is bio wheel still usefull if i plop it in there?

[Austinrf]

I have a 42gallon hex tank with 70 neon tetras and a magnum marine land canister filter on back as my main filter, but i am wondering, I have an old bio wheel that is the size of a TV remote, and was wondering if it would be beneficial to just let it float in the aquarium to perhaps gather the good bacteria on it? or do bio wheels only work when spinning as a part of an actual filter?

[bgcoop8784]

any surface in the tank is going to aquire bacteria growing on it if it is in the tank, just plopping a bio-wheel in there isn't gonna help much more than the bacteria growing on the gravel.

[Austinrf]

well i am worried about that because i have a sand bottom not a gravel bottom, can the bacteria grow as well in the sand>?

[bgcoop8784]

if you really want to add more bio-filtration, consider a sponge filter, pretty cheap, or check out diy sponge filters. plenty of ways to make a good bio-filter if you have an extra powerhead also.

[Austinrf]

mmm yess sponge filters look like what i need, thanks

[Austinrf]

do you think tho that my tank will have enough bacteria in it either way? like sand tanks can have that bacteria too right?

[bgcoop8784]

yes sand will have bacteria, what size canister do you have?

[Austinrf]

its the HOT magnum marine land filter from like 3 years ago, its got a good water flow and all, but im wondering if its enough filtration, altho honestly i think it will be fine, mainly just worried about not having enough bacteria

[bgcoop8784]

i think if the bio-wheel was still hooked up you might be fine, if not, personally i would get a extra sponge filter, too much filtration never hurts, is the tank cycled, and have you tested the water.

[bgcoop8784]

beneficial bacteria grow's on everything in the tank, what makes this bacteria useful is how much water/o2/ammonia is flowing past to feed the bacteria, bacteria growing in your canister and filter is coming into contact much more, therefore breaking down more ammonia than the bacteria growing on your substrate. anytime you are pulling tank water through media such as a sponge or other bio-media you are breaking down much more ammonia.

[excuzzzeme]

I will get flamed for this one:

Bio-wheels are highly overrated. They are not magical devices that you must have to maintain a healthy tank. It is simply a different approach to the bacteria questions. If you were to take a bio-wheel off a filter after cycling a tank, it would not affect the health of the tank. Anywhere the water touches in your system you will have bacteria. The main places being the hard surface areas (meaning non-liquid). There are many high quality filters that do not employ a bio-wheel and they are just as efficient as, or better than, a filter with one. People have gotten the mindset that if they don't have a bio-wheel they will have a weak or unhealthy system. Nothing could be further from the truth!

[bushwhacker]

i like the bio wheel filters others dont. neither have any advantage, as excuzzzmee said,,, hows that for some flamin?

[67chevelle]

LOL,yeah where's the flame?
I have never had any problems with using bio wheels.They need maintenance just like any other HOB. It's kinda like people who like Chevy's VS. Fords. It really comes down to what you like,and what works for you. All filters and tanks will cycle as long as there is ammonia in the tank.There are many different brands and types of filters you can use.Find one that works for you,and don't worry about what others say about it.As long as the water parameters are OK,you should be fine.

If the bio wheel you are referring to came from an established tank and you are trying to speed up the cycle in a new tank,having it in there will help.If you just want to have the wheel in there for more surface area for the bacteria,I would not bother.

[Star_Rider]

excuzzzeme has it right bacteria will adhere to any solid surface in the tank. sand, driftwood ornaments.glass.. etc.

keep in mind that you will have plenty of media available and the bacteria will only produce to the stock in the tank.. in essence you will not get more bacteria by adding surfaces like bio wheels.

the bio load really determines the bacteria population.

[Austinrf]

ok well i just ended up not floating the bio wheel, my http://www.fishsupply.com/sitml-0250h.html filter is working good, and the neons dont seem to produce enough waste to require another whole filter IMO, so ima just keep things the way they are, on a side note, out of the 60 neon tetra i got for 20 bucks yesterday, over night all were alive but one, so i think thats decent considering i got em 3 for a dollar

[bgcoop8784]

if the aquarium isn't cycled yet, go ahead and pick you up a ammonia test kit and watch it close, probably gonna end up with daily water changes for a while till it cycles.

[RodInCALIFORNIA]

the HOT magnums have a bio wheel attachment you can get if you want to run a bio wheel on the tank. my hot magnums all came with the bio wheel attachments. i just hook up a small powerhead to them and run them i dont have them powered by the hot magnum filter and using a small powerhead you can put the bio wheel on any tank you want.

[SubRosa]

Surface area isn't the only determining factor in how efficiently a bio filter removes ammonia. Media which is submerged completely is not nearly as efficient as "dry" media like a biowheel or properly used bioballs. All of the reactions we want are oxidative reactions which depend on a supply of oxygen to complete. Of course nobody needs a biowheel. I kept fish successfully for years before they came into use. And it's just as true that nobody needs a car if they have two functional legs. It's just a matter of convenience.

[coach_z]

sounds like you have enough filtration with the HOT filter. they only thing you might want is circulation so you might as well pick up a powerhead to get more water flow.

is this tank cycled? Or, Is the biowheel from a ccyled tank? if the tank is un-cycled and the biowheel is fresh from a cycled tank then yes it will help you cycle your tank. otherwhise just floating a biowheel in a tank is going to only look bad.

enjoy!