Eclipse (Marineland) 2.5 gallon - bio wheel occassionally stops

[jarrodaden]

I have this tank at my office and periodically (maybe 3 times a week) the bio wheel randomly stops turning even though there is no problem with the flow. No obstructions or blockages either.

I give it a quick spin and it works fine for a few days before doing the same thing all over. It's making me crazy

Any suggestions?

My only thought is that the wheel is defective and isn't properly balanced.

[TheOldMan]

Snails used to get lodged in mine and would stop it.

[jarrodaden]

Snails used to get lodged in mine and would stop it.

A distinct possibility in this tank. I will confess I don't check for those when it sticks. I just give the wheel a spin. I will check next time.

BTW, arent' assasin snails a predator to MTS? I have two of those in the tank and the MTS don't appear to be thinning out any.

[cichlid1409]

how long has the tank been setup? after prolonged use the ends of the biowheel, the points where it rests on the filter, will get dirty and need to be cleaned so it doesn't inhibit the wheel from spinning.

[jarrodaden]

The tanks isn't that old, and this has always been a problem.

[mark razmandi]

welcome to the world of owning a bio wheel. drop some actual media in the filter and never worry about it again. But just for measure, you might THINK your filter is flowing enough but on my small biowheel filters, when the bio wheel would stop turning i would pull out the cartridge to check flow and then it would work again.... just a thought.