Bio-Wheel Better than standard filter?
- Thread starter azboostin
- Start date
They don't actually trap the bacteria, the wheel provides a place, other than your gravel bed, for "good" bacteria to grow. Having a good colony of the "good" (I can't remember the exact names...I know one is nitrifying, hopefully someone else will post the name of the other) bacteria is essential to the health of your tank.
I am all for the bio-wheels. It provides a place for your good bacteria to grow and live. You never change a bio-wheel unless your old one breaks. Doing so will cause you to throw away your bacteria. When using a standard filter, every time you change those filters, you throw away a good amount of this good bacteria which could lead to your tank doing a mini cycle which means you could have a spike in ammonia then nitrites. The bio-wheel helps prevent that though even with the regular media filters on the bio-wheel filters, I place a new filter behind the old one for a few days to allow bacteria to begin growing on it before I toss the old media.
The wheel also removes the bacteria out of the water allowing it to become oxygenated so it can multiply faster and work better at breaking down your fish'es waste. In a regular filter the bacteria will establish in the filter media but when you change it you remove the bacteria thats established in your media. With the bio wheel some of the bacteria remains in the filter on the wheel which is never needs to be changed.
A canister is probably more efficent and if you put bio media in them it makes it so you dont loose the bacteria in the filter. I run to HOB (aqua clear) with bio media instead of bio wheels and a canister filter on my 90 gallon. I do like the HOB's because they make a lot of surface agitation which helps with oxygenation of the water.
You could get a magnum canister filter. The Pro Systems come with a bio-wheel that attaches directly to the canister filters and they come in two sizes; the HOT magnum is rated at 250 gph (gallons per hour) and hangs right on the back of your tank just like a power filter would. The regular magnum canister is rated at 350 gph and would sit below your tank. I'm planning on getting the HOT Magnum Pro for my 30 gallon.
Ideally your choice of filter is based upon a number of considerations and needs.
Size of tank.
Inhabitants.
Planted or not.
Single filter or more than one.
Desired current.
I run a variety of filters with the majority being AquaClears. I run them with floss and sponges as well as a prefilter sponge. I rinse the sponges and replace the floss weekly- never a problem. The last two I bought came with their new bio-media which I dumped in the garbage and put in a 2nd sponge.
Most bio media becomes clogged and less porus over time and there is a limit to how often you can clean it. Sponges last longer, and are more easily rinsed and reused.
Bio-wheels are excellent for biological filtration but do nothing for mechanical. The carts for most of them are an added expense, even when you rinse and reuse them til they wear thin. The floss like material on them as well as filter floss of all types is not a great bio media and the concentration of bacteria in them is very small.
Size of tank.
Inhabitants.
Planted or not.
Single filter or more than one.
Desired current.
I run a variety of filters with the majority being AquaClears. I run them with floss and sponges as well as a prefilter sponge. I rinse the sponges and replace the floss weekly- never a problem. The last two I bought came with their new bio-media which I dumped in the garbage and put in a 2nd sponge.
Most bio media becomes clogged and less porus over time and there is a limit to how often you can clean it. Sponges last longer, and are more easily rinsed and reused.
Bio-wheels are excellent for biological filtration but do nothing for mechanical. The carts for most of them are an added expense, even when you rinse and reuse them til they wear thin. The floss like material on them as well as filter floss of all types is not a great bio media and the concentration of bacteria in them is very small.