RLiu818 Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 I currently have a Penguin Bio-wheel mini running in my 10 gallon FOWLR tank. I was told that the bio wheel may cause higher nitrates and the carbon was not good as well. I don't understand, I thought a mechanical/biological/chemical filter was always good. Link to comment
Brianc_4 Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Take a look at this thread currently playing in another section on this board.bio-wheel shmio-wheel Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 A few words of advice...... When posting a question that you wan an answer too, please be sure to provide background information on your set up pertaining to your question so you dont look like a total LOL'erskater. I'm seeing a trend here.... so I offer this.... Use the SEARCH button before posting again. So far you have managed to ask a LOT of repete questions and been here a week. Hang out in the beginners forum for a while untill you get the hang of this board..... Its much safer there... Link to comment
Spudds Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Dave is the resident "search button" nazi. Link to comment
OscarBeast Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 I use my bio-wheel mini with no bio-wheel and no filter pad. Works great! Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Spudds is new.... but observant Dave is the resident "search button" nazi. YEP ! just call me BOB FENNER ! (if ya dont get it.... check out 90 % of his post on www.wetwebmedia.com ) Link to comment
Masoch Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 OK, here's a question. I've been using a w/d for a couple months; ammonia, nitrate/trite levels are 0 -> undectable. I've been thinking of nuking the w/d just to clear up some space in the tank (it's an in-tank filter). However ... it areates my tank. With my skimmer (another source of aeration) on a timer with the lights, is simple water movement with one jet of water breaking the surface enough to areate my tank? Or should I put an air hose onto one of the ph's? My tank is a 20 gallon with 15 pounds very porous lr (~10 pounds more coming today) with 3 fish, 4 shrimp and the usual assortment of cleaners, hitchhikers and hangers on. Ahhhh, so complicated. Link to comment
printerdown01 Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 Been using mine for a year and a half, still no nitrate problems. Keep your ammonia low (which is good to do to begin with -since it is toxic) and don't run a surface skimmer when running the wet-dry system. If you do this you will be just fine! And you tank will be ammonia free! Note: nitrate and nitrites are not toxic. They will cause algae and coral to grow faster (both a benifit and a draw back). I still recommend keeping them low as I dread algae just like every one else. This filter will not create 'trates from nothing. It needs to be fueled by ammonia. No ammonia no production of 'trates. -just the other side of the story. On the flip side: I will be removing my bio-wheel (for a period of time -probably 2 months) sometime in the near future, just to see what happens to the tank. I'll keep you guys up-dated on my findings. It has been my experiance that bio-wheels do not cause problems. I have also noticed that the vast majority of people who scream "the sky is falling" when it comes to bio-wheels have not tried them, and those who have have not really had any problems with them (unless they were running a surface skimmer or had high ammonia levels). Link to comment
glazer Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 Been using mine for a year and a half, still no nitrate problems. Keep your ammonia low (which is good to do to begin with -since it is toxic) and don't run a surface skimmer when running the wet-dry system. If you do this you will be just fine! And you tank will be ammonia free! Note: nitrate and nitrites are not toxic. Um, hmmmm, when did nitrites become non-toxic? Well reading this thread and the other aforementioned thread I'm seeing some twists/takes on the "nitrogen cycle" I haven't seen before... First of all... I'm not a "sky is fallin' screamer" about bio-wheels. I just feel they aren't needed, needed in a reef tank with adequate rock and sand that is. Bio-wheels are EXTREMELY efficient in what they do... convert ammonia(very toxic) to nitrites (toxic indeed but less than ammo), to the FAR FAR less toxic nitrates. So efficient in doing so that they outcompete the rock and sand... Quote: "This filter will not create 'trates from nothing. It needs to be fueled by ammonia. No ammonia no production of 'trates. -just the other side of the story." Well p.. not to start a heated debate, but ammonia is being produced in our tanks constantly... um thus the term "bioload". When a properly cycled tank is in motion this ammonia is being broken down at a rate that makes it literally undetectable... well undetectable by the simplistic test kits WE use anyway. The bacteria that process this waste/ammonia/bioload reach an equilibrium... they only exist in numbers needed. Add a fish, mini-spike or cycle if you will... remove some of that bioload and you also reduce the amount of bacteria needed, then you have a "mini-micro" spike due to said, now un-needed bacteria dying off. Run a bio-wheel, don't run one... your choice. Proper housekeeping will keep your tank at desireable levels. I just choose not to, as I said earlier... they are not needed if all other requirements are met. Besides I feel it's an added ingredient that does indeed require more maintenance. Since they become the main processor of waste in your tank... well my feeling is everytime you clean them you are possible killing off a good amount of this bacteria needed.... mini micro spikes again. I won't get into the whole nitrate thing as I'm running out of wind here but in parting I have to add at least "one cent" as opposed to two... I don't believe the "ZERO nitrate" aspect exists... I DO believe it's quite possible to have levels that again, our simplistic kits cannot perhaps detect. The process of nitrates to nitrogen is a complex undertaking with specific requirements that are hard to meet in tanks... especially nano's. I believe that having the "bio-filtering" taking place on the rock and sand is far more effective than leaving them to just deal with the nitrates the bio-wheel or balls in da wet dry are producing... UH OH! OMG!... first off that was WAY more than one cent, was almost a dime and dammit... I called a bio-wheel a nitrate factory, indirectly of course. Been using mine for a year and a half, still no nitrate problems. Keep your ammonia low (which is good to do to begin with -since it is toxic) and don't run a surface skimmer when running the wet-dry system. If you do this you will be just fine! And you tank will be ammonia free! Note: nitrate and nitrites are not toxic. Link to comment
Dave ESPI Posted January 23, 2003 Share Posted January 23, 2003 hurrr hurr hurrr. U R funneee. Have a glass... I'm full of #### and vineger Link to comment
mxpro32 Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 i just run my bio-wheel because i always have and i havent had any nitrate problems so why change. but i dont think they are needed. Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.