Is a bio wheel really that great?

Question

Or is it just overrated?

Answer 1

It is over rated.
This is an interesting question as I was on the band wagon of bio wheel fans about 10 years ago (usually I test and research first, but the theory behind these was good so I did not bother).

Another colleague in the maintenance field asked me one day if I had actually run scientific tests using different filters against bio wheels and I said no.
So I began several tests using tanks of similar size, fish, feeding and maintenance schedule at one of my clients that had about 30 aquariums where I could monitor well.

The results were that bio wheels do work, HOWEVER NOT to the level the level of hype stated by many and Sponge filters, Aqua Clears, Whispers, VitaLife HOB and other filters all beat them in side by side tests.
For much more about these test, please read this article from Aquarium Answers:
http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/2006/12/do-bio-wheels-really-work.html

For more filtration information: http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Filtration.html

:~) C

Answer 2

Bio wheels are a good idea to add more surface area for bacteria that convert ammonia to nitrites to nitrates. You treat them like a do not disturb zone. Everything else you change and clean as needed to keep up the appearance of the tank as well as healthy fish. The bio wheel allows that bacteria to redistribute though out the tank after a cleaning. There are other methods and media which serve the same purpose. One is to put some gravel or porcelain in your filter close to the out port. On other filters it is the spong pad. All of these work really well to help keep the tank from having too much ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates building up.

PK

Answer 3

They're designed to add surface area (the convolutions on the wheel) for bacteria that convert the ammonia and nitrite to nitrate to grow. But to do this, the wheel needs to stay wet, therefore it has to turn. I've had experiences my self, and have heard from others, about a lot of these getting gummed up and they stop turning (the same will happen if water evaporates and isn't high enough for the pump to produce as strong of a flow). If exposed to air for too long, the bacteria dies.

In my opinion, you can get just as much surface area from an AquaClear filter that uses the big foam blocks, and at a cheaper price (no turning required!).

Answer 4

Overrated. When I was running hob power filters in my setup I ran Aqua Clears. I've seen too many bio wheels stop spinning, there goes your bio filtration. The pumps on AC filters are the strongest out there for a hob, in the past I torture tested filters.

Answer 5

I prefer a cannister filter, myself. When I had a biowheel, every time I did a water change, the lower water level meant the wheel stopped turning, and it was a b*tch to get started up again, even when the fresh water was added and the water level returned to normal. With the biowheel, too, it was always a race to get the routine maintenance done before the bacteria died due to air exposure, as Copperhead points out. So yeah, in my opinion, overrated....

Hope this helps.

Answer 6

no they're pretty good@helping regulate all the different micro-colonial systems&keeping some bad,bacterias in check.Any help is welcome help.