Marineland 350 filter help, bio wheel not spinning.

With 4 filter cartridges in there I'm not shocked that you're getting overflow (water over the impeller/motor housing). It's simply too restrictive...at least on any of mine that's the case. (2) 450's and (2) 375's. That's why in the 450's I run (1) cartridge and (1) media container that houses 100 micron polishing filter media (think open weave cloth here).

Unless there's really a need for that much media, I'd humbly suggest dropping down to 1 filter cartridge per side in your filter and call it a day.

Well what’s weird is I tried that—more than ready to dump the extras. And the wheels wouldn’t spin. It’s like they need more pressure to spin (when I lift up the cartridges they spin so fast). I am happy to remove them though. But begs the question: which is more impt—not having overflow, or having the pretty useless wheels spin to at least create agitation!

 

I too was once obsessed with getting that pesky wheel of mine to spin 24/7. I would do every any anything to keep it going. Changing media configuration, lifting the factory cartridge to allow bypass getting more flow to the wheel. I would pull the ends slightly and that would work at times, sometime I could push the ends toward each other and that would work a while.

I even went as far as getting my dremil tool out and cutting out extra depth in the bearings the actual wheel rod set in. ( the purple things on the 150b model). This worked really well for about a month but in the end proved not to be full proof.

Finally one afternoon while pulling the ends of the wheel away from each other the blasted thing feel into 3 pieces in my hands. My heart sank and I just knew my cycle was soon to crash, but since I run a tidal 35 along with the 150 I decided to ride it out and just keep eye on parameters for the next week.

Tested ammonia and nitrites twice a day for the next 7 days and to my surprise NEVER got a positive reading for either!

I'm sure the second filter had a part in this, but I'm also sure that wheel isn't housing near the BB mairineland would like you to believe it is. Others may have diff experiences but this is mine, and hope it helps ease your worries a little.

Needless to say I still run that 150, with factory carts as well because I do like the clarity carbon brings. But it's also loaded with course sponge and matrix as well!