bio wheel myth
- Thread starter jlem
- Start date
fshhub
Active Member
without getting too wordy and complex
they trap and hold detrituswhich turns into ammonia when it breaks down, then from ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate, you need the lr and dsb to break the nitrates down into nitrogen gas which leaves the system as a gas(bubbles out)
maybe this can help
they trap and hold detrituswhich turns into ammonia when it breaks down, then from ammonia into nitrite and then nitrate, you need the lr and dsb to break the nitrates down into nitrogen gas which leaves the system as a gas(bubbles out)
maybe this can help
twoods71
Active Member
The way I understand it is that the bio wheels and balls are so efficient at breaking down ammonia and nitrite into nitrate there becomes a build up of the nitrates. Hence the name nitrate factory.
I currently run biowheels however and last tested my nitrates were below 5 ppm.
I currently run biowheels however and last tested my nitrates were below 5 ppm.
tomato clown
Member
Why is it that with my hang on filters that have the bio-wheel companion, don't do any of this?
The way my 1 filter works is the activated carbon cannister fills with water trapping all the detrus and debris, it is then fed through a tube to a hard plastic spray bar, this then flows down onto the bio-wheel, witch then returns to the tank giving me great readings.
The second is a filter for a 5gal. tank but uses a foam/carbon filter with the bio-wheel hung above the out flow...great readings here as well.
Dan
The way my 1 filter works is the activated carbon cannister fills with water trapping all the detrus and debris, it is then fed through a tube to a hard plastic spray bar, this then flows down onto the bio-wheel, witch then returns to the tank giving me great readings.
The second is a filter for a 5gal. tank but uses a foam/carbon filter with the bio-wheel hung above the out flow...great readings here as well.
Dan
wally
Member
IMHO it is one of those internet myths that gets spread around with out a lot of facts. Nitrates come from Nitrites, which come from ammonia. The ammount of ammonia that is produced is the same no mater what type of filtration you are using so the ammount of nitrites and nitrates will be the same as well.
The problem is that people do not clean their filters out or change pads nearly enough. This detritus that gets trapped in the filter rots which creates more ammonia and thus more nitrites and nitrates. It has nothing to do with the bio wheels but rather the extra dirt trapped in the filters.
IMHO biowheels are a very good idea, just be sure to keep the filters clean. Marineland also makes a bio-wheel system that is powered by just a powerhead. There is no filter, no pads not anything just a powerhead, a spray bar, and a biowheel(s). The powerhead does have a sponge prefilter on it, but that would be very simple to keep clean. I would think that one of these would be ideal for a reef tank.
The problem is that people do not clean their filters out or change pads nearly enough. This detritus that gets trapped in the filter rots which creates more ammonia and thus more nitrites and nitrates. It has nothing to do with the bio wheels but rather the extra dirt trapped in the filters.
IMHO biowheels are a very good idea, just be sure to keep the filters clean. Marineland also makes a bio-wheel system that is powered by just a powerhead. There is no filter, no pads not anything just a powerhead, a spray bar, and a biowheel(s). The powerhead does have a sponge prefilter on it, but that would be very simple to keep clean. I would think that one of these would be ideal for a reef tank.
tomato clown
Member
Well I myself clean my wheels and carbon at least once a week, sometimes twice depending on how cloudy the water has been due to the clownfish. I will do this ritually, just because of the ammount of crap that I see growing in the cannisters.
Dan
Dan