank water. That said, I am really liking the AC70 I bought for my newest tank.
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fishlover49
03-20-2009, 03:49 PM
I had a Bio-wheel in one of my smaller tanks for awhile, but I took it out and put a canister filter in. The Bio-wheel kept stopping and I had to keep pushing it to get it going again. :scry:
I get tons of gunk in my Aquaclear. thumbs2: No problem with not having gunk. :hmm3grin2orange:
I think filters are just everyone's personal preference. Whatever works for you. thumbs2:
KoKoPuff
03-20-2009, 04:05 PM
I've never had problems with my bio-wheels. If you're getting lots of gunk in them, maybe you're not replacing or cleaning your filters often enough?
ko4000
03-20-2009, 04:15 PM
Good read on Bio Wheels
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Lady Hobbs
03-20-2009, 04:17 PM
I love my Aqua clear HOBs! I never have a problem with them
Me, too. I found my filter began to stink and it was those bio-wheels going around tossing out the stink. I had more water splashing and evaporation. I say if ya like them use them. I happen to prefer bio-max, sponges or filter floss.
I have 2 Emperor biowheels on the 55g - came with the tank...
On the other tanks I have ACs...
Much prefer the AC for maintenance. I've read so much contradictory info. on the biowheels that I don't know if they're better for colonizing beneficial bacteria or not...
...I've also wondering if the bacteria get dizzy, going around and around...not natural! :hmm3grin2orange:
In the meantime, the biowheels are doing their job, so they stay. However I won't replace them with new biowheels...
fishlover49
03-20-2009, 04:39 PM
I have 2 Emperor biowheels on the 55g - came with the tank...
On the other tanks I have ACs...
Much prefer the AC for maintenance. I've read so much contradictory info. on the biowheels that I don't know if they're better for colonizing beneficial bacteria or not...
...I've also wondering if the bacteria get dizzy, going around and around...not natural! :hmm3grin2orange:
In the meantime, the biowheels are doing their job, so they stay. However I won't replace them with new biowheels...
LOL!! Dizzy bacteria!! Wouldn't that be a sight! :hmm3grin2orange:
terrapin24h
03-20-2009, 05:01 PM
my only major gripe with my large biowheel system(i have an emperor 200) is that it's noisy. The tank it's on(for the moment until i get a canister) is in our den, and it tends to sound like a brook babbling through the room. It doesn't bother me but annoys my wife no end, who in turn annoys me :) I've tried different flow rates, water levels, cartridge positions, cleaning, nothing seems to really do the trick. That said, it is a fantastic(unstoppable??) biological filter. When it starts to turn un evenly, i take it off, dunk it in the tank and swish it around. Then i take a brush and just lightly brush the gook of the ends, and give a quick brush to the bushings and put it back on. Takes about 1 minute to do and lasts for a couple months. I also have two eclipse tanks(3 and 6) and they work awesome there too and are dead quiet. I think they are a superior form of bio filtration for smaller tanks because they give so much more surface area for bacteria development than a non bio wheel filter for a like sized tank might.
All that said, that noisy bugger is gone as soon as i get a can :)
--chris
Jaster
03-20-2009, 05:15 PM
...and it tends to sound like a brook babbling through the room. It doesn't bother me but annoys my wife no end, who in turn annoys me :) ...
I'm lucky there my girlfriend finds that sound soothing...
I can see where a canister filter is a much better option for you. The sound of an annoyed wife is anything but soothing...
terrapin24h
03-20-2009, 05:35 PM
I'm lucky there my girlfriend finds that sound soothing...
I can see where a canister filter is a much better option for you. The sound of an annoyed wife is anything but soothing...
too true, but the cans do take longer to seed, based on my experience with my small fluval 205. Plus without the biowheel filter sitting there, i'm going to have to make sure i take into account surface agitation and setup the can to ripple the water. I will miss the "oxygenation" abilities of the bio wheel, but will not miss wife complaining about it :) I find it soothing too, her not so much
--chris
jb300m01
03-21-2009, 12:36 AM
I have had my penguin bio wheel for over a year and I love it! Never changed the bio wheel. The only time I touch it is when I clean the sponge. I'd like to get a canister though... to quiet my future wife! :spam:
... I'd like to get a canister though... to quiet my future wife!...
...that's the BEST reason! If she's happy, you'll be happy...trust me on that one...
shockshockshad
03-21-2009, 01:32 AM
I have an aquaclear AND a penguin bio-wheel on my 30gal and I have to tell you, i LOVE the AC, and HATE the BW. The AC makes way less noise, i can customise the media, and its easier to clean. The BW makes a huge flow too, so i can't have any tall plants in front of it, or else they blow over.
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