# do biowheels work IYO (penguin 200)



## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

In your opinion and experience, do biowheels work? I have a penguin 200 on my 20 gallon long. And I've been doing reading on sponge filters. I am really really worried that the penguin 200 with only one bio wheel will not have enough biological filtration. I have no substrate as this will be a fry/ grow out tank. I also have an emperor 400 with *two* biowheels which are a little bigger and I hear good things about it, which I am saving for my 55 gallon when its set up (and I am not worried about the emperor with its two wheels) Does one biowheel have enough biological filtration in your opinion and experience

Thanks in advance


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

Actually, I found the improvements in the setup section of the library

Any input would be appreciated though as I don't want to spend more money :lol: than I have to


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

in my fry tank i have a heater and a small internal filter and about 20 fry, the bacteria finds surfaces to grow on

the point of bio media is to create increased surface area in an area where water moves past to create the best water to surface contact possible for growth and for "processing" and since people tend to scrub glass it also provides a surface that people neglect to clean to it maintians it's colony, you should have bacteria growing on your glass, and if you do manage to damage some of the colony it's always easier to replace it with some still remaining on you bio wheel

my other question is what are you keeping without a substrate?


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## ManiacalMbunas (Oct 13, 2009)

For a fry tank, I'd recommend a sponge filter. They provide lots of area for the bacteria to colonize, are less likely to suck your babies in, and provide a secondary food source for the fry. Oh yeah, and they're cheap. That being said, the BIOwheels provide a large amount of area, also. The Penguin 200 will provide plenty of biological filtration. I'd be more worried about those tiny filter cartridges clogging too quickly. If you're going to use the Penguin, be sure to put some sponge material over the inlet to minimize the chance that your fry could meet the impeller...

Personally, my fry tanks have sponge filters. My grow-out tanks (for 1"+) have sponge filters and HOB.


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

I plan to use the 20 Long with two breeder nets, The larvae will go into the breeder nets and when big enough they will go in the main tank. As I will have no adult fish in the 20 Long, only juveniles, I less fear the breeder nets getting all torn up. I bought the penguin 200 on impulse, I hadn't had the money to buy a 55 gallon for yellow labs so I was going to keep some other fish in the 20 Long...but I will have to fashion a prefilter.

Thanks guys


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

yes the bio-wheels work...i have changed substrate a couple times with no spikes. i also vigorously clean my filter media once a week with every waterchange and also have never had a spike...the only reason has to be the bio-wheels since i am destroying any bacteria colony that is in my filter media not to mention the bacteria in the substrate


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I have 2 filters that have bio-wheels. One has 2 wheels & takes 2 filter cartrides and the other has only one wheel and one cartridge. For some reason I've just never trusted them to hold the bacteria. On the one with 2 cartridges I only change one cartridge at a time because of it. I'm going to put something else inside to hold the bacteria now so I can feel safe changing both cartridges at the same time. The one that only has one wheel & cartridge isn't the only filter on the tank (there's also a Fluval canister) so I don't worry about it.


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## kodyboy (Dec 9, 2007)

I prefer sponge filters for fry tanks, they don't suck up fry and they provide food.


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

notic the marineland sumps use biowheels instead of balls or other bio media


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

*cjacob316 wrote*


> my other question is what are you keeping without a substrate?


what?


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

I use them on all of my tanks! And rarely loose a fish due to poor water quality.


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

one biowheel or two?


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## Maxima308 (Jun 6, 2009)

If your not worried about an emperor 400 with 2 bio wheels is going to filter a 55g why would a penguin 200 with a single bio wheel on a 20g concern you? Your bio wheel to water volume is proportional...

+1 for the sponge filter on a fry tank :thumb:

I would also use breeder nets with caution. Other fish your holding in the tank can still suck fry through the net.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

Maxima308 said:


> I would also use breeder nets with caution. Other fish your holding in the tank can still suck fry through the net.


Even if they do not suck them through the net... adult fish stalking fry through a net is quite stressful to the fry, even if they are never attacked...


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

*Maxima308 wrote*


> I would also use breeder nets with caution. Other fish your holding in the tank can still suck fry through the net.


That's why I will only have fry and juveniles in the 20 long, thanks though, I know about it already


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> opinion and experience, do biowheels work


Opinion..less opinion, than fact...yes, of course they work 
Experience..that will come. 
I just put a pair of 350s into play. 
I have never had a bio wheel before and am still amazed at how simple they are. What a neat idea, taking the energy from the spillway to drive the wheels.
Very clever. 
Not just the use of the free energy, but moving the bio media out of the limited space of the main filter chamber. 
I did not know they had little, replaceable "bearings", though, to be more accurate, they are bearing surfaces. Watching them turn, noticed the wheel "axles" sit outside of the water flow, so I put a dab of silicone grease at each contact point. Will probably do this at each cleaning. I use the 6X9 ScotchBrite pads as cleaning media inside the filter. Cheap, 20 for $7, but more importantly, they do a great job of trapping the gunk.
A true, wet/dry HOB..



> this will be a fry/ grow out tank


Sponge filters are the filters of choice for this kind of tank. Simple, efficient, and will cause no harm to the fry.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

i have 2 emp 400s on each of my tanks and have resorted to stuffing the grey media cartridges with filter floss(pillow batting). i have bi-passed the coarse media and stuffed them with fine and have been pleased with the results. the best thing with the bio-wheels is that you can totally bi-pass all bio media and pack them with mechanical media since the bio-wheels do all the bio for ya. and once your bacteria is established theres almost nothing they cant handle.
a big :thumb: for hobs with bio-wheels. *** used canisters in the past and they just dont move the water like a hob...yeah the canisters are quiet but i kinda like the trickling you hear with the hobs...kinda like those little desktop fountains. and i dont mind the tank sticking out from the wall a bit since i use the lfs backrounds and change them often.


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## steelers fan (Jun 26, 2009)

sorry along the lines of water movement a good hob will probrably suck up a weak swimming fry


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

*KaiserSousay wrote*


> I use the 6X9 ScotchBrite pads as cleaning media inside the filter. Cheap, 20 for $7, but more importantly, they do a great job of trapping the gunk.


Just so everyone knows, scotch brite is controversial, as it contains aluminum oxide, considered harmful for aquariums...

The fry will remain in the breeder nets until they are big enough to not get sucked up by the tube, or else I will put netting fabric on it...no choice, bought this filter on impulse (not good) 

KaiserSousay, I just can't understand the way it works, do you think you can explain it to me (dummy here)


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## redblufffishguy (Jul 16, 2009)

Scotch brite pads are guilty of killing every fish in my tank when I was new to the hobby and didn't know better.....be careful of them.


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

redblufffishguy said:


> Scotch brite pads are guilty of killing every fish in my tank when I was new to the hobby and didn't know better.....be careful of them.


I wonder if there's a way to get rid of the aluminum oxide? Any ideas? any replacements?


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

Will not vouch for any other form of pad than these.
Too many other kinds, even some with soap.



> KaiserSousay, I just can't understand the way it works, do you think you can explain it to me (dummy here)


What..you mean sponge filters???


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

*KaiserSousay wrote*


> Quote:
> KaiserSousay, I just can't understand the way it works, do you think you can explain it to me (dummy here)
> 
> What..you mean sponge filters???
> _________________


I mean those dang biowheels...no idea here  :-?


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> I mean those dang biowheels...no idea here


Oh, OK, gotcha now...
The water passing by the wheels serves two purposes. 
First, the bacteria in the water will "latch on" to the wheel as a home. 
Second, the water also carries the food these bacteria need, in the form our fishes waste. 
As the wheels are turning, these bacteria are not depending on any oxygen carried in the water, but have free access to the air which promotes healthy growth. 
Being a cylinder, they provide the largest surface area for bacteria to colonize, in the smallest space. 
Just like a wet/dry sump, water passes through the media, depositing both bacteria and food to the media..and the exposure to air insures they get all the oxygen they need. 
That is why we want the water passing through our "bio" media to be clean as possible

What I find cool about this is all other HOB let this energy from the spillway go unused and the penguin designers put it to work. No additional pumps, hose, tubes, etc....needed, just the water flow..
Very clever.


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

I think if someone can explain to me what a wet/dry filter is, I'd be ready to go to that lecture at the Brooklyn Aquarium Society and take notes for everyone....UTU (up to you guys to bring me up some more)


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## Brandrcm (Feb 25, 2008)

The wheel concept is not new, this is also used in sewage treatment etc at a much larger scale with success.


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

TKC747 said:


> I think if someone can explain to me what a wet/dry filter is, I'd be ready to go to that lecture at the Brooklyn Aquarium Society and take notes for everyone....UTU (up to you guys to bring me up some more)


The "Wet Dry" concept is very simple...

Bacteria needs oxygen to survive... and to a point, it thrives with higher oxygen levels available...

So Bio Wheels spin, bringing the bacteria in contact with air, which has much higher oxygen content than water. The bacteria is also able to remove oxygen from air easier than it can remove oxyugen from water...

Wet/Dry sumps usually have water drip over bio media, allowing the same principals to take place.

My opinion on biowheels is... as long as you keep them moving, they work as a Wet/Dry media... Although without them the bacteria will thrive just as well on other surfaces available...


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## cjacob316 (Dec 4, 2008)

so for an easy answer, i just set up a new tank been running a penguin on it without any media just to circulate the water, had the biowheel sitting inside the emperor on another tank of mine, ordered fish a few days ago so i needed to make sure the tank could handle fish. i put in a few fish i had just to get the ammonia up a little and popped the wheel onto the filter and within an hour the ammonia was gone so i think they work pretty well


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