# Eheim 2217 not removing enough floating stuff in tank!



## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

So I have a 55 gallon lake Tang which is overloaded at the moment (trying to pair off a bunch of juvies). The tank is planted with several crypts and I will be adding some Vallisneria soon as well. Due to the fish and the plants, I get a lot of extra particles floating in the water before they settle on the sand.

I'm running an Eheim 2217 can with the upgraded Eheim intake tube and a 3' DIY PVC spraybar. I have a Koralia 1 powerhead that helps with water flow in the tank. I do 50%+ water changes 3 times weekly. Water parameters are perfect, even with all the fish.

The problem is however, the Eheim just doesn't seem to have the sucking power that my Emperor 400 did. My water is much better now as the Eheim has awesome biological filtration, but seems to be lacking on mechanical. Running my Emperor for several hours after a water change gets the water sparkling clear but I hate having to set it up and letting it run for several hours. It is very noisy compared to my near silent canister.

I'm looking for a quiet, mechanical filtration solution that I can run outside of the tank in addition to my Eheim canister. I have room in the base of my stand. I don't want to do a HOB filter, an UG system, or a powerhead with a prefilter/sponge filter.

I've heard of the diatom filters but find they are mostly for water polishing.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

First off, I would like to suggest that you use this experience to totally disregard the "up to XXX gallon tank" rating that filters offer. To be polite, this rating is not meant for Cichlid keepers... to be blunt, this is an ugly form of manufacturer manipulation...

There is a common suggestion of turning your tanks volume over 10 times per hour. This suggestion is to create sufficient mechanical filtration; biological filtration can be acheived with much lower flow rates.

Your Eheim has a maximum pump performance of 264 gallons per hour and will therefore actually move far less than that. They accept a wide range of media, are well built, function near silent and have several other features making them great filter... it is just highly under sized for your tank...

I would suggest that you add another canister of similar size, although I would not be able to blame you if you were hesitant to add another $175 filter... There are other models in the same range such as the Magnum 350 that sell for much less. They will not be quite as nice as the Eheim, but will work well as an additional mechanical filter.

I would not suggest adding a diatom filter. These are great additions to add to a well filtered tank to create an amazingly filtyered tank, but they will simply clog up extremely quick on a tank with a noticable amount of waste existing in the water column.

I personally love the Magnum 350s or HOTs with the micron cartridge for fine tuned filtration, but I would not suggest you use them with the micron cartridge on your tank as they also will clog up very quickly in a tank in the condition of yours now.

Hope this helps... best of luck


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

I had considered adding another canister filter, as you can never have too much filtration. Unfortunately, I joined the list of unemployed in this country when my company eliminated 50% of its workforce, and another $200 for another Eheim is just not in the budget.

I may look into a Rena XP_ or a Marineland c360, as I have read excellent things about both.

Thanks for the input.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> eliminated 50% of its workforce, and another $200 for another Eheim is just not in the budget


Sorry dude............
I guess it`s not a depression if our elected representatives say it`s not. 
On an overstocked 55, I have a pair of eheim 2236, a pair of Hydor nanos, but was still not happy with debris removal. Loved the bio action, but the water wasn`t as "clean looking" for me. 
I added a cheapo hob, aqua tech 20-40 with a single scour pad for particle trapping. 
That worked for me. 
You said you didn`t want another hob. I didn`t either, but for dollar spent, that was the best solution for me.


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

KaiserSousay said:


> > You said you didn`t want another hob. I didn`t either, but for dollar spent, that was the best solution for me.


I have an emperor 400 and several very tiny HOB units ( I think they are tetras...I just threw them into a box) but I really don't want to have to use them if I don't have to.

I don't mind spending cash on something that will help, as I have already decided that a Rena XP4 will be a purchase several weeks down the road.

Is there something else that can help get rid of floating particles that the 2 cans can't get? It seems that because canisters use a gravity siphon they don't have the "suck" that an HOB has that has to pull the water up into it.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> something else that can help get rid of floating particles


Many swear by their magnum350, or hot250..never had either. Both move pretty decent volumes of water. Others have been using a pump hooked to a "whole house" water filter unit. I have put that to use.as a powered gravel vacuum system. GPH would depend on tubes, head and pump used. 
Pricing of the two systems would be pretty close if you do not have any of the DIY parts on hand..


> I would not suggest adding a diatom filter.


Ditto... 
Great filters, just a bit pricey for me. Even off of ebay. Plus the maintainence hassle. As I understand, this is not a system designed to run 24/7, just for water polishing. 
Just a thought..those china clones,JEBO canisters, seem to be improving. Not the quantity of poor performance, leakage posts from awhile back. 
Like the man said..you pays your money, you takes your chances.


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## fubu56 (Aug 23, 2008)

I have an Eheim 2217 that does a great job in regards to biological filtration, however I run 2 Aqua Clear 110's for the mechanical filtration. I think they are fairly quiet too and do a great job of trapping debris. If you can, run an air stone-tube style under the water return to agitate the surface area of your tank. You can find good deals on them if you shop around including Ebay search. On another note, I have a Jebo canister that I have been running 8 years with no problems, these you can get on Ebay cheap, I would go for the 4 level tray version.

I hope this helps - Lee :thumb:


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

In an attempt to cut down on costs, I think I am going to try sticking two of the little Tetra 5-15 HOB filters that I have accumulated. I was given both of my 10 gallon tanks by moving friends, and each one came with one of these HOBs. I've removed the media and replaced it with a cut to fit Scotch Brite pad. They are free and get a good amount of flow for a tiny HOB. It might be enough to suck the junk out of the tank.

I definitely do not want to go with a cheap Chinese canister knockoff. Not when a small leak could flood my apartment :X I've decided that a Rena XP4 will be my next purchase, although I really don't know how long it will take me to save up the coin


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

Well, the small Tetra Whisper 5-15s were a good idea in theory but they won't fit on the tank due to the larger lip on my 55. I'm not about to cut the lip on the bracing, so it is back into the box for those 5-15s.

After looking around I have found place to purchase another Eheim for $135 shipped, which is about the same price was a Rena XP3. Additionally, the Eheim comes with a full set of media and the Rena does not. While I could do the filter floss cheaply, I have had really good results with the Eheim media combos. I also already have a full set of rebuild kits, replacement impellers, and foam/sponge insert replacements for my existing 2217 can.

My Emperor 400 went back on my tank today. I'm very much considering the purchase of an Aquaclear 110 or 70 and dumping the Emperor on Ebay. The noise is enough to bug me after running just the silent Eheim can for the past year.


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