# filling media in an eheim classic



## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

I came across the very useful site below about setting up an eheim classic.

http://www.rexgrigg.com/Eheim%20Classic ... ctions.htm

I'm interested in people on this forum's experiences with deviating from the recommended ratios of the various media for an eheim to emphasize mechanical or biological filtration. I know some folks dispense with trying to set up biological filtration in the filter altogether and just use their can for mechanical filtration, while others strictly adhere to Eheim's suggestions and the cannister becomes primarily a biological filter.

What I'm trying to figure out for myself is what factors should I be considering if I want to not follow Eheim recommendations but not go as far as filling the cannister with filter floss? Can I have more mechanical filtration to keep the water clearer (I know this could mean more frequent filter maintenance) if the bioload the filter is supporting is fairly moderate while still putting some emphasis on biological filtration (just less than what Eheim suggests)? I'll have a 2262 on a 125 gallon tank with about 25-30 mbuna (which seems like a moderate load for my set-up).


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Fmueller uses mostly floss in his 2260, link here

I use a combination of Eheim EhfiMech (as 1st layer) and Poret foam (cut to size) and floss or quilt batting (as 2nd/3rd layers) with SubstratPro media as final layer for biomedia.

I do change up my media choices from time to time to see what works the best for my tanks and also just to try new media types. The only 2 products that I always use is the Ehfimech in a 2" to 4" layer as the 1st coarse media and the Ehfi Substrat Pro (about 1L, in a media bag) as the bio media. Though I did recently set up a 3rd 2260 but I used Seachem Pond Matrix as my bio media. I haven't opened that filter yet to see what it looks like.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I haven't pickud up my 2262 yet but, I was thinking of using ehfimech on the bottom, then a layer of foam (like in the 2217's), then matrix or pond matrix, and finally pillow batting, maybe top it off with some purigen. If I decide to focus more on mechanical filtration, I will probably use more ehfimech than usual and vise versa for biological. Deeda, was there a reason you chose pond matrix over reg. matrix?


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Noddy, the Pond Matrix is just larger in size and was considerably cheaper than using the regular Matrix.

Also, the Ehfimech only traps the large debris, such as plant pieces & chunks of debris, so I don't think it would be any advantage to increase the recommended amount that Eheim suggests.

Dee


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Thanks for the reply Deeda.
Wouldn't adding more ehfimech just prevent the matrix from clogging up as quickly?
And does the larger sized pond matrix mean that it doesn't seat together as tightly, therefore resulting in more bypass? 
How much matrix and ehfimec did you need to get your filter filled?
Sorry for all the questions, I just want to order the right stuff all at once.
P.S I'll will be picking one up on wednesday probably.


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

Deeda said:


> The only 2 products that I always use is the Ehfimech in a 2" to 4" layer as the 1st coarse media and the Ehfi Substrat Pro (about 1L, in a media bag) as the bio media.


Deeda, I'm curious about the amounts you've mentioned. I've been playing with the amounts in my filter and now have (bottom to top) about 3" of Ehfimech (5L), a couple of inches of EhfiFix, a layer of filter floss, and then about 7-8L of Ehfi Substrat in a media bag. I'm surprised that you are only using 1L of Substrat Pro. Shouldn't there be more?

I'm hoping that with the set-up I've described above I'll have better mechanical filtration than is usual for this filter while still retaining enough biofiltration for my needs. What do you think?

Thanks.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Actually, the Eheim instructions for the 2260/2262 suggests the following setup using Eheim media:
Ehfi Mech - use as the First layer in a 3 - 5 cm (1.5" to 2") thick layer. The hollow ceramic material traps coarse debris & the shape of the media creates eddies so as not to reduce water flow.

Ehfi Substrat or Substrat Pro - use as the Second layer, placed in the net media bag, as the main mechanical-biological filtration media.

Ehfi Fix (green grass) - use as the Third layer in a 2cm to 4cm (1.5" to 2") thick layer. This is also for coarse cleaning.

Eheim does not recommend using cotton wool or similar products because they soon become clogged due to the high flow rate through the filter.

Now, to answer some of your questions. I have only purchased 1 brand new 2260 and I filled it exactly as suggested in the owners manual, and I really don't remember the exact amounts of media I used.

I wasn't very impressed with the Ehfi Fix (green grass) so I discontinued using it. I instead substituted various other products for doing the mechanical filtering. I have used quilt batting that was 1/2" thick. I have also purchased Poret foam in both 10 PPI and 20 PPI and cut the media to fit snugly in the canister.

There are so many options when deciding what to use as your media that I don't think there really is a wrong way as long as you follow the basics. Since the inlet is at the bottom of the filter, always start with a coarse material to trap the larger particles and yet not reduce the water flow. You can then add progressively finer mechanical media to trap the smaller particles. By placing your bio media last, it will stay cleaner longer.

Noddy, as Zimmy stated, 5L of Ehfimech gets you to the 3" thick layer that Eheim suggests. I am not really concerned with any bypass once the water reaches the Pond Matrix or the Ehfi Substrat Pro. Hopefully, the majority of the dirt will be trapped in your mechanical media.

Zimmy, it sounds like you have yours filled about right but then there really is no wrong way , as long as you follow the basic recommendations. I really don't remember how much Substrat Pro I have in my filters.

Now, let my explain some particular details about what tanks I have these filters on.

On my 220 gallon Mbuna tank, I am using one Eheim 2260, one Eheim 2262 and two AC 110 filters. I have a large amount of rocks in this tank and a sand substrate. The fish are Labidochromis Caeruleus and Melanochromis joanjohnsonae, two Pimolodeus catfish and one large Pleco. The tank has been setup since 2004 and both the Mbuna's are prolific breeders and I have been too lazy to remove excess fish so I increased the filtration to compensate for the additional fish load. I also do weekly water changes of 50% to keep the nitrates low.

On my 125 gallon tank, I am using one Eheim 2260 and one FX5. This tank is lightly stocked with 20 Cyprichromis Kerenge, 4 Lepidolamprologus hecqui, 6 Syno. Petricolas and 6 Aulonocara peacocks (to be removed soon). The tank has a real rock background, driftwood, rocks and is planted with giant Hygrophila & Anubias nana.

I have a lot of surfaces in the tank for the good bacteria to grow on and my water flow is good because I have 2 large canisters on each of these tanks. I may not need all that filtration capacity but it does allow me some leeway when cleaning one filter at a time & also gives some redundancy if a filter should fail.

I think you both have a good grasp on what you may need for your particular setup based on the questions you are asking. You really don't need to purchase all the media the filter can hold at one time and you may find out over time that you may need to add more mechanical or bio media based on your stocking decisions. I don't know what type of fish each of you are deciding to keep but when you do get into specifics, start a new thread with what you plan on keeping & include any other equipment + tank size.

I hope I haven't made this post too long & confused anybody any further than what was necessary. Everybody seems to have a preferred media they like to use & usually brand name media is more expensive than what we can come up with doing it DIY.

Dee


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Some great information here, thanks Dee, and thanks zimmy for getting this all started.


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