Eheim canister filters

lesley

lesley

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Dec 18, 2002
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Just to beat an old topic into the ground...

I'm looking into switching to a canister filter. What is the difference between the ECCO's and the Eheim plus series? It seems like the Plus series is a little more costly, and doesn't come in a model for a 30 gallon tank. Aside from that

My tank is a 29 gallon that I currently have an Eclipse 3 system on. I hate the thing. I'm sure anything I switch to will be better. I am pretty heavily stocked with fish, mainly cories and black neons. I will eventually upgrade my lights to power compact so that I can plant a bit heavier and with more variety. So for plants I guess I will need to get a spraybar.

My main concerns for a canister would be that it run silently, not leak and be easy to clean and maintain.

I've read through some of the old threads, and they all seem to come to the conclusion that Eheim is the best, but I wanted to make sure that they addressed my particular concerns.
 
I don't have an ECCO but I do have a PROII (2026). It is silent. The only way I hear it is to put my ear directly on the pump. It is very efficient. I really like it, it's easy to take apart and put back together (after the first couple of times anyway), primes easy, runs smoothly.
 
I have three of the Eheim Ecco series filters and they work very well, just a little smaller than the Classic or Professional line but just as quiet. For a 29 I would say the middle size would be good, the 2233. Just make sure you read the directions carefully and pay particular attention when you put the top back on as the handle can be broken if you put it on incorrectly and use a lot of force.

Alex
 
I'd go with a classic 2213. Silent, inexpensive, easy to service.
good luck
:)
 
I'll put a second vote on the 2213. I like it's "in at the bottom, out at the top" style. It is inexpensive, quiet and very well made. I have four of them. Two on a 55g african cichlid tank, one on a 30g and one on a 29g tall. I love them.

I bought all of mine new on Ebay. Including shipping, I paid $60 for the cheapest one and $66 for the most expensive one. Much cheaper than I've found anywhere else.

The cheapest online dealer I've found (for just about any aquarium supplies) is www.bigalsonline.com
 
I give my vote to the ECCO 2233 for a 29 gallon tank. I have one running on my 20 gallon planted tank, and things are doing very well. I did buy additional media to suite my needs (EHFIsubstrate Pro, Extra fine filter pads, micron filter pads), I would use this filter all the way up to a 40 gallon tank.

I also was looking at the Classic 2213, but what made my decision is the lack of media trays in the classic series filters. All the media is stuffed into the "main" canister chamber. This gives unsurpassed filtration, but is a real pain to clean. You have to dump everything out to do maintenance. You said one of your 3 concerns was being easy to clean and maintain. The classic cannot compare to the Pro or ECCO series filters in this way. These models are made for ease of use as well as dependable filtration. It also meats both of your other "concerns". ECCO and Pro series also come with quick-disconnect hoses and are self-priming (which is real nice!). If this is going to be your only filter, do yourself a favor.

If a filter is not as easy to clean, then you probably won't want to clean it as often, and your tank suffers. You also disturb your bacterial colonies when you dump out your canister in the Classics. This is more of a concern (ease of cleaning/maintenance) when it is the primary filter. I would look first to the Classic line for supplemental filtration such as "bio-only" filters with nothing but EHFIsubstrate and a prefilter, though!;)

Also, on a side note.....none of the Eheim filters come with spraybars. You can order it separately though!
 
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I don't own any of the Ecco series, but the few I've looked at didn't seem to be built as ruggedly as the Classic or Professionel series. If it were me, I'd get a 2213 over an Ecco.

As for the spraybar, every one of the Eheims (including Classic series, Professionel series and the wet/dry canisters) I've bought came with a spraybar and all the other tubing, inlet pipes, etc. needed to run the filter.

Jim
 
I don't believe any Eheims currently come with spraybars. I looked at the Pro II, ECCO, and WET/DRY canisters straight out of the boxes at my LFS and NONE had any spraybar attachments. All models do come with all hoses, outlet and inlet pipes, and any other equipment needed to run them, though. Do you have older models? They may have started doing this since about the time of the "AquaBall" was introduced, since the spraybar attachment is available as one of the "add-ons" to this kit. I can't verify any attachments available before about 6 months ago, since this is when I looked at the Eheims in person (they finally started carrying them at my LFS).

Please let me know if I am wrong and the Pro II series come with spraybars. I would love it if they do. I will get one of these filters for a larger tank in the future. If they do come with the filters, then something was missing from the box in my LFS. It was opened (from manufacturers packaging) right in front of my eyes, so It would have to be a manufacturer error! I know the ECCO series don't come with the spraybars, though. Saw one in the LFS and ordered the 2233 and neither had it!
 
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Thanks for all of the input guys. This is exactly the kind of information that I wanted to know. I think at this point, I am thinking I will go with the ECCO 2233. I like the basket idea.

The information from Eheim says that it comes complete with media. I take it I don't need to use chemical filtration all the time? Should I replace it with something else? It seems like people here are really fond of the "noodles." So the Ecco 2233 and a spraybar. Do I need anything else while I'm at it?
 
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