Bio wheels? Are they any good at all?

[Donegal Paul]

Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any real benefit
at all?

Ive seen some on ebay and they claim to remove nitrites and ammonia and can
help with oxygenation etc?

So, are they any good and does anyone know of any in the uk as all the ebay
ones seem to be US ones pretty much.
--
Donegal Paul - On the mend
Lambretta Li186 - crashed and bashed
Vespa T5 Millenium - intact
www.thepilgrimssc.co.uk
www.a4c.co.uk - What are YOU doing?

[Billy]

"Donegal Paul" > wrote in
message ...
| Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any
real benefit
| at all?
|

They don't REMOVE ammonia and nitrites persay.
What they do is provide an excellent environment for the
bacterium that process the waste in your tank. The alternating
immersion\emmersion seems to be superior to media that is always
underwater.

[Limnophile]

"Billy" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Donegal Paul" > wrote in
> message ...
> | Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any
> real benefit
> | at all?
> |
>
> They don't REMOVE ammonia and nitrites persay.
> What they do is provide an excellent environment for the
> bacterium that process the waste in your tank. The alternating
> immersion\emmersion seems to be superior to media that is always
> underwater.
>
>
They are pretty good when they work. You may have problems with thw wheel
getting stuck, or not turning if water flow decreases. I tried a few, one
worked well, 2 kept getting stuck.

Limnophile

[Billy]

"Limnophile" > wrote in message
...
| > They don't REMOVE ammonia and nitrites persay.
| > What they do is provide an excellent environment for the
| > bacterium that process the waste in your tank. The alternating
| > immersion\emmersion seems to be superior to media that is always
| > underwater.
| >
| >
| They are pretty good when they work. You may have problems with thw
wheel
| getting stuck, or not turning if water flow decreases. I tried a
few, one
| worked well, 2 kept getting stuck.
|

Correct. It is important to keep the axles and axle-ways clean and
free of debris. It is normal for an established bio-wheel to 'hitch'
or stop on occasion, but if it stops long enough for the pleated
fabric to start drying, you have a problem. I prefer the filters with
a spray bar that is directed at the wheel to keep it rolling. Even
with the wheel loaded up with 2 years worth of gorp and slime, as
long as I keep the axles clear, it never stops.

[Eric Schreiber]

Donegal Paul wrote:

> Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any real
> benefit at all?
> Ive seen some on ebay and they claim to remove nitrites and ammonia
> and can help with oxygenation etc?

They are very beneficial. They do not remove the ammonia products
themselves, but rather they provide a place for bacteria to grow, and
the bacteria do the actual work. A bio-wheel is pretty much a powerful
wet/dry filter in a very small space.

I have bio-wheels on three of my four tanks, and they do a great job on
all of them. The only problem I ever had with one was when a snail
managed to climb into the biowheel chamber and jam the wheel. Aside
from that I've had no trouble with them at all.


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[John]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 13:36:54 -0000, A strange species called "Donegal
Paul" > wrote:

>Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any real benefit
>at all?
>
>Ive seen some on ebay and they claim to remove nitrites and ammonia and can
>help with oxygenation etc?
>
>So, are they any good and does anyone know of any in the uk as all the ebay
>ones seem to be US ones pretty much.

You would have to buy a US one and then get a small step-down
converter to run on UK mains electric as the company that makes them
does not sell in the UK.

I am going to get a Penguin 170 Bio-Wheel, which will be in addition
to a Eheim external power filter I'm going to use on a 30g tank.

John

[luminos]

"Donegal Paul" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any real
> benefit at all?
>
> Ive seen some on ebay and they claim to remove nitrites and ammonia and
> can help with oxygenation etc?
>
> So, are they any good and does anyone know of any in the uk as all the
> ebay ones seem to be US ones pretty much.
> --
> Donegal Paul - On the mend
> Lambretta Li186 - crashed and bashed
> Vespa T5 Millenium - intact
> www.thepilgrimssc.co.uk
> www.a4c.co.uk - What are YOU doing?
>

See:

http://www.marineland.com/products/mllabs.asp

Check out the scientific literature by the director of Marineland on that
site as well.

[Margolis]

"luminos" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> See:
>
> http://www.marineland.com/products/mllabs.asp
>
> Check out the scientific literature by the director of Marineland on that
> site as well.
>
>
>


yup, that certainly is an unbiased analysis of biowheels ;op

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[luminos]

"Margolis" > wrote in message
...
> "luminos" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>>
>> See:
>>
>> http://www.marineland.com/products/mllabs.asp
>>
>> Check out the scientific literature by the director of Marineland on that
>> site as well.
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> yup, that certainly is an unbiased analysis of biowheels ;op
>
> --
>
> Margolis
> http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
> http://www.unrealtower.org/faq
>
>
>
>
>

Idiot. You do not get published in peer-reviewed journals with biased
articles. Idiot.

[Margolis]

"luminos" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Idiot. Idiot.
>
>



hmm, you must be right. Just because marineland developed, makes, sells and
profits from biowheels must mean that they are totally unbiased about them
;o(

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Billy]

"luminos" > wrote in message
...
| >
|
| Idiot. You do not get published in peer-reviewed journals with
biased
| articles. Idiot.
|
|

Luminos, please. You have much to contribute to this group, please do
not reduce what those here think of you by resorting to name-calling
everytime someone disagrees with you.

[luminos]

I do not ressert to this everytime. Sometimes, when an individual goes so
far as to ignore peer reviewed science, I get frustrated. I will try to
tame my passions.


"Billy" > wrote in message
...
>
> "luminos" > wrote in message
> ...
> | >
> |
> | Idiot. You do not get published in peer-reviewed journals with
> biased
> | articles. Idiot.
> |
> |
>
> Luminos, please. You have much to contribute to this group, please do
> not reduce what those here think of you by resorting to name-calling
> everytime someone disagrees with you.
>
>

[Margolis]

"luminos" > wrote in message
...
> I do not ressert to this everytime. Sometimes, when an individual goes so
> far as to ignore peer reviewed science, I get frustrated. I will try to
> tame my passions.
>
>


I haven't ignored anything. I just pointed out that the manufacturer of a
product is not the best place to get unbiased information. I even pointed
it out tongue in cheek.

oh well, at least I learned who is ignorant in this ng ;o(

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

[Dick]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 07:31:32 -0800, "Billy"
> wrote:

>
>"Donegal Paul" > wrote in
>message ...
>| Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any
>real benefit
>| at all?
>|
>
>They don't REMOVE ammonia and nitrites persay.
> What they do is provide an excellent environment for the
>bacterium that process the waste in your tank. The alternating
>immersion\emmersion seems to be superior to media that is always
>underwater.
>

I will say a good word for underwater bios. I have a 29 gallon JEBO
glass tank with a built in filtration system. It has small ceramic
donuts as part of the filtration. This tank is consistently clear and
clean.

dick

[Dick]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 11:11:44 -0600, "Limnophile"
> wrote:

>
>"Billy" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> "Donegal Paul" > wrote in
>> message ...
>> | Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any
>> real benefit
>> | at all?
>> |
>>
>> They don't REMOVE ammonia and nitrites persay.
>> What they do is provide an excellent environment for the
>> bacterium that process the waste in your tank. The alternating
>> immersion\emmersion seems to be superior to media that is always
>> underwater.
>>
>>
>They are pretty good when they work. You may have problems with thw wheel
>getting stuck, or not turning if water flow decreases. I tried a few, one
>worked well, 2 kept getting stuck.
>
>Limnophile
>
>
>
I have two Penguins with a total of 4 wheels. I agree with
Limnophile, the sticking is frustrating. I can generally get the
wheel turning by wiping a finger along the bottom of the spillway and
the wheel. I suspect something hangs up on the wheel cartridge making
that side heavier.

dick

[Dick]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 09:28:05 -0800, "Billy"
> wrote:

>
>
>"Limnophile" > wrote in message
...
>| > They don't REMOVE ammonia and nitrites persay.
>| > What they do is provide an excellent environment for the
>| > bacterium that process the waste in your tank. The alternating
>| > immersion\emmersion seems to be superior to media that is always
>| > underwater.
>| >
>| >
>| They are pretty good when they work. You may have problems with thw
>wheel
>| getting stuck, or not turning if water flow decreases. I tried a
>few, one
>| worked well, 2 kept getting stuck.
>|
>
>Correct. It is important to keep the axles and axle-ways clean and
>free of debris. It is normal for an established bio-wheel to 'hitch'
>or stop on occasion, but if it stops long enough for the pleated
>fabric to start drying, you have a problem. I prefer the filters with
>a spray bar that is directed at the wheel to keep it rolling. Even
>with the wheel loaded up with 2 years worth of gorp and slime, as
>long as I keep the axles clear, it never stops.
>

What is the brand? How big are they. I foolishly positioned my 75
gallon tank too close to the wall and have a tight fit with the
Penguin 330s. I think it is about 4 inches of room to the wall.

dick

[Donegal Paul]

"Dick" said to "Billy"
>>
>>Correct. It is important to keep the axles and axle-ways clean and
>>free of debris. It is normal for an established bio-wheel to 'hitch'
>>or stop on occasion, but if it stops long enough for the pleated
>>fabric to start drying, you have a problem. I prefer the filters with
>>a spray bar that is directed at the wheel to keep it rolling. Even
>>with the wheel loaded up with 2 years worth of gorp and slime, as
>>long as I keep the axles clear, it never stops.
>>
>
> What is the brand? How big are they. I foolishly positioned my 75
> gallon tank too close to the wall and have a tight fit with the
> Penguin 330s. I think it is about 4 inches of room to the wall.

The ones ive seen are made by a firm called hydor
--
Donegal Paul - On the mend
Lambretta Li186 - crashed and bashed
Vespa T5 Millenium - intact
www.thepilgrimssc.co.uk
www.a4c.co.uk - What are YOU doing?

[netnews.comcast.net]

As a research biologist, I can say that you can indeed get published in peer
review journals with biased info. A lot of what does and does not get
published is political.


"luminos" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Margolis" > wrote in message
> ...
> > "luminos" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >>
> >>
> >> See:
> >>
> >> http://www.marineland.com/products/mllabs.asp
> >>
> >> Check out the scientific literature by the director of Marineland on
that
> >> site as well.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > yup, that certainly is an unbiased analysis of biowheels ;op
> >
> > --
> >
> > Margolis
> >
http://web.archive.org/web/20030215212142/http://www.agqx.org/faqs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
> > http://www.unrealtower.org/faq
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
> Idiot. You do not get published in peer-reviewed journals with biased
> articles. Idiot.
>
>

[Billy]

"Dick" > wrote in message
...
|
| I will say a good word for underwater bios. I have a 29 gallon
JEBO
| glass tank with a built in filtration system. It has small ceramic
| donuts as part of the filtration. This tank is consistently clear
and
| clean.
|

As an aside, clarity of water has little or nothing to do with the
health of the tank, or the suitability of the water to support fish.

[Ross Vandegrift]

["Followup-To:" header set to rec.aquaria.freshwater.misc.]
On 2004-11-21, Dick > wrote:
>>fabric to start drying, you have a problem. I prefer the filters with
>>a spray bar that is directed at the wheel to keep it rolling. Even
>>with the wheel loaded up with 2 years worth of gorp and slime, as
>>long as I keep the axles clear, it never stops.
>>
>
> What is the brand? How big are they. I foolishly positioned my 75
> gallon tank too close to the wall and have a tight fit with the
> Penguin 330s. I think it is about 4 inches of room to the wall.

The Emperor filter works on the spray bar principle. I have one on a 29
gallon tank at my parents house. It's a nice filter, but it definitely
won't fit behind your tank. I did the same thing with my 40 gallon and
now I'm pretty much stuck with the penguin as well. ::-(


--
Ross Vandegrift


"The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who
make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians
have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine
man in the bonds of Hell."
--St. Augustine, De Genesi ad Litteram, Book II, xviii, 37

[Eric Schreiber]

Margolis wrote:

>> Check out the scientific literature by the director of Marineland
>> on that site as well.

> yup, that certainly is an unbiased analysis of biowheels ;op

http://www.marineland.com/drtims_peerreview.asp


The peer-reviewed literature on the Marineland site doesn't discuss
bio-wheels. Just some potentially interesting articles on matters
related to fishkeeping.


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Dick]

On Sun, 21 Nov 2004 08:21:37 -0800, "Billy"
> wrote:

>
>
>"Dick" > wrote in message
...
>|
>| I will say a good word for underwater bios. I have a 29 gallon
>JEBO
>| glass tank with a built in filtration system. It has small ceramic
>| donuts as part of the filtration. This tank is consistently clear
>and
>| clean.
>|
>
>As an aside, clarity of water has little or nothing to do with the
>health of the tank, or the suitability of the water to support fish.
>

Clear and clean may not mean healthy, but it sure is nicer to look at.
As far as health, the Jebo tank fish are colorful, active, and
peaceful. The plants are growing well. I have had this tank up for a
year and a half. My two year old 75 gallon tank has many more fish
that are equally healthy by my standards, but usually has more
suspended particles even with two Penquin 330s. I think I can reduce
the visible particles by changing the filtration media. I ordered
several types last week and look forward to playing with this.

Clean and clear is nice.

dick

[The Drunken Lord]

On Sat, 20 Nov 2004 13:36:54 -0000, "Donegal Paul"
> wrote:

>Hi all, im a little confused by these, are they actually of any real benefit
>at all?
>
>Ive seen some on ebay and they claim to remove nitrites and ammonia and can
>help with oxygenation etc?
>
>So, are they any good and does anyone know of any in the uk as all the ebay
>ones seem to be US ones pretty much.

All I know, dude, is that the tank will cycle a lot faster with a
biowheel. After that, whether the biowheel deal is any good or not, I
do not know.