bio wheels

[seanleila]

hi it's me again don't think i'm crazy but are bio-wheels really necessary? the reason I ask is i've been doing some research and some people seem to think that they're an added plus but not really necessary. according to one some articles ( don't remember the name of articles or authors) the bio wheels contain only a fraction of the beneficial bacteria in an aquarium. according to the article this bacteria is present on almost all of the aqaurium surfaces including the substrate, aquarium walls, plants etc. the reason i was researching this was because all of my filters are bio wheel impaired. i got them before I really knew anything about all this stuff so i got worried when i started looking into this and everything was bio wheel this and bio wheel that. what do you guys think. don't yell at me.

[CrazieEddie]

Hey, don't worry. That's what these forums are for.

You only can have enough bacteria as the amount of ammonia is being produced. The amount of bacteria can only colonize on surface areas, such as gravel, filter media (sponges, bio-wheels, etc.), decor, plants, etc. The bio-wheel will not be necessary as long as you do not overstock, do not overfeed, and perform your water changes/gravel cleanings frequently.