I have a used h.o.b. Penguin Power Filter on my 29 gallon tank, but it is missing the Bio Wheel (so I am just using the normal filter pad inside of it. I want to know the importance of the bio wheel, and if it is worth adding maybe a canister filter since I am missing the bio wheel component. I know the bio wheel cultivates useful bacteria, but I have a smaller 10 gallon tank whose Aqueon filter does not have a bio wheel. So are Bio Wheels a must-have, or are they just like an extra bonus.(no fish in the tank yet, I‘m cycling)29 gallon freshwater planted tank
What Daniel said is true, but did you know you can just buy a replacement biowheel to fit you size of filter, It costs a lot less than a hole new filter.
The Bio-Wheel is the Penguin filter's biological media, so it's necessary for the Penguin filters because that's where the beneficial bacteria is meant to reside. Without it, the bacteria will instead gather on the cartridge, and you will lose the colony every time you change it. The Bio-Wheel isn't necessary for other filters, because each brand of filter have their own biological media - for example, your Aqueon uses the blue grid as it's biological media.
