View Full Version : Bio-wheel or not?
bettaman
11-29-2002, 6:14 PM
I'm in the market for a new filter for my 20 gallon aquarium. I've heard that the filters with bio-wheels tend to be better, is this true? Why or why not? I've been looking at purchasing the filter online but by the time you factor in shipping I might as well go to the pet store.
fishbrain
11-29-2002, 6:25 PM
Originally posted by bettaman
I'm in the market for a new filter for my 20 gallon aquarium. I've heard that the filters with bio-wheels tend to be better, is this true? Why or why not? I've been looking at purchasing the filter online but by the time you factor in shipping I might as well go to the pet store.
bio-wheel provide exellent bio filtration,for your 20 gal you could put a emp.280.it will cost you32$ at bigals,at your lfs it could cost ya as much as 75$. I have a emp280 on my 20,i use a cell-pore cartridge and fiber floss in the media basket ,and have had great results.hth:D
rjl420
11-29-2002, 6:27 PM
I don't have a problem with bio wheels, however IIRC they aren't the best choice on planted tanks because they can compete with the plants for nutrients.
what are the inhabitants of the tank?
wetmanNY
11-29-2002, 6:30 PM
because in a planted tank (Diana Walstad tells) plants and nitrifying bacteria are in direct competition for the ammonia. Biowheels are great in unplanted, hardwater tanks where pH is alkaline and NH3 is an issue. Not so great in softwater planted tanks where plants are scoffing up the ionized nontoxic NH4.
Pootspete
11-29-2002, 6:31 PM
I have had no problem with my Penguin Mini Bio-Wheel for the past year and my fish seem to agree.:D
bettaman
11-29-2002, 6:36 PM
Originally posted by rjl420
I don't have a problem with bio wheels, however IIRC they aren't the best choice on planted tanks because they can compete with the plants for nutrients.
what are the inhabitants of the tank?
At present, I'll just be moving the habitants from my 10 gallon which are 7 white clouds, 2 neon tetra's and 3 panda cories. I'll also add 2 clown loaches.
Serrateeth_2002
11-29-2002, 6:44 PM
Too little neons,if u already have enough neons,about 6,it will take about 3 or 4 years till you need to get a new tank,the clown loaches will out grow it by then.
carfey
11-29-2002, 9:34 PM
I don't mean to hijack this thread but I have a planted 55 gallon tank. Right now it's being filtered by an Emperor 400. It provides a bit less filtration than I'd like but it'll do. I wasn't aware that the bio-wheels could compete with the plants. Should I remove one? or both? If I remove one, can I use it to help establish a tank?
My personal experience is exactly the opposite of the position taken by Ms. Waldstad. My experience is that healthy plants compete quite successfully with biofilters, in fact out-compete them hands down. There are several other experienced hobbyists who report the same finding, so this is not just a peculiarity of my moderately lighted low CO2 tanks. My guess that the plants would compete even better with more light and CO2 available to them.
But re biowheels as biofilters, they are perfectly good and useful devices, a specialized W/D which separates the biofiltration from the mechanical filtration - a division I strongly support personally. I don't use biowheels myself because they make more noise than I like, and excessively agitate the surface (part of their function) which blows off my low CO2.