I've been having problems with the biowheel filter in my tropical tank. Today I realized the wheel itself stopped turning and is completely dried out. Can I try and get it going again or will I buy a new one?

Ive been having problems lately with my biowheel lately. Try to give it a spin and see if it rights itself. Sometimes if the filter cartridge isn't in the right place it affects the water flow which will stop the wheel from turning. Or sometimes it gets a bit gunked up under the wheel which will also cause it to stop. Try to take it out and clean it also. Sometimes after it stops the bottom part takes all the weight, from the water and stuff.

I would play with it and see if anything helps. I don't think a new one would really help anything unless you notice that yours is damaged around the pins that hold it in place. Most of the time Ive found that it is a water flow issue, and cleaning and maneuvering the cartridge seems to help a lot.

Actually I've been doing that for a long time (about a year) and usually once I make an adjustment everything is fine. The problem is I think it's been dried out for a while, maybe a few days. I'm thinking the beneficial bacteria might be dead...

Yes - if it is completely bone dry, there are no longer any bb there. BUT...... if there is a bottom that is still damp, you may have enough left to reseed the wheel nicely in a week or two.

If your entire cycle of the tank depends on that single biowheel, then you may have a tank that is bumped. If you had a nicely cycled tank before this, though, it should actually seed quickly and easily with that which is left in the tank elsewhere.

You do not need a new wheel. Just wet this one down and get it turning again and all should be good. I would not even clean it - there is a chance that you have some bb left there.

I have found that my wheels cease to turn properly when the filter pads/cartridges become fuller than is good for them - and the water flow is reduced. I flush and clean all the cartridges each water change to make sure this is not a cause.

Thanks Daryl! Good to know I can keep the wheel

I actually cleaned the filter yesterday and found that it was completely clogged!!!
When I moved I tried to scrape all the algae off the sides/decorations and I guess the excess got stuck in the intake tube...silly me for not realizing

The good news is the flow is back to normal and the wheel's turning. I'm not too worried about the cycle, it's a very well established tank and there's a lot of bio media in the filter.

I don`t know why, but whenever I`ve tried using biowheels they mess up within a day or two, I`ve had no luck! I prefer an Aquaclear power filter, and I`ve had no problems with it in about a year (when I got it). Biowheels just hate me

I mainly use Aquaclears as well on my other tanks, but the biowheel filter does a good job (when it works )