Witch Filter? Eheim Pro 3 - Fluval Fx5

[T1KARMANN]

pro1 no prime at all
pro2 prime button you pump
pro3e auto prime

the prime is not that much of a big deal as once the filter is started and the hoses are full of water the filter will start fairly easy without sucking hoses

to tell the truth i like the double tap more on the pro1 rather than the pro2

but i would just forget the pro1 now and buy the pro2

as for themo filters i have never had one as i feel its better to have a stand alone heater because if the heater packs up you dont lose the heater and filter

 

[waterdrop]

pro1 no prime at all
>> this makes sense with what I see
pro2 prime button you pump
>> I cannot see any kind of pumping button on these. Is it a little paddle on the double connector where the hoses come in to the top? I think I could see a little paddle there. This double connector is the dual tap?
pro3e auto prime
>> This model clearly has a thumb button you can pump, but why would you need it if it has an electric primer?

the prime is not that much of a big deal as once the filter is started and the hoses are full of water the filter will start fairly easy without sucking hoses
>>> I believe you on this, even though I'm asking about it I don't really consider it a big deal.

to tell the truth i like the double tap more on the pro1 rather than the pro2
>>> This is good info, helps me get on with weighing between my 2 or 3 choices (2222 or 2224 or 2026 now)

but i would just forget the pro1 now and buy the pro2
>>> This is the hardest part for me. I'm realizing I need to ask my dealer a little more pointedly whether its just the pro1-thermo models or the entire pro1 line that has been or is being discontinued (in USA distribution). If they are all being discontinued then it might be harder to get parts later if I choose the 2222 or 2224.

T1K (& Bastables), I think your points are well taken that the larger pro2-2026 would be a better guard against obsolescence since its a newer design/model-line and that it would be an advantage if we moved up to a bigger tank in the future. As soon as I get (if I get) harder info about the "discontinuation" issue, I would have two definite points in favor of the pro2. In favor of the pro1 is less current blowing the fish around and a good price (at this point I can't rule out that the good price may be because of discontinuation!)

as for themo filters i have never had one as i feel its better to have a stand alone heater because if the heater packs up you dont lose the heater and filter
>>> This has been in the back of my mind all along and I have finally dumped the idea of the thermofilter. The extra complexity of having a separate heater will be worth the flexibility of dealing with each device separately if it breaks. In the computer world we have found this same thing to be true in printers - the all-in-one devices that combine printers,faxes and scanners are a huge hassle if one function breaks. Since there is some issue about salt messing up the temp sensor used in the freshwater versions of the eheim thermos, I think this issue is settled and I'll get a hydor 150 or 200w to hook inline with a plain filter.

I must say, remembering the loneliness of the fishkeeping hobby as a kid years ago, it is a dream come true to sit down anytime of the day and read and chat with experienced people like yourselves about details few others would ever listen to!
--waterdrop--

 

[waterdrop]

T1,Bastables & discussion readers: Please note that my comments/questions got inserted into the quote by T1 above in post#77. I haven't figured out the tedium of breaking someone's quote into little quote sections.

So my "little eheim info quest saga" has now progressed to here:

1) pro1 model 2222 500L/H (no heater) (may be obsolete but hey, only about $150 us dollars)
2) pro1 model 2224 700L/H (no heater) (same but more media volume)
3) pro2 model 2026 950L/H (no heater) (newer model line, firehose squirt, more bucks)

decisions, decisions!

the pro2 has a recommendation from T1..
the rest of you lurkers need to speak up, waterdrop wants to hear you
(I can hear it now.. "OMG waterdrop, just break out your darn creditcard & be done with it!")
("OMG, just wait til he starts asking about hydors..")

No, seriously, my kid is dying for me to please get to the point where he can add water!
OK, your humble newbie waterdrop must now sign out and go to work, Bye.

 

[T1KARMANN]

that said the pro1 is still a very good filter if you can find one the spares should be pretty much the same as the pro2 O rings and impeller and impeller shaft they are the only things that ever need changeing and not very oftern

 

[waterdrop]

Thanks, good to know. I may get to talk to the dealer more today. I'll still hope for more comments from this forum.

My impression is that since I don't know what fish we'll end up with yet that any of these flow rates could work out ok. I suspect it will end up being a fairly ordinary community tank (we're talking 11-year-old boy here) of fairly small fish and not too many, although I hope if everything goes allright we could do some shoals of tetras or others we like and the bigger filtering capacity would help us with that. I have every expectation that we will be very disciplined about our water changes and testing.

-waterdrop-
ps. T1, CFC mentioned you have lots of big tanks and fish. Do you do this just for pleasure??

 

[Bastables]

What's the price diffrence you've been given for the PRO 2. Also check if the PRO 1 comes with media and the grey input outputs. All the newer (2007 manufactured) Pro 2's come with media and the grey input/outputs. "free media" is an obvious advantage. The grey input output, are larger bore and can be opned up at the top so you can clean the hose without taking everything apart, assuming you have a hose brush that is ridgid enough and long enough to go all the way to the filter. Eheim sells the "addon" grey input outputs for 110-120 NZD so assume about 60 USD for buying both the output input brought sepratly. They're listed on the eheim site as extention sets.

If the pro one does not come with media or the extention sets you'll be getting more for your money with the smaller pro 2. If the pro one does ship with those items just buy the pro one. Unless you're planning on heavily over stocking the tank, and really if you're over stocking a 106 litre tank it's time to get a bigger tank like a 55 or 100 gallon. That's probably more confusing isn't it?

Pretty much if the pro 1 comes with the extra's buy that. at 150 usd that's a lot of bang for buck.

 

[waterdrop]

OK, its done. The pro1 came with the extras and sounded like the 2007 package you describe. The pro2 was exactly twice as much so I decided on the pro1 with the hydor inline. They are shipping it out to me tomorrow.

Thank all of you for the hardware help. I'll let you know when I get it and we'll see if I need any setup advice. I've already been told to read the directions carefully, but I'm the type that does that anyway (can you tell?)

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Bastables]

They have the pro manuals on PDF here if you want a heads up http/www.eheim.de/eheim/inhalte/index.js...mp;list=afilter
Tell us how it goes and good luck and happy fishkeeping

 

[waterdrop]

They have the pro manuals on PDF here if you want a heads up [urlhttp/www.eheim.de/eheim/inhalte/index.jsp?key=downloads_25071_ehen&list=afilter[/url]

Tell us how it goes and good luck and happy fishkeeping

Thanks again Bastables.

 

[d8ncer]

With regards to the FX5.

If you want to increase bio capacity above that of the Eheim remove the sponges and put in Alfagrog instead. I got a couple of sacks of it and broke it up into small pieces that could easily fit inside the outer compartments withour falling through the holes instead of the outer foam pieces. Gives you more than twice the bio however you do need an extra filter for mechanical filtration.

Water is clear and spotless and healthier than ever.

My tank is 600 litres.

May I add that I removed the corrigated hoses as they are total S***T and added two plastic Y adapters that go from 1" to 5/8" switching from the normal pipe to two more clear flexible plastic lines about 6" from the filter. I now have two 5/8" Eheim inlet pipes and two Eheim sparay bars running instead off of the FX5 hoses. I also got a small drill and widened the outlet holes on the spraybar slightly to help with flow rate.

Have added a TetraTec EX1200 just for mechanical filtration so it has just sponges and change the floss once a week . I can use the top tray for any other media I would like to add. Also got eheim inlet and outlet for my EX to match that of what I put on FX5. Everything looks neat and tidy and matches.

Based on my setup and amount of bio and mechanical filtration it is far better and cheaper than single 2080 ehiem. You also have two filters running if one should fail.

The FX5 is good but a few modifications make it far better.

My tank has 4 x 10-12" Oscars and two 9-10" Jack Dempseys and 6 Blue acara.

 

[waterdrop]

Hey Bastables, if you happen by this thread again...

I think there was really something to your comments about the older vs newer dual taps on the pro1 line. Based on your comments I decided it was something to pay attention to and so after I decided to drop the thermo feature and got my choices down to pro1-2222 vs. pro2-2026 I asked my dealer to cut some hoses and actually hook the hydor inline up to the 2222 to make sure it seemed ok. Well, she reported it was indeed a problem: I think the hydor wants bigger tubing and the 2222 wanted smaller tubing and finding size-changing tube connecters was harder than expected -- anyway the upshot is that she is checking the details of these possible dual-tap/tubing sizes with eheim and we shall see! I don't know the 2 tubing sizes involved. It may be 1/4 inch to 1/2", or 1/2" to 3/4" or some similar metric size diff.

~~waterdrop~~

 

[Bastables]

Eheim have standerdised on two hosing sizes 12/16mm and 16/22mm. The Pro and the 2217 and below classic series all use the 12/16mm tubes. The Grey extension add on output and inputs are larger bore and come in two sizes to match the tubes where they connect but with the exception of the connections where they meet the hose the extension spray bar and suction tube are the same size for both 12/16 and 16/22 mm sizes.

The problem is that the older eheims are all designed to only accept the smaller 12/16mm hose diametre so with the hydor using a larger sized connection you'll be forced to buy those connectors to convert the different hoses so they fit where they need to. Eheim only started using the larger hose size on their newer ones like the Pro 3/3e and the larger classics 2250/60/62 and I think their pond equipment.

Hydor do ship two versions of the 200watt heater 5/8 and 1/2. I'm not sure how to convert them to metrics, so you may need to ask the store for the smaller one and see if that matches the 12/16mm hose size of the pro 1. This is presuming that the larger hydro matches the 16/22 mm and that's the version your fish shop has in.
Regards

 

[T1KARMANN]

the hydor 200w exturnal heater will fit 12-16mm hose and the 300w will fit 16-22mm hose

so just buy the one thats fits your hoses

 

[waterdrop]

Thanks guys,

Interesting.. from the store it sounded like the pro-2222 hose sizes were a hard fit for a Hydor 200w (hydor hose sized unspecified) but that possibly (this is not sure, could have been a miscommunication) the pro2-2026 -was- a better hose-size match for same said 200w hydor.

From what you are saying, the older-2222, newer-2222(if it exists) and the 2026 should -all- be the smaller size, right?

gotta go, back soon.. --waterdrop--

 

[waterdrop]

more tubing talk:
finally making it up to speed that there are 2 sizes somewhat standardized:
1) smaller size with inner dia 12 or 13mm = 1/2 inch
2) larger size with inner dia 16mm = 5/8 inch

My dealer said the older pro1-2222 would not fit the hydor 200w they had, but that the same hydor connected perfectly to the pro2-2026. So I now think that the dealer must have the 5/8" version of the hydor200 and that the pro2-2026 must use the newer 16mm hose size. Do you guys think its possible that the pro2-2026 has the larger (16mm = 5/8") hose size?

(also, I now see what you are saying, that the intakes and spray bars fit to either of the hose sizes in a standardized way, whereas at the other end of the tube the dual taps are either 1/2" or 5/8" except that there are kits available to take older 1/2" taps up to 5/8" if you need to)

(if all this detail seems absurd, it has to do with communicating with dealer/distributors on other side of continent.. can't run down to the shop and chat! so all a great help to me and fun knowing that the forum has the collective smarts to produce the details.)