Dana42078
Dana
Well i thought i needed just a new filter cartrage because my wheel was barely spinning. Turns out the wheel itself has become to dirty to spin properly? So my question is can i rinse it or do i go buy a new one?
Penguin 200 bio wheel
- Thread starter Dana42078
- Start date
bjohanson1234
.........
I would get rid of it totally. Those bio wheels are really fresh water technology and lead to high nitrates in a saltwater tank. If you have a skimmer and live rock, you really dont need the HOB filter at all.
Dana42078
Dana
Well i dont run a protien skimmer as i only have a 46g tank. I do have about 46lbs of LR but you really didnt answer the question lol. Sure it would be great to get rid of it and dump over 100 bucks on a protein skimmer but i dont have that money right now so some help would be appriciated
x19
Reefing newb
I have a 30 gallon tank and run a skimmer, so 46 gallon is definitely not too small. I believe the idea behind the bio-wheel is that you should not have to replace the wheel for a very very long time. I would guess you can just get some RO water and give the unit a good scrub, and probably get it functioning again.
I actually had the bigger 350 model and stopped using it almost immediately following the advice from Biff and other's on the forum. I use it occasionally now to run carbon for a few hours during a water change, but without the bio-wheels.
I actually had the bigger 350 model and stopped using it almost immediately following the advice from Biff and other's on the forum. I use it occasionally now to run carbon for a few hours during a water change, but without the bio-wheels.
Dana42078
Dana
Thanks x19. I know i shouldnt prolly change it out as the wheel says dont change even if the wheel is barely moving. I just dont see how it can be working when it only rotates 3 times in 5 minutes. I am going to follow Biff advise and get a protein skimmer when i can afford one. Thanks Biff. Wish i woulda joined this forum over a year ago then i wouldnt have even bought the stupid fucking bio wheel. After that will be a refugium, where i will store a matis =)
Smitty
Reef pro
Yep, I agree...just remove the wheel and keep the filter for now to give you water movement. But to answer your question, if you're gonna keep the wheel, just rinse it in some of your old saltwater after a water change. Rinsing it in freshwater will kill the bacteria, which is the whole purpose of the bio-wheel.
