Bio-wheel
- Thread starter elkhound
- Start date
cyberbeer65
Scratch Glass!
I really don't have any expierence with bio-wheels,but I have heard that if they stop turning,you need to swish them around on some tank water to clean off the connection where they are seated in the filter houseing.
I hope this helps,good luck.
I hope this helps,good luck.
First make sure it is seated in the holder good, If its not in the slots exactly as it should be , It will not turn good at all. Also you need to swish it around in the tank every 1or2 weeks, and that should help clean it off when it starts getting gummed up with all that good Bacteria. If you have to you could Spray them off in the sink using Tank Temp water. But you should never let it stop long enough to dry up.
Thanks! It is definitely getting enough water and is not dry at all. It just doesn't spin a lot of the time. It is located in the right position and seems to run fine. I have only had the filter for two weeks so this is new to me. My water seems fine but I just don't want to run into problems.
Most of them say right on the package that as long as it is turning at any speed it is doing it's job. I'm pretty sure one that is not spinning will also work fine as a biofilter, as it is near a rich O2 source. You can adjust your filter flow to make it spin if the cleaning doesn't work. Also check the intake tube for clogging, as well as clean the impeller to get proper flow rate. If you do not have a flow rate adjustment, you can pull the filter media up ever so slightly to get a bit more flow.
Bosemani Fan said:
Um.. Do NOT rinse it off in tap water! The chlorine/chloramine will kill the bacteria that you want growing on there.
I use two Bio Wheel filters, and mine constantly turn unless I put the front cover on too tight, or forgot to remove the piece of paper that comes wrapped around it. Check for those. I know you do not want it fully stopped.
Yes....I've heard of people failing to remove the packaging material. That's the first thing I've thought of since you said it was new.
The wheels will also stop turning if the carbon filter behind the wheel gets messy. It's all a flow thing -- the water must be coming down the shoot with enough volume to hit the impellors on the wheel -- gumming up the floss in the carbon filter will lower the volume that gets to the shoot and the wheel will first start to spin irregularly and then it will completely stop.
Do you have an emporer or a penguin? The filter cartridge being plugged in a penguin could have an effect, but not so in a Emporer. Either way, if it stops for a significant period, it could dry up and kill off part of the colony, if it doesn't dry up, you have nothing to worry about. any idea how long it usually stops for?
Dave
I have all penguins -- the mini in my 5g and 220s in my 36g -- when I first started a few months ago, I had the wheel in my mini stop while I was at work -- no idea for how long. I had a goldfish my daughter won at a carnival and was just learning my lessons (and yes, I lost the goldfish). Couldn't learn things fast enough to save her. Now that I've started learning things BEFORE doing them, things are MUCH better! I don't have any problem with my wheels now -- every water change, I swish the carbon filter in the siphoned water or change it out. Amazing how things work when you "use as directed"!