Which Eheim?

[shallowz]

I am upgrading filters on my 55 gallon aquarium as I am going to upgrade my current bioload a considerable amount. Another thing to be considered is that I am a freak about crystal clear healthy water and do want over filter my tank quite a lot. The bioload will be very high for a 55 gallon and I want a quality filter that will last a good amount of time which is why I turned to eheim.
The four filters I have narrowed my choice down to are:
Eheim Classic 2260
Eheim Pro 3e 2078
Eheim Wet/Dry 2229
Eheim Pro 3 2080

And one more important factor money is no issue here
Thankyou in advance:)

[Mgamer20o0]

well first of all i would go with two canisters one on each end. this will also give a back up. also its hard to over filter a tank just have to deal with the flow.

[shallowz]

Thanks I also would like know which filter you would recomend to get one of because I also have an xp3 that I will use for the second filter.

[shallowz]

Anyone have an opinion

[Mgamer20o0]

i would prob go with the wet dry or the smaller pro system. really your not going to go wrong no matter what one you go with. though i like how the pro and wet dry have the quick disconnect.

[legendaryfrog]

I have an opinion. I've used lots of eheims over the years, but my favorite without a doubt is the classic eheim 2217. Its kinda annoying to clean, but it provides constant performance and none of mine have failed once, even after 12 years of nonstop work. The 2 pro eheims I had pooped out on me after a year.

[shallowz]

I am looking at all your guys wonderful information, but what media would you use for each filter you recomend?

[Mgamer20o0]

since your looking for crystal clear water.... i would go sponges bio floss in one and sponge chemical and floss in the other. chemical can be carbon or purigen.

[shallowz]

I am also looking for best biological filtration so what is the best bio media in your guys opinion for the listed filters?

[Mgamer20o0]

well the wet dry and a basket of those coco puff looking media they sell i forgot the name of them.

[shallowz]

so you would recomend the wet dry 2229 with ehfistrate pro anyone else have opinions

[dudley]

The 2217 with Ehfimech (ceramic cylinders), 2 coarse blue pads & 1 fine white pad will be excellent for mechanical filtering. The 2229 is an excellent filter but it is for biological only!!! The only media recommended for the 2229 is the Ehfisubstrat or substrat pro. I have had both filters now for a few years.

[Zebulon]

I have 2x 2217's on my 75g and they are fantastic. The quality is incredible. I used mesh media bags on the biological media to make it easier to maintain. This way you can yank the biomedia, clean the rest via flushing and then drop bio back in with no mess or hassle. The lack of trays in the classic series is not a minus in my opinion. I love the ability to do regular partial backflush just by opening the shutoffs at the sink, the shutoffs work flawlessly and thus it's self-priming when you reinstall. I'm gonna give them a 9.5. The -.5 is because I wish they came with two lengths of spraybar instead of just one. They put out some serious flow, even with floss packed in on top for polishing. Recommended. Two might be a lot of flow for a 55, you could consider a custom spraybar to diffuse the flow more or some other delivery method, or 2x 2215 maybe, I can't comment on their flow by comparison but I'm gonna guess that any eheim product is going to elate you to no end.

[Squawkbert]

I'd go w/ a single 2217.

[Plecosterone]

:iagree: I use one on my 75 gallon with no complaints.

[shallowz]

the 2217 is a classic series i think so what ive heard is pretty good about then although i do like the features of the pro 3e

[Squawkbert]

"features" - just bells and whistles that drive the price up and are seldom used.

If you look at can volume & flow rates & longevity, Eheim classics are pretty well standing alone at the end of the day.

[Carla G]

I've got a 2215 on my 50 gallon tank and it does a great job. I use the ehfisubstrat, noodles and sponges that came with the filter. You could add a bit of that white polishing stuff at the top for clearer water if you want.

The flow is not too great for the 4 foot tank. If you want high capacity you could go with 2 filters. This gives not only a back up but your capacity is high because the water is spending longer in the canister.

The 2217s have a higher flow rate than the 2215s.

I'm a fan of the classics also.

[mott]

2217 or a 2026, the 2026 has baskets if you like quick media cleaning.

[finz]

I'd stear clear of the eheim Professional II (2026) ...

I have one and i dunno, 6-12 months into to my purchase it started leaking. I learned there was a recall on main connector and after wrestling with a rep, managed to have him send me one - free of charge even though I was out of warranty.

Nice deal eh?

Well, it's leaking again and to an extent is just plain finiky.
If you position the hoses just right the leak stops or might turn into a gusher.

Or pusing on the primer forces it to leak.
There's a maintenence indicator (a flow ball) that deteriated.

All in all, it's been a pain to deal with... parts wear out, bad parts to begin with and general engineering (plastic density or composition) is fragile - not to point of breaking but instead an issue regards water (closed system) integrety.

------------------------------------------------

On the other hand, my 2217 is a champ that I bought used and has served flawlessly for some 6 years.

[finz]

Oh yeah.. on the Pro II..

The clamps fall off when the unit is disassembled
The exterior corner runners (top to bottom) to which the clamps attach also fall off
The rubber seals between the internal baskets deteriate and warp into 'new' shapes
The rubber feet fall off

[mott]

I have heard of the primer o ring leaking. I have my 2026 for 2 years now with none of the problems you are talking about... not to say it doesn't happen to you though, I still love mine.
The classic series is more durable and fool proof for sure.

[tankboy_taylor]

Im a 2217 fan mine works awesome and outperforms my xp3 easily its a true workhorse.
that being said Id go with the pro 3 series if money wasnt an object but unless you go with the pro3 then definitaly the 2217

[finz]

I have heard of the primer o ring leaking. I have my 2026 for 2 years now with none of the problems you are talking about...

It's a fair statement I'm not 'up' on my maintenance of my 2026 yet, the 2217 is (imho) virtually maintenance free. Perhaps I'm just spoiled...

Heck, I recently say tiny cracks in the large canister o-ring of my 2217 (which I've NEVER replaced) and still it works without a leak to be seen. Part of my heistation in NOT replacing it however is that I assume the replacement rings are designed to wear out sooner... Meaning that i 'think' the one i have would still outlast a replacement...

I have a bit of hesitation on recommending the 2217 too - almost always when a vendor reintroduces a product that was at once successful, they cut costs so that (again imho) a 2217 manufactured 'today' won't be the same 2217 manufacutred 'yesterday' - i dunno... any user with both an old and new unit care to elaborate?