# How often should I clean my Eheim?



## FishGraves (Jan 3, 2009)

Its a 2217, on a 55gal tank.
Also have a HOB filter on the tank and one Koralia powerhead.
Currently stocks 14 fish... all about 2-4 inches.

The tank looks great, no issues at all... just wondering.


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## non_compliance (Dec 4, 2008)

I recently took my eheim 2028 apart after running it for about 3 months. I do weekly (maybe 1.5 week) water changes, and syphon all the gravel each time. I have about 25 fish in a 75gal tank....

I wished i hadnt' taken it apart because it wasn't very dirty. I was expecting it to be DISGUSTINGLY dirty. I rinsed it in some syphoned out tank water and yeah, it turned the water brown and all, but it wasn't just covered in sludge like I was thinking. I"m going to shoot for 5 months this time... heh...


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## Toby_H (Apr 15, 2005)

In my opinion if a filter isn't getting dirty then it isn't doing what I want it to do...


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

Eheim recommends every six months, so i do that. I don't have a HOB to help mine out but I'm a religious vacuumer and I don't believe too much poop gets into the filter before I get to it.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I use lots of 2217's, and used to wait until the flow was reduced before cleaning. 
I now realize that this just leaches nitrates back into the tank, so I now shine a flashlight on the filter and clean it when the fine white pad needs replacing (when it swells up).


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## Galloyien (Jun 22, 2009)

I use a 2128. I waited 3 months to clean it. HUGE mistake! That was the nastiest smell I've had the pleasure of smelling in all my life. I have a 150g with 17 3" fish. From now on I clean that thing monthly. I clean my tank once a week. 25-30% water change.


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

I clean my eheim pro 2222's & 2228's out once every 4 weeks. 4 filters, so 1 each week. I just did one today as it was an RDO for me. I pull the filter completely apart and clean everything in a tub of tank water.

Eheim makes a good hose cleaner, but it would be easy to make one yourself. It's a small twisted bristle head on a long length of nylon wire. You feed the wire through the hose untill it comes out the other end, then pull the brush through the hose. Two cleanings and the hose looks brand new.

I then pull the filter head/motor apart and scrub all the parts with a tooth brush. It's not much, I pull the impeller out and clean it, then the impellar shaft and then clean the section it all goes in.

I also do two 40% to 50% water changes on each tank each week and vacuum as much waste up as I can each time.


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## KaiserSousay (Nov 2, 2008)

> I then pull the filter head/motor apart and scrub all the parts with a tooth brush. It's not much, I pull the impeller out and clean it, then the impellar shaft and then clean the section it all goes in.
> 
> I also do two 40% to 50% water changes on each tank each week and vacuum as much waste up as I can each time.


I want to come back as one of your fish  
I`ll be the one in the back, mouthing "Thank You"


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## DeadFishFloating (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks *KaiserSousay*.

I like my fish to be happy. But it's easy for me with only 3 small tanks, 2 fry tanks and a grow out tank. Water changes, tank vac's and cleanings, and filter cleaning are my stress relief. Sitting in front of my tanks and watching happy fish is my wind down after work.


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

I cleaned mine every three months but it may depend on how many fish and how often you do water changes. I had three Eheims in my 180 gallon tank.


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## vaypourus (May 20, 2008)

My Eheim 2217 on my 55 has received one cleaning in about 9 months. Eheim recommends every 6 months. During my first 6 month cleaning, however, it was really not as bad as I expected. I might let mine go for another 4-5 months before I clean it again.

I do about 150% water change turnover per week...that might be a contributing factor to the relatively good condition of the filter.


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## fox (Jun 11, 2009)

I own one Pro III and two Pro II's. About twice a year is all the cleaning my filters need and I have one of them in a way overstocked Fancy Goldie tank. I seems I am cleaning a sponge on one of my HOB's every week though.

Mebbe cause I run multiple filters on all my tanks but I wait until the flow is ~75% of what it should be. I disregard the flow meter thingie and pay attention to the surface aggitation from the spray bar. I find I need to clean the hoses more often than the cannisters. YMMV


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