# Eheim 2217 Priming???



## crisone

Hello,

I have a question on how to prime my Eheim, I have everything set-up and ready to go, just need to add water, but beforehand, so I don't destroy anything, how would I go about priming with my set-up pictured below.

Also, if what I have set-up is incorrectly done, please go ahead and provide info.

Pics:


























Thanks in advance.

Cris.


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## timbruun

Just pre fill your canister with water about 3/4 and start it up is easiest. You might have to shake it a bit once it gets goign to get the final bubbles out.


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## Deeda

Very nice looking tank.

I would recommend a couple changes with the filter setup.
1. Either raise the intake up a couple inches from the sand substrate OR cut the pipe length to accomplish that.
2. Use the slotted green elbow to make the transition over the tank lip. It will slip over the green hose if you slightly compress the hose. This keeps the hose from becoming kinked. Also, use the other green elbow (without the slot) to make the bend inside the tank. Then use a short piece of hose to connect the elbow to your spraybar.

In your 3rd pic, shorten the return hose to eliminate the droop or reposition the canister to eliminate it. Try not to have any stress on the fittings of the canister to avoid future leaks or cracks of the fittings.

I find the filter easier to prime if there is no water in it. Most of the air is evacuated better.
The way I prime the 2217 is to have the filter completely empty of water. Open the intake & output Quick Disconnect fittings so water will flow through them. Temporarily remove the hose to your spraybar and suck on it to draw water from the intake line in your tank. Once the water starts filling the canister, wait until all the air has been evacuated from the filter and the water comes out of the hose that you sucked on. Now connect that hose back to the spraybar & plug the power cord in on the filter.

Please make sure that the holes on the spraybar are facing into the aquarium or you may get water shooting up into the air.

Hope this helps,
Dee


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## crisone

^ Dee...thank you very much for your help, I'll try that later on today.

Thank you as well timbruun.

Cris.


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## dg32

looks good, I just bought a 2217 as well so I'll be using this advice for myself as well


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## PfunMo

I prefer not to suck on hoses. They tend to get nasty. Avoid the sucking by taking the input line to the canister at the disconnect. Take it to a faucet and fill the line with water. Close the hose valve to keep the water in the line by holding the tank end higher than the can end. Return it to the tank and connect to the canister. When you open the valves, the water will run down the tube and fill the can as air is expelled into the tank. When the can is full of air, start the filter.


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## fmueller

Step-by-step instructions for priming Eheim canister filters are here. I don't mind sucking on hoses :wink:

You'll enjoy the 2217. It's a great filter :thumb:

Frank

PS: You might also like an Eheim diffuser

PPS: I'd take about half of the substrate out of that tank. There is no reason you need so much. Even if you want to grow life plants, a layer half that thick will be plenty.


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## zazz

no you really dont need to suck hoses or anything.

1/firstly trurn off taps and remove canister.. the water should remain in the tubes to the tank...this is important.

2/clean out canister.

3/close tap on bottom of canister

4/ fill canister back up with water to the brim..use tank water if need be.

5/put canister top on ..water will spurt out of the top. Close the tap at the top knowing that the canister doesnt have air left inside just water.

6/ Reattach to hoses on the tank.

7/Open up the taps and start the canister.

8/ I t may need a little shake to get going but thats it.

wish someone had told me this when i first got my 2217s ..would have saved me a lot of hassel.


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## dg32

As someone who has never dealt with a canister filter, how much effort is going to be required to get the 2217 going? I guess all the info just sounds confusing right now since I haven't actually received it and taken a look at the insides yet.

edit: are powerheads recommended/required for this filter?


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## zazz

dg32 said:


> As someone who has never dealt with a canister filter, how much effort is going to be required to get the 2217 going? I guess all the info just sounds confusing right now since I haven't actually received it and taken a look at the insides yet.
> 
> edit: are powerheads recommended/required for this filter?


once you understand that the whole setup must be devoid of any air pockets then it should work. To get it going for the first time just syphon from the main tank above and once its starts to flow shut the taps so that the hoses are full of water without air. Then folllow what i said earlier.

one tip is that you ought to cut the hose lengths so that your taps are near to the canister... this makes canister cleans much easier since you arent trailing loads of hose behind you.


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## crisone

Thanks to all for the info.....I'll try one way, and if problems occur, I'll try others. I'll update when I successfully completed the priming to share which method I used.

This is my first Canister coming from Power head/Under gravel.

Cris.


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## fmueller

Best of luck! I've got a 2213 as my very first filter in 1977 at the tender age of 10. That's basically still the same filter Eheim is selling today. I guess they must be doing something right. I have some very small tanks with just sponge filters and a 240G with a DIY sump, but for anything inbetween, I have been using nothing but Eheim classic series filters in over 30 years. From that experience I'd say trying to fill the filter to the top with water and putting the pump head on with water squirting all over the place is a mess, and gives you an about 90% chance of the pump starting up without a hitch. Filling the filter by siphon as described in my instructions has a near 100% success rate, and there is no mess. Take your pick 

Frank


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## zazz

fmueller said:


> water squirting all over the place is a mess


 for sure.. but normally i do my canister changes in the bathroom which is set up for a little water spillage.. but yeah if your using the livingroom carpet then stay away from my method.

also i dont really want to put my mouth where fish water has been and possibly getting a gulp.. so sucking to get the siphon going is something i dont miss doing anymore. :wink:

by the way fmueller ..your website and your tanks rock!! amazing read.


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## PfunMo

Maybe the explanations are not good here. It's fairly simple. If the input hose to the can is full of water and the top end is in the tank water, that water will run downhill into the can as soon as it can force the air out. The air goes out the output hose into the tank when all the valves are open. The water will flow from the tank, down the hose into the can and up the output hose until it reaches the tank water level. At that point almost all air is gone from the system. Turn on the filter and the filter starts. The rest of the air will be pumped out and replaced by water.


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## zazz

PfunMo said:


> The water will flow from the tank, down the hose into the can and up the output hose until it reaches the tank water level.


so the water flows down and then back up again all by itself ... sounds like you have just invented perpetual motion ... :wink: now i really am confused.


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## Malawi_G

I only have two words for ya...."SUCK IT".........  . The easiest way to prime this filter without damaging it is to suck on on the outtake pipe, it's not that nasty since it's new and your water is still tap water, You could wrap the outside of the pipe with cleanex if you want..that's what i do.....


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## crisone

Pardon my ignorance.....but this is all done when the Filter is off??? Then once the water starts to run through, turn the Filter on???

Thanks to all in advance.

Cris.


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## fmueller

crisone said:


> Pardon my ignorance.....but this is all done when the Filter is off???


Yes. You only want to turn the filter on when it's completely filled with water. The magnetic drive pumps used in most canister filters are dead silent, suffer virtually no wear, and are super energy efficient, which makes them ideal for aquarium purposes. However, they have one downfall, when the impeller area is filled with air the pump can not expel that air by itself and it will not start. That's why you have to get all the air out of the filter, and especially the impeller area, before you start it. All kinds of gizmos have been devised to do that for you, but you can save a bunch of money and go with a simpler filter if you can take care of this simple task by yourself.

As far as sucking on a hose goes, I can't get over what fuss people make about it. I guess I am a country boy, but the water can't be that bad if there are healthy fish in it! I wouldn't necessarily drink from my tanks, and with some practice you can get a siphon going without taking a gulp, but I bet there is a better chance you get a rash from eating a store bought apple you didn't wash properly to remove all the pesticides than from taking a gulp of tank water. Just my 2c.

Frank


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## zazz

i suppose there are two types of eheim users.. the suckers and the squeesers :wink:


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## crisone

^ Haha, I'll be a "sucker" first......and thanks again Frank.

Cris.


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## Deeda

I also don't have any issue with the occasional fish water ingestion & it doesn't happen that often.

BTW, the only time I use this method for filter priming is when the canister is devoid of water, such as on initial installation or after a filter AND hose cleaning. During regular filter maintenance, I just unplug the filter cord, close the Quick Disconnect taps and remove the filter for cleaning in the laundry room. The intake & output hoses are still primed with water so there is no need to suck on the hoses to prime the canister.


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## dg32

Not sure how crisone is doing with his 2217 set up, but I received my filter in the mail today. I washed the inside of the canister, filter media/pads, and put them back in the canister. I did take deeda's advice and decided to cut the plastic pipe that connects to the intake about 3-4 inches (using the serrated knife from my Leatherman multitool) so that it wouldn't be so close to the substrate. One thing I didn't do is use the small elbow, but when I get off work in the morning I will probably set it up the way deeda mentioned. Then I will prime it according to fmueller's instructions located on his website and see how it goes. One thing I don't like is how the green stands out against the rest of the background which is all black.


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## PfunMo

Suck it if you like. It may be new now but are you just going to throw it away when the tubing gets dirty sometime in the next few years? Myself, I have seen what waterborne parasites do to folks in SE Asia. I'll not be a sucker for that reason. Some of my best fish come from places where I do not drink the water. Getting a three foot long tapeworm out of your interior is not fun to most folks.


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## Deeda

You can always use black spray paint made for plastics to paint the tubing. Krylon Fusion is one brand that has been used successfully. Lightly scuff the green tubing with sandpaper, wipe or wash the grit off, then use an alcohol dipped cloth to wipe off any remaining residue, let dry and paint away. A couple light coats works better than a heavy coat of paint.


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## dg32

OK so I'm home now and got it set up, everything's running perfectly. It's beyond easy to create suction by siphoning the tube two or three times for about 3 seconds each time and just catching the water in a bucket once all the air is gone. Many thanks to all who offered advice!


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## Deeda

I'm glad the filter setup went well for you and thanks for letting us know how it went.


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## crisone

dg32 said:


> OK so I'm home now and got it set up, everything's running perfectly. It's beyond easy to create suction by siphoning the tube two or three times for about 3 seconds each time and just catching the water in a bucket once all the air is gone. Many thanks to all who offered advice!


Nice...I might be running it today, so to get things straight, since I'll be doing dee's steps, you would obviously know when the air is all out, correct??? And after that, did you direct the hose into your tank so the remaining water flowed in??? My apologies with the questions, I just want to run it correctly.

Thanks.

Cris.


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## Deeda

When you get a full flow of water from the output hose (that attaches to the spray bar) without any major air bubbles, that is when the filter is primed properly. You would direct the flow of water into your tank. You can then either reconnect the hose to the spraybar with the power on or you can hold the hose in the tank and unplug the filter.

The 1st time I set this filter up, I just directed the flow into the tank. But after doing this a number of times, I find the easiest way is similar to dg32's method above. I installed the Q.D. on the intake & output hoses short enough to allow easy handling of the filter for maintenance but long enough to be able to use a pail as a catch basin for priming the filter.

Here is a pic of the output Q.D.










I just direct the Q.D. into a pail after briefly sucking on the Q.D. to begin drawing water into the filter.

Hope this helps explain better.
Dee

Just ignore the labels on the pic as they were for my step-by-step guide for filter maintenance. They don't apply for this particular post.


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## crisone

^ Thanks again dee......

Cris.


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## crisone

Okay....everything seems to be fine, water is flowing, now, can the spray bar be submerged???

Cris.


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## frozennorth

Here is a great post about maintenance of the 2217. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=265051 You can't get a much more detailed instruction than that. It was after reading that post a few months ago that I decided to go with the eheim classics 2217. Just don't let your filters get that dirty.


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## dg32

crisone said:


> Okay....everything seems to be fine, water is flowing, now, can the spray bar be submerged???
> 
> Cris.


FWIW I have my spray bar submerged, it was making crazy bubbled when it was above the water level.


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## jpn8801

Okay, I have the same filter and this is what I do-

The easiest way is to turn both valve's on to the intake then leave the other hose disconnected, (that goes to the spray bar) turn on the valve to the spray bar as well as the one coming from the top of your Eheim 2217, then inhale on the hose coming from the top of your eheim....now its starting to fill your cannister with water, connect that valve to the other thats going to your spray bar grab the plug to the eheim, make sure your ready to plug it in, then Listen...... once you hear a gurgle... plug it in.

PRIMED AND GOING


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## Deeda

I do keep my spraybar submerged to avoid the noise. You can install it in various configurations to suit your particular needs. I keep it fully below the tank water level and then rotate the bar so the holes face the direction I want.

The link that frozennorth posted is actually mine and he is correct about how nasty that filter looked. In my defense, that filter was located on a 220G heavily stocked Mbuna tank, along with an Eheim 2262 and two AC110's. BTW, that 2217 was cleaned every 1-1/2 to 2 months so it did acquire a lot of debris. It has now been replaced by an additional 2260 and relocated to another tank.


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## crisone

Thanks to all again, I actually submerged it after I asked the question, so all is good.

Cris.


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## LSBoost

You can submerged it and then face it up a bit to move surface water and get some oxygen in for the tank.


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## zazz

i took off the sparybars on my two 2217s.. i considered them to be a constriction to flow.. and supplemented with a couple of surface powerheads.


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## tranced

you can buy a hard plastic tube shaped like a shepards crook, i would use this to hook up my spraybar. you can see one HERE or even better, ditch the spraybar and use a jet/diffusor thingie. pretty easy to make one yourself. there is even a version of the pipe i linked that has a crimped end. you can see it at the bottom of that page, theyve called it a 'wide diffusor'

if you happen to use a rena smart filter you can ust it instead of the standard eheim inlet by cutting the intake tubing. i made a thread on it HERE

since the heater is black, the eheim is now pretty much invisible in my tank with black background.

other than the ugly green inlet, the filter is superb though, my favourite cannister


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