help! my biowheel wont spin!

[cwvm93]

I just bought a marineland penguin 200 yesterday & I put it in my 75 gal tank (yes i have another filter on my tank also) problem is that my biowheel wont spin. I've tried taking out the filter pad/ cartridge & it still doesn't spin. I'm not sure what else to do.
When I spin it with my fingers, it seems to spin okay, but doesn't spin by itself.

 

[knobhill]

make sure those little purple plastic holders are on the sides of the biowheel. Also, make sure your intake tube is pushed in all the way.

 

[JK47]

I just bought a marineland penguin 200 yesterday & I put it in my 75 gal tank (yes i have another filter on my tank also) problem is that my biowheel wont spin. I've tried taking out the filter pad/ cartridge & it still doesn't spin. I'm not sure what else to do.
When I spin it with my fingers, it seems to spin okay, but doesn't spin by itself.

The channels on the filter housing that the teeth of the wheel rest in often get clogged up with debris and/or calcium deposits. That eliminates the ability for the wheel to spin. You can try chipping out anything large or using vinegar to dissolve it. That may be overkill depending upon your situation though. Next up would likely be the wheel itself. Pull it out and make sure it is not bent or coming apart. If it is bent you can reconfigure it rather easily. If coming apart just reassemble it.

 

[cwvm93]

make sure those little purple plastic holders are on the sides of the biowheel. Also, make sure your intake tube is pushed in all the way.

I tried pushing it down all the way for both & it doesn't work still. Plus tried changing the wheels & it's still not turning

 

[cwvm93]

The channels on the filter housing that the teeth of the wheel rest in often get clogged up with debris and/or calcium deposits. That eliminates the ability for the wheel to spin. You can try chipping out anything large or using vinegar to dissolve it. That may be overkill depending upon your situation though. Next up would likely be the wheel itself. Pull it out and make sure it is not bent or coming apart. If it is bent you can reconfigure it rather easily. If coming apart just reassemble it.

This is a brand new filter out of the box so I don't think there's any build up. I can try taking the wheel apart to see if there's anything wrong with it. Thanks

 

[JK47]

This is a brand new filter out of the box so I don't think there's any build up. I can try taking the wheel apart to see if there's anything wrong with it. Thanks

This may be a silly suggestion but soak the wheel for a while. If it's new you may just need it to be soaked for a while to let trapped bubbles out.

 

[cwvm93]

This may be a silly suggestion but soak the wheel for a while. If it's new you may just need it to be soaked for a while to let trapped bubbles out.

It started spinning after I did a water change and messed with the flow a little bit!! Yay!! Weird though, I got 2 of them, the second one that I set up started spinning right away. I'm not sure why. But atleast it works!

 

[FreshyFresh]

Does the filter housing sit properly over the lip of the tank? You need a proper water level in the tank too, to allow for enough water flow through the filter to spin the magic wheel.

What you described is the exact reason I tossed my Penguin Bio Wheel right in the garbage after about a year of torture. Also the reason I will run NOTHING but AquaClear filters for Hang-on-backs. Better filter all the way around IMO.

 

[Fish Eat Fish]

Does the filter housing sit properly over the lip of the tank? You need a proper water level in the tank too, to allow for enough water flow through the filter to spin the magic wheel.

What you described is the exact reason I tossed my Penguin Bio Wheel right in the garbage after about a year of torture. Also the reason I will run NOTHING but AquaClear filters for Hang-on-backs. Better filter all the way around IMO.

This with as much emphasis as humanly possible.

They can work but fo future purchases try Aquaclear...you won't go back

I run an Emperor 400...well an Emperor 400 shell. I threw away the bio-wheels and cut the cord off of it. Now its feed with a 600gph pump.

Live and learn