in general, how long do the good bacteria on a loaded biowheel survive out of the tank? my biowheel was taken out b/c it wasn't turning properly and it was sitting in a plastic bag for about 3 days (it was really not my idea....) so it didn't dry out. do you think they're still alive, or will they have all died already?

i righted the situation today...took out the new wheel, put the old one back in, and cleaned the impeller--voila, turning biowheel

any and all help is much appreciated. i hope they're still alive!

kei

I could be mistaken, but as long as the wheel stays wet, even after 3 days, the bacteria should survive. Be sure to test the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels over the next couple of weeks to see if there are any sudden increases.

i would of thought they would be still alive unless you put it some where that would make the filter very hot or cold then they would prob die

I have always heard to float them in water from the tank and they will be ok. I wonder if the half of the wheel that was under water would live and the ones in the air would die or vice versa? Or in order to survive for long periods of time do they need water AND air? They do grow on a surface when they are constantly in motion and get both elements... Ack! I sometimes go too deep into things! However it is something to think about, no?

Bacteria, like many forms of life, can survive for a period with out sustanance - food and air being what these need. In a plastic bag, they will remain viable for about a week - give or take - depending on the size and robustness of the colony, the temperature, etc....

Floating a biowheel in the tank is, perhaps, the best alternative when you cannot have it wheeling freely in a filter. The bacteria that have colonated the wheel are the same bacteria that live in the biomedia, gravel and on every surface in the tank. There is oxygen in the water - that is why waterfall filters, air features and surface area of a tank are so important. Not only do the fish need the oxygen, but the beneficial bacteria use it in the nitrogen cycle.

If your wheel has been in a bag for a week, you can replace it. Even if part of the colony has died, there should be a few, if not a fair number, of bacteria left alive. These, once they are back in ideal conditions with "food" and oxygen, will reproduce and quickly grow a new colony to process your ammonia.