So, my biowheel quits turning, I remove it and it has got a whole bunch of brown goo on it. I start blotting it off with a paper towel. There is a LOT!

Any suggestions, should I replace the wheel, put it back on, go without it?

Any help appreciated

I'm going to try to get a pic.

Naw, that means your bio-wheel is working just fine. Just rinse it off a bit ( or do what your doing) and it should be fine. Just get some of it off so it can still turn.

flamingonhot is correct. That is a sign that the bio-wheel is doing it's job.

Yup! That is a conglomeration of all the yuckies in your tank. Just rinse in hot water. It is just like rinsing a charcoal filter.

When it is not turning, clean the part that makes it turn. Usually you will find like hair or hair like fibers from the air itself. Not your filters fault,lol.

My hubby and I both have dark long curly hair and we find it in our filter axles (that's what I call them). We have to use tweezers to pull it off. Just make sure you clean your tank filter in water and then replace it, then it should work and turn correctly. :rolleyes:

P.s. I have had two 1 gallon tanks running without a filter at all. Trust me it is not a problem if you make sure you change the water on a regular basis, and clean when needed.

I cleaned out the impeller housing and all is well. I also had to remove the cover that goes over the bio-wheel because for some reason it was stopping the bio-wheel and making this funky noise. The noise stopped when I took off the cover. The bio-wheel turns much better now. The cover has two pieces- the one that covers the actual box part where the water and filter cartridge are is still on there. It's the one that just covers the bio-wheel that I had to take off.

The filter is still finicky about starting. It kinda makes this gurgly sound until it starts drawing water. I usually flood the area over the impeller housing while it starts and that seem to help.

The power filter on my 10 has no issues starting- and it is older!

Do you guys think that it is a big deal for me not to have the cover over the actual wheel part?

Thanks

:D

I woundt rinse the Biowheel, Thats where benificial Bacteria grow hence the name Bio-wheel, Running it under straigt tap water is massacreing all your cycle.