# Eheim Pro 3 Electronic Filter



## jerryfooj (Jun 30, 2006)

Anyone have any thoughts about the Eheim Pro 3 Electronic - pro or con? Cost is not a factor. I just want the best filter I can afford for my 50 G planted.

Thanks


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## brighty K (Oct 1, 2008)

I've gotten the chance to use an Eheim pro, though I think the one I worked with didn't have the "digital thermal display." It doesn't stand up to its predecessors, the Classic 2260 or 2262 for several reasons.

The bells included in the Pro just aren't that great. The wheels aren't useful. The primer isn't anything any pro I know actually needs. The flow meter is a who cares. If you're concerned about the flow on your canister filter, you're just not maintaining it properly. You don't need a meter to tell you that you haven't cleaned your filter in a year.

I also find that the media baskets are useless. They just restrict what you can fit into the filter. The Classics are more flexible.

My biggest issue was that (unlike the large Classic Ehiems) the Pro doesn't have a water outlet at the bottom. This is an essential tool for easily maintaining the canister. Otherwise, taking the top off can be messy.

Here's something I've found in my experience: real professionals stick with simple, functional, well-built tools. The ehiem classics are industry standard and no canisters match them for longevity, simplicity, and ease of use. Even Eheim's own Pro series don't hold a candle to their Classics.

Lastly, any of these seem like a lot for a 50 gallon. I'd personally go with two Ehiem 2217s You'll find they do the job well and will be easier to handle and work with.


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## jerryfooj (Jun 30, 2006)

Thanks brighty K. Lots of people seem to like the classic Eheims but my wife is an OCD clean freak (her description) and she has freak visions of water all over her inlay wood floors every time I do filter maintenance. The Pro 3 electronic#2076 (105 gal) and 2078 (185gal) - not to be confused w/ the Pro 3 non-electronic 2080 (320 gal) - appears to be a lot easier and less messy to maintain. Plus it has flow adjustment w/ auto adjust constant flow thruput which compensates for filter saturation automatically. You can program for day/nite flow rates and stream/wave simulations as well. It has other auto correct features such as trapped air removal as well. Here's a video from their North American website:
http://www.eheim.com/base/eheim/movies/EHEIM_prof3e_Highlights_USA.wmv

What do you think?


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## brighty K (Oct 1, 2008)

> she has freak visions of water all over her inlay wood floors every time I do filter maintenance


Understandable. Either way, either filter, you're going to have to pop that puppy open here and there. Either filter is bulky when full of water, which is why the Classic's (2260 & 2262) valve at the bottom is so valuable. I don't know of a way the Pro gets around this problem. On the Classic, you can usually drain it (at least partially) before attempting to move it. Crucial.

I used to work for a high-end aquarium maintenance company. Few can appreciate the necessity of keeping the aquarium and the area surrounding it spotless like someone who's worked on them in multi-million dollar homes. I highly recommend a folded packing blanket spread below the aquarium anytime you're working on it.



> You can program for day/nite flow rates and stream/wave simulations as well.


That could be cool.



> Plus it has flow adjustment w/ auto adjust constant flow thruput which compensates for filter saturation automatically...It has other auto correct features such as trapped air removal as well.


If anyone can do all that, it's probably Eheim. But I'm naturally skeptical of bonus features, especially new, untested ones. I've just seen too many saves-you-time-and-effort-promises-to-do-it-all gadgets that end up failing altogether or just falling by the wayside because the problems they promise to fix are more easily overcome with a little finesse or good old fashioned elbow grease.

Please don't think I'm saying you'd be crazy to buy this thing. Eheim offers solid products and I don't doubt it has advantages. I might just be biased because I've worked extensively with the Classics and consider them the best I've seen.


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## jerryfooj (Jun 30, 2006)

Good points, brighty. I wonder if it would be possible to tap a spigot on the bottom of the Pro 3E?

Anybody else have any ideas?


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## LightHouse G (Dec 12, 2008)

I thought I would chime in here. brighty K is right that it is to large for your size tank but if your looking to go bigger down the line I have found it to be a very nice filter. I especially like the bio-funtions and use the 12 hous cycle on my tank but wish it had the temp gauge and heater but I understand that these things have to sell and the cost would be to extrvigant to afford. I also like the flow rate and cleaning scedule. I have a busy life like anyone and to have this fuction is actually pretty nice. I also think that the quick disconnect hose adapter is so much better than before. All you have to do is power off, move the lever from left to right to seal the water in the lines, press the red botton and click it's off and ready to go. After maintainence you reverce the order and it's really that easy. I have a 125gl tank and after all the hardscaping I end up with about 105-110 galllons of water and this unit is perfect for the job. 

As for the baskets there's no difference than any other filter just dont over fill them. You really don't need as much media as you think. The fact that you have a mess when you remove the top is again no differnet the other filters out there but what I like about this model is the large handels to carry the three gallons of water to the tub or sink and the fact that they snap together very easy without the worry of breaking the plastic hinges is teriffact. Eheim pumps are great pumps but there return lines suck and the fact that you should buy there after market return kits is bad deal. Fluval has some nice pumps that don't cost as much with grey/black return lines and nice pumping action and for your fifty gallon set up this is all you need. 

From what I have gathered so far is no one seems to be happy about the baskets on any filter system but that is the nature of the beast. Just don't over fill them and fill them with three things ceramic tubes, carbon and plactic mesh for water polishing and all will be good.


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## jerryfooj (Jun 30, 2006)

Thank you very much for your comments Brighty and Lighthouse. I ended up buying the Pro 3e. Is it possible to fall in love with equipment? Looks like a perfect fit for me so far. I don't mind having more filter than I need esp. since I can adjust the flow rate (electronically). Also, living in Hawaii where the year-round average temp is 75 degrees I've never found the need for a heater. With lights and other heat emitting fixtures my water temp is around 80 or so.

Mahalo and Aloha
The fooj


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## dhavoc (Mar 17, 2006)

ah another resident of the isolated rock. nice purchase. i would have gotten the 3e if it was available when i started my 120g. got a 2026 instead and it works great. of all the features, the trapped air removal is the one i would want most. primming my 2026 is no problem, but i need to jiggle and tilt the damn thing side to side to remove the air or the impeller just free spins. happens every time i clean it, and yes i know how to prime them, i have 8 other eheim's on other tanks but they are the classic series and dont seem to have the trapped air issue as much. one thing i noticed with all ehiems is that they are great biological filters, but not so good at mechanical (water polishing). you can put in fine mesh pads to help with this, but they just plug up faster, and you have to clean the filter. the main advantage of eheims, to me anyway, is that you only clean them once a year or so. breaking down and cleaning a large filter is NOT something i look forward to at all. i tend to stock my tanks pretty densely with fauna, so the water just doesnt stay crystal clear. just too much fine debris (fish crap, etc) that goes right thru the eheim, so i use a magnum HOT with the carbon cartrige stuffed full of filter floss or the micron cartrige to mechanically keep the tanks crystal clear. i just have to change the cartrige on the HOT every few days to a week as it plugs up. i could reduce the number of fish, but the family likes the fish, and could care less about the plants.....


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## mott (Aug 6, 2006)

dhavoc said:


> ah another resident of the isolated rock. nice purchase. i would have gotten the 3e if it was available when i started my 120g. got a 2026 instead and it works great. of all the features, the trapped air removal is the one i would want most. primming my 2026 is no problem, but i need to jiggle and tilt the damn thing side to side to remove the air or the impeller just free spins. happens every time i clean it, and yes i know how to prime them, i have 8 other eheim's on other tanks but they are the classic series and dont seem to have the trapped air issue as much. one thing i noticed with all ehiems is that they are great biological filters, but not so good at mechanical (water polishing). you can put in fine mesh pads to help with this, but they just plug up faster, and you have to clean the filter. the main advantage of eheims, to me anyway, is that you only clean them once a year or so. breaking down and cleaning a large filter is NOT something i look forward to at all. i tend to stock my tanks pretty densely with fauna, so the water just doesnt stay crystal clear. just too much fine debris (fish crap, etc) that goes right thru the eheim, so i use a magnum HOT with the carbon cartrige stuffed full of filter floss or the micron cartrige to mechanically keep the tanks crystal clear. i just have to change the cartrige on the HOT every few days to a week as it plugs up. i could reduce the number of fish, but the family likes the fish, and could care less about the plants.....


A 2026 for a 120 high stock? no wonder you have debris floating around. I have a 2026 on my 55 and keeps my tank crystal clear. Like you said cleaning once a year is awesome.

Back to the OP,
If I could afford a pro3 I would buy one, they look amazing!


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## dhavoc (Mar 17, 2006)

yeah i know its too small, but it was all i could get at the time. will probably stick another one on there in the future to replace the HOT.


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## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

Eheim have a reputation of being very good filters but what really makes a canister filter a good filter?I have changed a lot of canisters so far and in my opinion a good filter is a filter which seals water well.Is there really anything else?electronic filters of course is something different.
I was in a house recently and saw a 60 liter easy crystal Tetratec tank with that small filter in it and at least a handful of flakes inside all over the tank just with 10 small fishes.She said she had been feeding like this for ages.There was no ammonia in the water.If that small filter was able to cope with that HUGE bioload what is all that fuss going on about using special ceramics to increase surface area,wet/dry filters etc. ??


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## vancat (Nov 5, 2004)

well, there is the filter....and then there is what you fill the filter with.

Eheims last for years and years and years. That is a good filter! I have one that ran 24/7 for over 10 years before it got a little noisy. And I never once cleaned it out! (Kidding of course on that last one)


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## Anafranil (Mar 15, 2005)

Also I bet biological filter media(except bioballs)get clogged a lot faster than most people think.Do you lubricate the o-ring every once in a while?


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