Some talkshow says only BioWheel

[corbind]

I just listened to a 15 minute clip via computer regarding tank filtration. These two big fish guys said Bio Wheels are all you need to run (with a prefilter like Marineland Empeor 400). He said some guys spend lots of time and money hooking up a canister filter to say a Bio Wheel Pro 60 but that it is a waste. And they used the scare tactic that the lines always will break (eventually but they did not use that word) so that's not good. Further, they claimed that you need air to mix with your biological media to be effective. They put an oxygen meter (or whatever you'd call it) and measured oxygen levels at the surface, half way down, just above the gravel, and all the way down to the undergravel filter. That read zero oxygen which they say means no good bio. They said use only 3/4" of gravel. That's it.

Does anyone here have any opinions on what I just "learned?" I'd like some feedback from those who really know.

 

[Cian McLiam]

Was this from the Bailey brothers at aquariumfish.net?
They are great guys with good advice, I pretty much trust their views, and judging by the massive range of fish in their hatchery they should know!
I agree withthe principles behind what they are saying, others may see it differently!

Ken

 

[BettaBoyz]

i believe more gravel is better. not so much you absorb all the swim space, but perhaps 2-3" inches from the front to the back. it packs biological bacteria taht break down all sorts of nasties, and it provides rooting systems for plants and hidey holes for digging fish. the media aeration i do agree with, but i still prefer my power filters over anything.

 

[Cian McLiam]

Cant say I agree on the gravel!!
I think it comes down to how much time you want to spend cleaning it, 3/4" is fine for any purpose, any more is purely decorative and will become the rubbish tip of the tank. The vast majority of the biological action happens in the filter and bare bottom tanks do not suffer in this regard. You just increase the chances of anaerobic areas and waste build up in deeper gravel.

Ken

 

[thecichlidaddict]

When are people going to figure it out? They all work, get what you like. Bio-wheels work as well as they say. Canister filters work just as well. Aquaclears with just a sponge? Trust me, I know they work. Undergravel, of course we all know that works. Sponge filters? Yup. Even Whispers work. A little.

I use canisters for a number of reason. They are dead silent. They hold a ton of media, which makes up for any other shortcomings. The output bar can be placed anywhere I wish for best water movement, and it can even be split into more then one output. They are 'slow flow' filters, a large advantage over power filters. Um... did I mention they are completely silent?

How do they get oxygen? They get it through your aquarium water, where else? If you have so little oxygen in your tank that the fish need to 'compete' with bacteria for oxygen then filtration is probably your least concern. There should be plenty for all.

 

[Great Lakes]

Tha addict makes some good points. I would also add that the canisters are silent.

The Bio wheel is the best place for biological filtration to take place. But don't forget that the canister is a great place to have floss to filter detritus out of your tank, and a nifty place to have carbon for the speedier removal of ammonia and other toxins.

 

[CFC]

Well ive yet to see a bio wheel on sale sperately here in the UK (a few of the package deal tanks are starting to use HOB bio wheel type filters now) which makes me a little sceptical as to how good they really are, if they were that great then someone would have introduced them and wiped out the likes of eheim interpet and fluval.

I for one will stick with my eheim external canisters for big tanks and small airpowered sponge filters for small breeding and fry tanks.

 

[andyt_uk]

Well ive yet to see a bio wheel on sale sperately here in the UK (a few of the package deal tanks are starting to use HOB bio wheel type filters now) ...

exactamundo my friend
we are not some backwater country here
if it was that good they would be all over the shops here, maybe the marketing guys realise we are not as easily swayed as our cousins over the water with their marketing propaganda
and if the bacteria need to be exposed to air as they are in the biowheel then they will not survive anywhere in my tank - but we know they do
and as pointed out above, if the fish and bacteria are fighting over oxygen your chosen type of filtration is your least concern

 

[Lateral Line]

All been said - for decades people used air operated U/G filters and sucessfully kept and bred fish. Then they added powerheads, (I did - but because they were quieter - the old air ones worked fine). Now I use external canister because I use sand substrate and cannot use U/G.

Bio Wheels are the "newest latest greatest thing" - in 10 years time people will be saying "You still use Bio Wheels? All the evidence says an Oki Dokey 300 with recapitualting head banger is 150% more efficient"! (LL offers these remarkable filters at special rates to TFF members - Christmas special offers - discounts - PM credit card details today!!!).

It's in part a marketting thing - firms constantly have to make you think that you old kit needs replacing - they earn nothing from someone who is still using a 30 year old Hykro U/G plate. Ideally, you should buy something new, something that requires you to buy consumables on a regular basis, something in this years colour...

 

[Eelzor]

Hey, I just go for filters when I thin they are good myself. Does it do its job? Good. Fine by me, I'll keep it then. I have 2 internal box filters and they do a great job, not to mention how cheap they costed me.

 

[Jo]

All the evidence says an Oki Dokey 300 with recapitualting head banger is 150% more efficient"! (LL offers these remarkable filters at special rates to TFF members - Christmas special offers - discounts - PM credit card details today!!!).

Owwwww.....Laaaaattt!!

I just gone out and spent money on a Fluval external filter when you couldha got me an Oki Dokey 300 with recapitualting head banger???!!!!!!

WHY didn't you say so...I have heard that they are 150% more efficient....

I'll send you my details right away..!!!

*Jo throws fluval outa the window*

 

[Cian McLiam]

Is it not true though that if you heard someone say they were installing an Under Gravel Filter in their new Discus community set-up, you would tell them to get a grip on reality and get an eheim or even better two?
Just because the technology challenges what is traditional does not mean it has nothing to offer.

The Bio-wheel principle is that the bacteria thrive in high oxygen concentrations, atmospheric air has thousands of times the concentration of dissoled O2 in water so it makes absolute sense that tapping this resource helps the bacteria colony to thrive.

Someone used the arguments elsewhere that you only need as much bio-filtration as you need, this is exactly the point, if you have a very heavy bio-load then you need heavy duty bio-filtration that is not subject to the O2 fluctuations that all tanks are vulnerable too. The issue is not that if fish can survive with the available O2 then bacteria can too, it is a matter of taking the bacteria out of the equation to free up O2 FOR the fish.

Another argument was that such an efficient filter would become a nitrate factory, this again is not the case as nitrate can only be produced by bacteria processing nitrite thats already in the water. If its a nitrate factory with a bio-wheel and not with a canister then this is further proof that bio-wheels are more efficient.
Think about it.

Remember the Betamax vs VHS row? VHS won out despite Betamax having higher quality, just because something does not take off does not mean its inferior, it could be that people are slow to accept new developments. They will only be offered for sale if people are willing to buy them, market forces are what determines what is for sale and what is not, nothing else.

Ken

 

[smb]

LMAO!!! Going by what you guys say... "If it were so great they'd be over here by now, it's all a marketing sham blah blah blah..."

If we go by that then you all would still be using UGF's because "The canister filters are the next greatest thing and in 10 years there will be something else...."

I think enough people in the US and Canada are just as intelligent as you Euros and I don't need to be felt that I only use a biowheel because I'm not intelligent enough to know the difference and read anything about it myself. Give me a break guys.

Maybe the canister is the marketing sham and we over here know better.

If you like the canister, fine, use it but at least stop making people who use biowheels look like we're inadaquate, unintelligent and a bunch of sheep. I know I'm not. Since you don't even have biowheels over there I feel it's safe to assume most haven't even used one so how do you even know?

All filters are good or they wouldn't be out there and each has it's good and bad. It's personal preference only.

 

[Cian McLiam]

Hey, smb, Im a euro but im not afraid of looking at new developments with an open mind.. Should I consider counselling?

Ken

 

[Jo]

Think you all should!