Mature 4 year old reef tank with BIO Wheels?

[JeremyAN7]

Just saw someone's very nice looking tank (although could use a bit of an algae scrub on the front window) and was shocked to find out he had still got 2 bio-wheels in there..

Any reason TO keep them in? Wouldnt thsi compete with the LR ability to do it's job? Would be advised to remove them, one at a time (a few weeks apart)?

Just curious..

 

[SMS76]

Just saw someone's very nice looking tank (although could use a bit of an algae scrub on the front window) and was shocked to find out he had still got 2 bio-wheels in there..

Any reason TO keep them in? Wouldnt thsi compete with the LR ability to do it's job? Would be advised to remove them, one at a time (a few weeks apart)?

Just curious..

There are many ways to keep the reef tank going successfully. If it's working out great for him, why change it. I agree it is out of norm to have bio-wheels.

 

[NateHanson]

Certainly there's no one way to do things. If he doesn't have measureable nitrates or nusiance algae then perhaps there's no reason to mess with it.

If either of those are a problem for him though, I'd probably start by removing the wheels. If he's got a skimmer and enough live rock, I can't see any disadvantage to removing them.

 

[JeremyAN7]

Duds, you win!

 

[fanaglethebagle]

Isn't a biowheel just like liverock?

 

[dz6t]

Bio wheels are fine in reef tank. What will be the issue of Bio-wheel? If you keep clams, bio-wheels may be beneficial.

 

[JeremyAN7]

The issue I suppose is, bio wheels are more efficient/quicker at de-nitrifying your tank than live rock. I mean just based on the huge population of aerobic bacteria that can live in them.. they are huge nitrite and amonia removal factories. This could lead to the Liverock never developing or stunting their "live" capabilities.. I honestly don't know the science behind it, but just thought it was "not done" after the tank is mature...

 

[NateHanson]

Isn't a biowheel just like liverock?

No, a biowheel or any wet-dry/trickle/bioball/sponge type filter material that is fully oxygenated either above or below the waterline, can't harbor the bacteria that convert nitrate to nitrogen. Those bacteria require a micro-aerobic environment (low oxygen). Live rock has lots of deep tiny crevices and pores where oxygen levels are lower than in the rest of the tank (deep sand bed has this environment too), and these bacteria hang out there chomping on nitrate. They'll still be in your live rock if you have bioballs removing ammonia and nitrites, and spitting out nitrates, but the nitrates won't be as easily available to the bacteria nestled deep in your rock or DSB. Without the biowheel, the bacteria on the rock will get to break down all the nitrites, and that will create nitrate right where the microaerophilic bacteria live. That's the theory at least. Makes sense to me.

 

[Duds]

doesnt mean much to me but my tank seems happy enough to me
Duds

 

[Scott G]

i use 2 bio wheels for my 5 month old tank on my emperor 500s