# What filter would you choose?



## UltraBlue (Mar 8, 2011)

I have been looking at upgrading my canister filter from an eheim 2215 to a model with better flow and improved surface area. I like the eheims as they are reliable and quiet. There are so many models however I don't know what to choose...so i could use some help. This is for a 37 gallon tall, but hope to upgrade to a 48 gallon in the future and would probably retire the 37 at that point. I would move that filter to the 48.

What eheim series would you choose? Classic, pro II, pro III, pro 3e? Why?

Next step would be choosing a model within that model series, how much flow would be ideal? what should I be looking for out of it in terms of gph?

any other thoughts or suggestions are welcome. Thanks!


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

It is beyod me why you are not trying to improve your tank by adding fertilizers and adding new and cool equipment. Filtration is not considered cool at all. You need to step your game up, boy!

Joke aside you need to get the largest filter you can afford. With any Eheim you cannot buy a size that is too large anyway, even if you get the largest model.

Flow needs to be about 10 times the volume of your tank.

If you want to know why I'm not telling you a specific model you can read this:
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/...club/75400-excited-word-about-filtration.html

--Nikolay


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## Aquaticz (May 22, 2009)

+++++1
Excellent thread
& great advice on the filter. 

After you read that thread Niko told you about, then decide how you are going to set it uo for optumum flow in the tank.
FWIW - I changed to lava rock as my media because of that thread. My tanks are better for it and BBA has dare I say it ....gone into remission. 

you can take a peek at my tanks here 
photos.rbkkinspects.com


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

I am constantly fascinated by the theories and views on this subject and love to read ALL input. When talking bio-filtration, my own experience has been that you need slow, "well oxygenated" water passing through high capasity bio-media rather than a "fast flushing" type effect, the most important aspect being oxygenation to feed the biological nitrifying colonies. Of course this must be tampered in order to avoid loss of valueable CO2 which for me, fortunately has not been a problem to date on my three wet/dry canister tanks. They actually hold the CO2 better than my mega Eheim filtered planted tanks. The problem with the wet/dries is that they can be very quirky if not set up just right.

Based on my own experience, my very best bio-filters on my planted tanks only run at 145 gph (even on my 75 gal) but they are Eheim wet/dry canister filters. They by far out-perform my mega Eheims on tanks of comparable size. To achieve that ultimate 10+ times flow rate, I rely on mechanical filters, usually magnum 350s because of their pressurized aggression and trapping ability.

Interesting subject, much confusion


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## AquaBarren (Nov 6, 2009)

If you want to stay with Eheim, look at the Pro 3s. Excellent designs that ease maint.

For easiest to maintain in a canister also look at the Fluval Gs. The G3 would be plenty, G6 might be overkill. Very easy to maintain which means maintaining max flow.

Either way, keep the inflow/outflow simple, almost old school with in/out in same corner, outflow firing side to side. 

Read the thread niko posted. In the end, things are simpler than they seem.


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

AAAH, "they took paradise and put up a parking lot" even when it comes to aquarium filters. :bump:

They no longer offer the wet/dries anyway. They had said they might be discontinueing them due to too many people having problems with their set-up. Glad we bought ours when we did!  Wouldn't trade them for the world. Talk about a no maint. filter. I see they also discontinued the Classic line. Now our big Pro 3 is called the XL but the origional Pro 3 E hasn't changed much since we bought ours. I do like their versatility and performance. Not sure about any of those newer squashed versions of the origionals.:sorry:

Not sure I like what is out there these days.


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## JustLikeAPill (Oct 9, 2006)

The G3's are sooo expesive but sooo nice. If you go that route you may as well spend the extra fify bucks and get the G6 and throttle the flow back down, that way you have a larger capacity and if you hpgrade your tank in the future you will still be set. 

The G series and superjet are the only two filters I wouldnt mind looking at in a living room lol. 

Cino, Eheim discontinued the classic line? Really? They were the most popular filters ever : ( I like the classics better than the newer filters of coparable flow because of the large media capacity and lack of bypass. Where did you read that they were discontinueing the classic series?


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

Not sure I'd trust "anything Hagen". They caught my interest at first but the more I researched them and took into consideration all my experiences with other Hagen made products and how their quality has declined over the years (with little exception) I would be apprehensive. 

First off you do not want to use chemical filtration in any planted tank set-up unless on rare occassion when necessary. I'd load these filters with strictly bio-canisters if you were to buy one. I think they are another money making gimmick personally. Those filters are EXPENSIVE. Those replacement cartridges have got to cost.

My husband and I have always been seriously into horses, I was even nationally published but that is neither here or there and a long, long time ago in a land far, far away. My husband is a horseshoer with over 35 year experience and between us we have over 70 years of working with horses. Most products out there are MADE TO TAKE YOUR MONEY be it fish, dogs, cats, horses, whatever. 

Keep it as simple as possible, don't try to get fancy as that is just more to go wrong and further confuse you. Stick with the basic principles of filtration, effective bio-filtration. This latest talk about super fast flow I do not agree with. I do however very strongly agree with and advise as much bio-capasity as possible with NO BYPASS. I do not see where these fancy filters have the bio-capasity. While Fluval noodles are better than many, they are not as good as many others. You would be locked into using Fluval products with these filters and would have no other options unless you could load these cartridges with the media of your choice. There are many things I do question with these newer, fancy G-series filters considering their price.


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## cino (May 1, 2011)

Hey My Friend:

Yea I was just on Eheim's site this afternoon and the Ecco line has replaced the Classic line, bummer for sure. I also found that our personal favorite has also been totally done away with. We were warned this might happen. This darned economy and cut backs........ 

Everyone is looking to produce product at cheaper cost. We would be apprehensive to buy anything in this economy as everyone is looking to cut corners.


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## mstubenfoll (Jan 22, 2012)

hi, newbie to the forum. Have 300 gallon aquarium that i am converting to a planted tank. currently have a wet dry system and was interested as to how to modify the wet dry to minimize co 2 elimination. Sounds like u have done this so if you have any thoughts would appreciate the help.


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## john borr (Sep 18, 2010)

Just some idle ramblings but I don't know why people never mention Lifeguard or Pentair filters(same thing) on this site. They have a nice modular design so that you can customize them more biological, more chemical, or more mechanical whatever. Maybe it's not the filter but the water pump, back in the day Dupla made high torque low gph pumps that would be great for smaller plant tanks today on those lifeguard filters. 

Another nice design was the wet dry filters that used rotating spray bars and a special type of DLS material, unfortunately Dupla (again) and people like Albert Theil killed that filter design in favor of those little plastic balls. I remember the first time I saw a marine tank on that DLS design filter and I was blown away by the water quality. Like I said just some idle ramblings.


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## lanceduffy (Jul 15, 2010)

I know this is an old thread, but I ant to set things straight as I know them. Sorry if this is a hijack. Cino, I have been on Eheim's site in the past month and they are still providing information on the Classics. Additionally I bought a 2215 from Big Al's last week. From what I can tell the Classics are still in production.


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## Left C (Jun 14, 2005)

Lance is correct. They have improved the ECCO line, but the line doesn't replace the Classics. The Classics are still available.

The older ECCO's has a somewhat different filter design that the new ones. I do not know exactly what all has changed. I have an ECCO 2236 and it is posted that we make sure that we are getting the correct pads.

There was even an older ECCO line several years ago. Their last number was an odd numbers whereas the newer ECCO's last number's are an even number. It could of been 2231, 2233 and 2235 vs 2232, 2234 and 2236.

New ECCO Pro Line (Easy 35, Easy 60, Easy 80): http://www.eheim.com/files/image/file/User Guides/Ecco_userguide.pdf and http://www.eheim.com/products/detail/Easy-ecco

Older 2232, 2234 and 2236: https://www.eheimparts.com/client/homepage.aspx


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