(dis)advantages of a bio wheel
- Thread starter hwttdz1
- Start date
miaheatlvr
Active Member
Originally Posted by hwttdz1
I have had a very reliable shop tell me that I do not need a bio wheel filter if using live rock and live sand to filter. However, my question is what are the disadvantages to using such a filter? For that matter what are the benefits?
I used to have one in my eclipse system, until I read they were basically useless with LR and LS and could house nitrates, I removed it and put in a CHEMIPURE in its place, ALSO I added a refugium and custom built the lighting.
I have had a very reliable shop tell me that I do not need a bio wheel filter if using live rock and live sand to filter. However, my question is what are the disadvantages to using such a filter? For that matter what are the benefits?
I used to have one in my eclipse system, until I read they were basically useless with LR and LS and could house nitrates, I removed it and put in a CHEMIPURE in its place, ALSO I added a refugium and custom built the lighting.
H
huskychasrs
Guest
Not this again???
Use it if you want to.
Use it if you want to.
aztec reef
Active Member
The benefits are slim, compared to LS,LR,SKIMMER ect..the only benefits i see is: having more water movement with the option to run carbon occasionally on that filter..other than that, i would take it off and throw it away..although theres those people that would NOT agree with me, but hey its your tank your choice..if anybody says that a Bio-wheel is needed in a reef then they're giving it TOO much credit...
hwttdz1
Member
In many of the beginning a saltwater aquarium threads running carbon is strongly recommended, in what sorts of equipment can one run carbon?
A book that I have says that if one uses carbon you need to add elements, because it removes good elements as well. If this is true carbon does not seem as attractive.
A book that I have says that if one uses carbon you need to add elements, because it removes good elements as well. If this is true carbon does not seem as attractive.
rbaldino
Active Member
Originally Posted by hwttdz1
I have had a very reliable shop tell me that I do not need a bio wheel filter if using live rock and live sand to filter. However, my question is what are the disadvantages to using such a filter? For that matter what are the benefits?
The biowheel is used to house a colony of nitrifying bacteria, which is the same thing live rock does, so in that sense the biowheel is redundant. Running that HOB filter will give you some additional flow and a place to run filter media, so it still has some use. The biowheel will also provide additional biological filtration. Just make sure that you routinely clean any media that you run in there.
I have had a very reliable shop tell me that I do not need a bio wheel filter if using live rock and live sand to filter. However, my question is what are the disadvantages to using such a filter? For that matter what are the benefits?
The biowheel is used to house a colony of nitrifying bacteria, which is the same thing live rock does, so in that sense the biowheel is redundant. Running that HOB filter will give you some additional flow and a place to run filter media, so it still has some use. The biowheel will also provide additional biological filtration. Just make sure that you routinely clean any media that you run in there.
rbaldino
Active Member
Originally Posted by hwttdz1
I think the other poster was worried the wheel itself might hold nitrates. So another power filter could be used. But I was wondering if a power filter would be the best place to run carbon, also how do you load the loose carbon in there?
The whole biomedia/nitrates thing is a long running debate and too complicated to go into here. The only thing you really need to be concerned about is keeping the biowheel fairly clean; that's what the filter media ahead of the wheel is for. You don't really need to run loose carbon; the filter cartridges for that filter should contain carbon.
I think the other poster was worried the wheel itself might hold nitrates. So another power filter could be used. But I was wondering if a power filter would be the best place to run carbon, also how do you load the loose carbon in there?
The whole biomedia/nitrates thing is a long running debate and too complicated to go into here. The only thing you really need to be concerned about is keeping the biowheel fairly clean; that's what the filter media ahead of the wheel is for. You don't really need to run loose carbon; the filter cartridges for that filter should contain carbon.