How to Install the Bio-Wheel Type C Aquarium Filter

Adequate filtration is the key to keeping a freshwater aquarium clean and healthy. While most aquarium filters offer mechanical filtration and chemical filtration to remove both solid and dissolved wastes from the water, few incorporate a biological filtration element. Filters with a bio-wheel offer beneficial bacteria a place to grow and reproduce, which can help to maintain the nitrogen cycle. Not only are bio-wheel filters a useful addition to an aquarium filter, but they require little effort to install and maintain.

Things You'll Need

  • Bio-wheel filter
  • Filter cartridge
  • Fish tank
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Instructions

    • 1

      Lay out all the pieces of your bio-wheel filter to make sure they are all there. You should have the main filter component complete with the attached motor and power cord, the intake tube, the bio-wheel and the lid. If your filter did not come with a filter cartridge you will need to purchase one.

    • 2

      Hold the main filter component upright in front of you and slide the intake tube into place on the right side of the filter. The intake tube should have a curved neck near the top, ending in a short length of tubing. Insert the tube into the designated notch on the right side of the filter so it lines up with the opening above the motor.

    • 3

      Rinse the filter cartridge in warm tap water until the water runs clear. This will remove any dust that could cloud the water in your tank.

    • 4

      Slide the filter cartridge into place on the left side of the main filter component so the blue side faces the back of the filter. There should be a set of grooves on either side of the main filter component -- simply line up the edges of the filter cartridge with the grooves and push it down into the body of the filter.

    • 5

      Hang the filter on the back of your fish tank in the desired location. Position the filter so the return spout is pointed into the tank and the bulk of the main filter component is hanging off the back of the tank.

    • 6

      Fill the filter box with water from the aquarium.

    • 7

      Place the bio-wheel in the designated position over the water return. The bio-wheel should have a small peg on either side of the wheel that fits into a corresponding notch on either side of the filter above the water return.

    • 8

      Put the lid on the filter. Some bio-wheel filters have two lids -- a flat lid that covers the main portion of the filter body and a rounded lid that covers the bio-wheel. Ensure that both of these lids fit snugly.

    • 9

      Plug the filter in to start it. It may take a few seconds for the filter to get started, but once you plug it in there is nothing else you need to do.