need eheim recommendation

dana307

dana307

Large Fish
#1
Jan 6, 2003
703
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Massachusetts
#1
HI all. Been away for a while.. sorry.

Have had it with my fluval 304. Gaskets go, get a mysterious leak, cleaning is a bear.

Want an eheim. What number would you recommend? Right now I have a fluval 304 on both my 30 and 50. works fine on the 30. not very dirty etc. Have a huge bioload in the 50, including a very dirty turtle. I clean the 50 gal filter twice as often as the 30 (bout every 2-3 weeks) and it is twice as filthy. Like I said, dirty turtle, plus some big cichlids. So, want to go with an eheim but want to make sure i get the easiest to clean and best model for my setup. Any recommendations?

Also am getting some brown and some green algae even though i clean fairly often. Cannot find a dwarf pleco, other fish would get eaten. I guess i have to go with a comon pleco even through i hate they they get so big and hard to house. My LFS will swap em out but hate buying fish that you can't house on a permanent basis. Any suggestions? Thank you in advance.

dana. :p
 

Purple

Purple

Superstar Fish
#2
Oct 31, 2003
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#2
I know more about Fluval cans than I do about Ehiems - but I'll tell you a bit about how to get through this........

The trick with Fluvals (and almost all other) cans is to put them back together carefully after cleaning. If you rush the job or become complacent, then something won't be fitted back together correctly, and the can will malfunction/leak/bypass. It's tempting to blame the can for this - but it really isn't the cans fault.

I have two 204's and a 404 - the only time one ever dribbled on me, I took the rubber ring off - cleaned both the ring and the groove the ring seats into - and the problem was solved. Having learned my lesson, I've never had a problem since. Keeping a spare gasket is not exactly a big deal either just in case it snaps on you when you can't get to the shop. Using a swipe of silicon lubricant will keep your rubber bit pliable for longer, but I'd swap out after 2 years as a precaution (preventative maintenance).

As for the ammount of crud you find in the Fluval - be happy - that's what a filter is supposed to do - catch crud. Don't think for one minute that an Eheim will catch any less, so your cleaning schedule wont change. One thing you should try first is to use a pre-filter to catch as much as possible before it even gets to the can - then with regular pre-filter changes you won't have to clean your can half as much. Wrap some floss or even better - foam - around the intake tube - change or clean it weekly.

One of my 55's has a pre-filter chamber built into the tank/filter pickup - and I only have to clean that tanks cannister once every two months - not bad considering it holds one Oscar - two sailfin pl*cos - a Lima Shovel nose cat - a fully grown BP - and an Aulonocara (just for perversity). Pre-filters really do work well in a heavily stocked tank.

As for Eheims - well, my knowledge is less - but from what I've seen there is only one model that's big enough for the job you want. It's a lovely peice of work - costs as much as a used car - and will fill with crud at exactly the same rate as your Fluval. You may not have gasket problems quite as easily as with a Fluval - but my advice still applies - take a bit more care putting it together to avoid accidents.

Whether you solve your cleaning problems by throwing money at it or by a little bit of care with what you already have is up to you - but it's not the Fluvals fault. (I don't mean to sound like I'm having a go at you - I went through the same thing you are going through - got tempted by the Eheim - then realised it wouldn't solve the problems I had for the reasons above)
 

cramerox

cramerox

Small Fish
#7
Dec 26, 2002
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#7
well it was sorta answered...get the biggest you can put in your tank taking in concideration flow of the filter... you may not want something too strong that will slosh water around everwhere or you may? your going to have to clean your filter about the same frequency as normal...your not going to get a filter that will last you more than a month or more.

the classic eheims are great for what you need.

2213, 2215, 2217 are great

2232, 2234 are all about the same except some little new features with the valves

but i really thing you are fine with your set up now.
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#8
Oct 22, 2002
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#8
Classic Professionals or professional II's. Not Ecco's. But everything struggles with turtles unless you say bye bye to aestaetics and get a pond filter. I've seen people with Green Genies atached to big catfish tanks
 

T

TaffyFish

Superstar Fish
#10
Jan 30, 2003
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Eheim Pro II 2026 is rated to 77 Imperial gallons, superb piece of kit. 2028 is a bit larger.
Get the thermo version, 2126 and you can either lose the heater in your tank too or have valuable redundancy.

No such gasket problems or special care needed like the Fluvals, you wont regret stepping up.
 

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