Hey Everyone,

I was curious about the bio wheel. I know how important it is because it is where your healthy bacteria forms in, etc. But there is one thing I was wondering about, when would be the time to change the bio wheel? Do you only change the biowheel if you are starting a new tank or what? I haven't been able to answer my question through research. May I add, I am a newbie to this hobby.

Thanks.

I have a biowheel as well and as far as I know, you wouldnt change it unless it was falling apart or no longer turned correctly. At most ....give it a small rinse in tank water if it gets clogged up but thats about it.

it says somewhere in the packaging there is never a need to change them unless something breaks on it. as these are very basic and have no moving parts, i couldnt imagine the bacteria a biowheel would gather after say...5 or 6 years?

You need never change a biowheel unles it fails completely. It will get a buildup around the bearing that will need to be cleaned off or it won't turn right. The mineral buildup can also show up as a hard deposit in the slot the bearing fits into. That is harder to get clean but if it stays dirty, it will never turn right. It is worth the trouble to get it cleaned out with a q-tip.

Another small detail that has been discussed about the biowheel is what to do in the event of a power outage. The biowheel bacteria are a little more vulnerable to drying out than submerged bacteria would be, so in a power outage its been stated that its good to remember to remove the wheel and drop it in the tank, or in tank water, to keep it wet and exposed to oxygen and some ammonia that would be in the tank water.

If someone is keeping your house while you are on vacation and calls you about a power outage, this would be a good thing to have them do I think.

I am not a biowheel owner, so there may be better thoughts about this...

~~waterdrop~~