Eheim Canister Filter

[stevey87]

I'm thinking of purchasing Eheim Canister Filter for 65 gallon tank. Which one is better? Classic or Ecco? I heard so far Classic has better performance but priming isn't the best on the other hand Ecco has good priming but lid breaks easily and power dies after awhile. What's your opinions?

Are canister filters generally more effective than HOB? Also how does it work in terms of water going in and out of the tank? What if a small tetra or fry went into the canisters? You probably wouldn't even notice?

Also you know how for HOB filters, u cut their claim value in half and go with that so 70/2 is 35 so good enough for 29 gallon. Same thing with Canister filters also?

 

[raptorrex]

I'm thinking of purchasing Eheim Canister Filter for 65 gallon tank. Which one is better? Classic or Ecco? I heard so far Classic has better performance but priming isn't the best on the other hand Ecco has good priming but lid breaks easily and power dies after awhile. What's your opinions?

Are canister filters generally more effective than HOB? Also how does it work in terms of water going in and out of the tank? What if a small tetra or fry went into the canisters? You probably wouldn't even notice?

Also you know how for HOB filters, u cut their claim value in half and go with that so 70/2 is 35 so good enough for 29 gallon. Same thing with Canister filters also?

i would avoid the ECCO, and look at the classic. if you want "better" priming, look at the 2224 pro from eheim. they can be picked up for £50-70.

 

[rabbut]

The Ecco I had was C**P and I'd advise anyone thinking about buying one to avoid them like the plague. It was worse than the Fluval canisters, and regulars on here will know my sentiments and problems with them

The Classics run and run however, and should not be too hard for a seasoned aquarist to prime. It's about as easy as a Fluval, so a lot of faffing, but not too tricky if you know how. Not difficult relative to other stuff in life, but difficult when compaired to other competing canisters

Plumb it up, and suck on the outlet pipe. This will start the syphen into the canister. Place the outlet into a bucket and wait for the bucket to fill. Once full, hang the hose on the back of the tank in position (It helps if you install taps, so you can stop the syphen for moving the hose onto the tank) and then switch on (opening the valves first if applicable )

Canisters are more effective than any other form of filtration for a freshwater tank going Apply the same guidelines to the canisters as you would HOB's, i.e. half the volume of your tank and add it to the total volume of the tank to get the size filter you need. Also look at flowrate. You want to aim for a minimum of 4X an hour, though more is always better

All the best
Rabbut

 

[BigC]

I've always bought Eheim.
I use the Classics everytime. I know you need to self prime but they have never failed me.
Regards
BigC

 

[smegforbrains]

I would seriously recommend taking a look at the FX5, Fluval's flagship canister

 

[flash22]

Have a look at the Pro 2 2028 little over £110 delivered inc media. Plenty of media for the bacteria to grow/breed and 3 trays of media ( 1 ceramic and 2 balls ). I have one on my 300L and have a Pro 2 2026 on my 180L, doddle to prime and service. The flow gauge is a nice touch

 

[stevey87]

So most ppl here are recommending Eheim Classic Plus 2217 because it's the best except the priming part which I can live with I guess. The flow rate is more than 65x4 and the # of gallon it can take is more than 100 so. 'The 2217 is suitable for aquariums up to 160 gallons and has a pump output of 264 GPH. ' Therefore this seems perfect choice EXCEPT the price is a little insane but then I remember someone saying that the effectivemenss covers the price and in long term there is less money going towards it compared to HOB or something.

boxing day is my hope

 

[T1KARMANN]

save the money and get a pro eheim

the ecos are crap and the classic is a pain to maintain

the pro will last for 10 years + and they are easy to maintain

 

[angelmouse]

Eheim classics all the way for me,i like the simplisity of them, the quietness and great performance. I have 5 from 2211 to 2217 that i have had for years no problems, i also have had fluvals and tetratec that were ok but not as good. If you buy the plus version with double taps makes life easier.
regards Angel

 

[markandhisfish]

pro2 all the way i run a pro2 2028 superb in every way

 

[aaronnorth]

classics are a PITA to prime, i hate opening the damn thing as it take me longer to try and get it working again!

I much prefer my fluval 205, so get one of the 05 models or save up for a better filter as suggested above.

 

[rabbut]

I find that I have to manually prime a Fluval 04/05 after a few starts. This is how you prime a classic Eheim also. In theory, though both (Fluval from experience, classic from comparisons of design) are a PITA to prime, they are using the same technique, so should be equaly as difficult as each other... IME the Fluvals get large and hard to clear air-locks after priming, which the classics apparently do not get...

All the best
Rabbut

 

[aaronnorth]

I find that I have to manually prime a Fluval 04/05 after a few starts. This is how you prime a classic Eheim also. In theory, though both (Fluval from experience, classic from comparisons of design) are a PITA to prime, they are using the same technique, so should be equaly as difficult as each other... IME the Fluvals get large and hard to clear air-locks after priming, which the classics apparently do not get...

All the best
Rabbut

there is no buttons/ levers on my eheim classic 2215 so i cannot prime it. In theory it is supposed to self prime due to the positioning of the inlet and outlet however that is not the case

 

[three-fingers]

Both my fluval 05 models are very easy to prime and maintain, I find that I'm just too lazy to own filters like eheim classics, I've had similar basic externals before and got rid of one of them because it was just a pain to open them and clean them out, and I really hated dealing with the eheim classic at work, I certainly think there's a technique your required to learn.

I'm sure classics are easy once you get used to it though, and considering how long they are supposed to run for, you should have plenty of time to get used to one.

Eheim pro 2's are awesome though, just as easy as fluval 05 models but with a better reputation, also a heavier price tag. I think fluvals are great and will stick with them for now, if I wanted to try something new I'd go for a tetratec.

 

[OldMan47]

Stevey, you got a lot of discussion from Eheim enthusiasts so I can understand you thinking they were the best / recommended. I also run canisters and have never owned an Eheim. The reason is simple, the first canister I ever got was a Rena XP series and it works faultlessly to this day. I have purchased a number of them since and most recently got another less than a month ago. I have also bought one Marineland C series and one Marineland HOT magnum. I do not consider them to be on a par with the Renas. I have a Fluval internal but have never tried one of their canisters because they have a generally low reputation. On the other hand, their internal is quite a good filter. No ownership of Eheim means no opinion for me about them.