# bio-wheels causing micro bubbles



## spoot (Feb 4, 2010)

I have a Magnum 350 Pro and the side where my two bio-wheels are has thousands of tiny little bubbles that give the water a cloudy appearence. If I adjust the spray bar to where the water just runs down the plastic and doesn't hit the wheels, the water clears up. However if I put it back on the wheels, no matter how slow I have the wheels turning I get the bubbles again. The end with the diffuser doesn't have this problem. Any suggestions? Could I just remove the wheels without throwing off my bio cycle?
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## 1077 (Apr 16, 2008)

spoot said:


> I have a Magnum 350 Pro and the side where my two bio-wheels are has thousands of tiny little bubbles that give the water a cloudy appearence. If I adjust the spray bar to where the water just runs down the plastic and doesn't hit the wheels, the water clears up. However if I put it back on the wheels, no matter how slow I have the wheels turning I get the bubbles again. The end with the diffuser doesn't have this problem. Any suggestions? Could I just remove the wheels without throwing off my bio cycle?
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


 
Sometimes the biowheels can get dirty, and swishing them around in aquarium water every three or four months might help. Not a good idea to remove them for they also hold a great deal of beneficial bacteria.Might also need to clean the filter material a little more often or replace it. Always clean in old aquarium water that you take out during weekly 25 to 30 percent water changes.
Wouldn't worry about bubbles as they are providing oxygen for the fishes.


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## spoot (Feb 4, 2010)

I knew the bubbles wouldn't be harmful to the fish, but they do hamper the looks of the tank. They make the water appear cloudy. I'll try washing them as you meentioned when I change the water again. As for the filter sleeve, I wash it atleast once a month when I change out the carbon.
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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

Are you keeping the water level in the tank lowered? My bio-wheels do create some bubbles, but if you keep the water level nice and high, the water exits the bio-wheel housing almost horizontally so the bubbles don't go down into the tank.


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## spoot (Feb 4, 2010)

Yea I have the water level really high. 

I've alleviated the problem some by angling the spray bar to where the water trickles through the wheels instead of spinning the. I'm still getting a few bubbles though. I also cleaned the wheels last night as suggested. 

If the bubbles aren't clearer this weekend, I'm going to get some ceramic rings to go in the Magnum's media basket and start weening the wheels off slowly. The tank has been established for a few months so I should have good amounts of bacteria in the tank as well as the wheels. I just don't want to yank the wheels off suddenly.
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## spoot (Feb 4, 2010)

The bubbles are slowly reducing themselves. I guess cleaning the wheels and stopping the rotation has at least solved this 85% of the way. I still think I may eventually ditch them in an effort to keep more CO2 in the tank for plants. Just will do it slowly.


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## spoot (Feb 4, 2010)

Never could get this solved completely. I wound up removing the T from my output and just going straight to the diffuser. The biowheels are floating and the bubbles are gone. I put ceramic rings in the media basket to hopefully promote bacteria growth in there. I plan on letting the wheels float until my water change this weekend.

Out of curiosity, has anyone else had this problem with a Magnum 350 Pro setup?
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