Joined
·
5 Posts
I'm trying to decide on a canister filter for my new 120. My LFS recommends one Eheim 600 or two 350's. I'm thinking maybe two 600's since the price is good. Any pros and cons for a planted low tech tank?
Thanks
Thanks
One or two Eheim canisters on a 120?
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
Joined
·
12,428 Posts
I have a 125 with two Ehiem and love it. I've not quite evolved to using the new "600" notation and still think of them as the 2217 but checked the box and they are the same.
I have a love hate thing going with the 600/2217/ Classic line of filters. On the one hand they are great filters and have been for years and years and I loved them. BUT, there is now a feeling of wishing I could rebuy and have two of the newer design 2275/ Pro 3 lineup. Nothing "wrong" with the older but kind of like comparing a brand new 2000 model car with a 2015 model? Just some things that they have done which I really like.
No baskets in the 2217/600 line makes it a bit more nuisance to keep the media separated when cleaning. I formed a basket out of a small plastic bucket and it works but the newer design has super nice trays. The newer has intake/output plastic that is light grey, somewhat nicer than older green. The new have sections so that one can easily shorten them if you wish or turn part of the spray bar up while the rest goes down. The newer has more agreeable cutoff and disconnects at the canister top. Less odds of turning them the wrong direction which can break the plastic cutoff knob. Also just flip a lever and push a button to cutoff and release the tubes on the new.
The 2075 is somewhat bigger than a 2217 so I might look at using two 2073 (smaller ) rather than two 2217 but I never find too much filter and the price between the 2075 and 2073 is not that much.
So you see the love/ hate thing? Love them both but then I love the newer a bit more and paid a bit more.
What happened to the simple life?
:crying:
I have a love hate thing going with the 600/2217/ Classic line of filters. On the one hand they are great filters and have been for years and years and I loved them. BUT, there is now a feeling of wishing I could rebuy and have two of the newer design 2275/ Pro 3 lineup. Nothing "wrong" with the older but kind of like comparing a brand new 2000 model car with a 2015 model? Just some things that they have done which I really like.
No baskets in the 2217/600 line makes it a bit more nuisance to keep the media separated when cleaning. I formed a basket out of a small plastic bucket and it works but the newer design has super nice trays. The newer has intake/output plastic that is light grey, somewhat nicer than older green. The new have sections so that one can easily shorten them if you wish or turn part of the spray bar up while the rest goes down. The newer has more agreeable cutoff and disconnects at the canister top. Less odds of turning them the wrong direction which can break the plastic cutoff knob. Also just flip a lever and push a button to cutoff and release the tubes on the new.
The 2075 is somewhat bigger than a 2217 so I might look at using two 2073 (smaller ) rather than two 2217 but I never find too much filter and the price between the 2075 and 2073 is not that much.
So you see the love/ hate thing? Love them both but then I love the newer a bit more and paid a bit more.
What happened to the simple life?
:crying:
Joined
·
5 Posts
Thank you both. I'm new to canister filters, so maybe I should look into the 2075/73 too if they are easier to maintain.
Joined
·
12,428 Posts
Warning? Higher prices ahead!
But I do love them so much.
But I do love them so much.
Joined
·
5 Posts
Ouch on the price. I think I will have to stick with classics 😉. Amazon has them for $138 each right now. My LFS has them for $189 and would set them up for me. Is it that difficult to figure out?
Joined
·
12,428 Posts
In most ways, not at all but then there are some major hangups that I read about pretty often. The biggest, most frequent is easy to see how it happens but also easy to avoid. It makes restarts after cleaning easier to do if the tubing is run without leaving droops in them where water can collect. That can make getting the canister filled right after cleaning real headache. Just run the tubing more or less in a upslope all the way so that water runs down and air goes up and out. Doesn't have to be straight but just not up/down like a roller coaster?
Then the second problem seems to be the directions on HOW to turn the nuts tight on the canister and cutoffs. They turn opposite than most screw/bolts we tighten. Turn them clockwise to move the nut fully down on the fitting, then push the tubing on and turn the nuts opposite of normal to tighten them to hold the tubing. Simple if you are not the normal mechanic type that knows which way to turn things to tighten them!! But if you are a guy that's used to doing it all the time, it just seems wrong and the directions are not clear on that.
I would not expect you to have much trouble once you get past those and do a good read of the directions. One thing people complain about is that the directions come ina more different languages that I even knew about. That makes them seem really difficult just because there are so many sections to ignore to get to the one we can read.
One way to spend a bit of time and get to know the filter is reading the online manual. Harder than having the filter in front of you but you can get a feel for what things should do?
Manual here?
Eheim Classic External Canister Filter
Check page three item "G" for the tubing and nuts I described? It's all drawings and some miss the fine points of which way to turn the nuts.
There are also lots of U-tube videos but then I never really trust those as you don't really know how the guy operates. He may be an expert or he may only just have a new camera!
Then the second problem seems to be the directions on HOW to turn the nuts tight on the canister and cutoffs. They turn opposite than most screw/bolts we tighten. Turn them clockwise to move the nut fully down on the fitting, then push the tubing on and turn the nuts opposite of normal to tighten them to hold the tubing. Simple if you are not the normal mechanic type that knows which way to turn things to tighten them!! But if you are a guy that's used to doing it all the time, it just seems wrong and the directions are not clear on that.
I would not expect you to have much trouble once you get past those and do a good read of the directions. One thing people complain about is that the directions come ina more different languages that I even knew about. That makes them seem really difficult just because there are so many sections to ignore to get to the one we can read.
One way to spend a bit of time and get to know the filter is reading the online manual. Harder than having the filter in front of you but you can get a feel for what things should do?
Manual here?
Eheim Classic External Canister Filter
Check page three item "G" for the tubing and nuts I described? It's all drawings and some miss the fine points of which way to turn the nuts.
There are also lots of U-tube videos but then I never really trust those as you don't really know how the guy operates. He may be an expert or he may only just have a new camera!
Joined
·
2,406 Posts
Joined
·
520 Posts
Kensfish has the 2215 and 2217 cheaper than anyone else with free shipping Eheim 2217 Canister Filter
I bought both of my 2217'stuff from them and the shipping packages were done with peace of mind. I would highly recommend buying from them.
I bought both of my 2217'stuff from them and the shipping packages were done with peace of mind. I would highly recommend buying from them.
Joined
·
12,428 Posts
One big item when shopping filters is that the best time and place to buy will change almost daily. For best value, I find constant looking in the months ahead of buying will give me a good read on the low current price and then when I'm truly ready, I can recognize the best value. What's best today, may be gone tomorrow!
Joined
·
5 Posts
Thank you all for your input. I ended up buying 2 - 2217's from Big Als. About $137 each, then 10% off my total order, and free shipping. I'm concerned now about the 4ft hose sections mentioned. Is that often a problem?
Joined
·
7,562 Posts
2 x 4' should work just fine unless your tank is set up pretty high. Worst case you can always buy clear 1/2" ID tubing at your local hardware store, ~$8 for 10'.
@PlantedRich: I use both 2217 and 2275. I like 2217 for their thinner tubing and pipes. Otherwise, even at some $50+ price difference, 2075 is a pleasure to use. I have been running 2 of them on a 60g for 5+ years with a single problem. Apperently, I ended up with "pre mass release" versions that had a manufacturing defect, resulting in a leak at the head, after the 3 year warranty run out. A call to Eheim resulted in 2 complete heads (including impeller, extra gaskets, hose disconnect etc.) expressed shipped to me for each defective one. At 0 cost.
@PlantedRich: I use both 2217 and 2275. I like 2217 for their thinner tubing and pipes. Otherwise, even at some $50+ price difference, 2075 is a pleasure to use. I have been running 2 of them on a 60g for 5+ years with a single problem. Apperently, I ended up with "pre mass release" versions that had a manufacturing defect, resulting in a leak at the head, after the 3 year warranty run out. A call to Eheim resulted in 2 complete heads (including impeller, extra gaskets, hose disconnect etc.) expressed shipped to me for each defective one. At 0 cost.
1 - 13 of 13 Posts
Join the discussion
