Biowheels

[Davy Reynolds]

Okay I've got another email sitting in my drawer.

The symptons are new tank syndrome.

Probibale cause, over cleaning the filter. The person is running an external with a biowheel. So my Q is, how often should a biowheel be cleaned, how much cleaning, or renewal.
Since I've never used or come across one. Us guy's please help. 8)

 

[ostrow]

I've got an Eclipse system with the biowheel, and the instructions are clear NOT to replace or clean the biowheel UNLESS it stops turning. In the latter case, just a gentle rinse is suggested.

The carbon filter pads that accompany it are to be replaced every couple weeks but lazy me figures once a month (why give Marineland more $$ than need be?!?)

Then again, I'm a self-described newbie, so these are just the directions I'm following.

 

[William]

make sure you rinse it in tank water!!

 

[Davy Reynolds]

Thanks guys, pritty must as I thought, nothing specail then

 

[adeyc]

Davy~ I take it the postie arrived today and you're a happy man. It looks like you've been hunting to celebrate. So many typo's but non to take the mick out of.

 

[Great Lakes]

Bio wheels You probably never have to clean them if you keep up on your filter changes. William is right about rinsing them in cycled water if need be.

 

[ostrow]

Am I wrong on the waiting a month to replace the filter cartridges? Also, instructions say to rinse in lukewarm running tap water. But this now seems obviously illogical.

A problem I have with my biowheel is getting at all the parts on the motor part that need cleaning. But this is probably just a weirdness of my tank design.

 

[William]

To keep the bacteria in it rinse it in a bit of tank water (not in the tank obviously cause it will make it messy )

The rule for waiting is as soon as the flow of water given out slows down you need to rinse it. This may be once a month or it may be more or less. That way you only clean it when needed.

 

[pete]

Personnaly i use the carbon cartridges in new filters untill they are due for replacement and then bin them and never replace them as i feel that carbon is a very old and unreliable method of stripping harmfull substances from the water.......manufacturers recommend replacing every 2 weeks on average but..........if the carbon soaks up all it can before the 2 weeks is up then itr will begin leaking poisons back into the water and how can anyone say that they are possitive that at 2 weeks its full or overfull?, in my opinion its best left out plus if you have good strong filtration there is no need for carbon, the only time i use it is to strip medications etc from the water once they have done their job

By the way if you are treating your tank with medications you are taking the carbon out arent you? as if you dont the carbon will soak up the medication before it can be of any benefit to your fish