# 2x Eheim Classic 2217 good for 120g tank?



## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm researching canister filters for my next project. I've read reviews, these seem like very well liked filters. As far as I can tell, they have 1 big basket I can put in just about any media that fits, and I can use media I can rinse out and keep using (thats what I like the best about my filtration - easy maintenance that doesn't incur recurring costs).

Would 2 of these work well for a 120g mbuna tank (4x2x2)? Will they provide enough flow for mechanical filtration and do a good job sucking up detritus, or would I maybe need to add a powerhead to keep the detritus suspended until it gets sucked in?

I'm thinking about getting 1 of these and running it on my 55g, and then when I get the bigger tank I can get the second one but already have the first one cycled.

Would also be interested in hearing about other options, pros and cons, rules of thumbs for canisters, etc. I've used HOB's and sumps and know what I would need there but don't know a lot about canisters.

Thanks!


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## Sub-Mariner (Dec 7, 2011)

Id get a single FX5. I didnt like my 2217s at all. They were terrible at mechanical filtration and thats with powerheads helping out and everytime I would do a large water change and lost the siphon from the water falling below the intake, it was a pain in butt to get it going again. Before setting them up I read so many threads about people having a hard time priming / re-priming so I splurged a little and got Eheims universal intake / spraybar that had the twist off top that was supposed to make priming them "easy" but it wasnt easy at all.

Theyre both sitting in my garage. I got a FX5 for my 125g and 55g and havent looked back since. Primings a non-issue, its better than 2x: 2217 and its a BEAST! If either of my FX5s ever fail, I have several other HOB filters that I can throw the media in until I get the new part for them so I dont see the need to run 2 filters on my tank. Id rather enjoy my fish than see all those extra intakes / outputs / spraybars.

Just my .02.


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## fubu56 (Aug 23, 2008)

I love my Eheim 2217's, I have 4 and also a 2262. I've been using these for years and I think they are a breeze to maintain and I would NOT trade them for anything. That being said I have one 2217 on my 110 tall tank along with two AC 110's and I think this combo is perfect. I clean my 2217 about every 6 months or so and the AC 110's usually every 2 weeks. The thing I like about this combo is that the AC 110's are so easy to clean quickly and they tend to pick up more of the floating debris. My intake on the 2217 is the deepest so I keep the 110's about mid tank depth, my tank is 29" deep and I never turn my AC 110's off during cleaning. I do turn the 2217 off when I clean it but it has the quick dis-connects and I think the re-start is very easy.
Maybe you could work out a deal with the sub-mariner and pick up his Eheims , I would grab them in a heartbeat.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Eheim 2262 are supposed to be pretty nice. Could also go with the FX5. I am still trying to decide between the two.


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## Sub-Mariner (Dec 7, 2011)

I was looking into the 2262 before I bought my FX5. I didnt mind paying more for the 2262 but I wanted the better mechanical canister between the two. When I was researching them it seemed from the reviews *** read, even from people having owned both filters, that the FX5 did a better job of mechanical filtration. The FX5 holds enough biomax to handle the bio-load in my tanks so Im perfectly happy with them.

If you do go with a FX5 you should really make a spraybar for it. :thumb:


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## zimmy (Aug 13, 2010)

This is a useful review comparing the FX5 with an Eheim product. After my research I bought a 2262 and have now had it for almost a year. It's a great filter but agree that it could be better at mechanical filtration. It's not that hard to prime but probably not as easy as an FX5.

My 110G is very heavily stocked at the moment so I'm about to add a 2217 (loaded with just filter floss) to the tank.


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## areuben (Jul 17, 2003)

Rhinox, to answer your question, yes the 2 x 2217 will do a great job for you - upsides are tops in dependability, flexible cannister media setup and wit 2 filters running you have more flexibility in alternating cleanings, removing a filter short-term to use elsewhere, etc. I use several 2217, 2260 and 2262 - they are terrific units but between a choice of 1 large can or 2 smaller I would opt for the 2 units. And for your 4 foot 120, plenty of output on the 2217 - these units have proven themselves over decades of use
Good luck


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## prov356 (Sep 20, 2006)

I'd stick with sumps, myself for lots of reasons. Open systems have many advantages over closed systems. Eheims are great filters, if you go that route.


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## areuben (Jul 17, 2003)

I agree on the sump and its simplicity. I run sumps on my larger tanks - and cleaning is a breeze - change out my floss and rinse my sponge mat once a week at water change time and that's it. I use fluidized bed set-ups and they never need servicing. My longest continuous running sump has been going for about 10 years and I have never ever had to touch the FB. The only thing requiring service on my system is a pump cleaning every 3-4 years due to mineral build-up and the pump starting to overheat a little. I keep a back-up pump, change it out and send the other in for a cleaning/rebuild as necessary. On the Eheim classic cans, Rhinox can make cleaning quicker/easier by using a media bag for the bio media, but either way, the classics are very easy to service and the honking big gasket at the motor head lasts forever if you keep it lubed. It really is a great, simple design and with the double-taps, you prime the can at start up and never have to again. And that first priming is very simple - set up the can as it would be ready to run - disconnect the output hose at the double-tap and suck on the hose coming from the can and reconnect the double as soon as you hear the water running into the can (leave the double tap levers all open) - the can will fill in about 30 seconds and that should be the last time you need to do it.


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## Bevo5 (Mar 19, 2004)

Sumps are really awesome for a lot of reasons, but not always practical based on what your situation may be.

For my large tank I went with a 2262 and an fx5. Also have a 2217 on there but that's just for fun more than anything since it barely sucks anything up.

I have to say the 2262 is a beast, but the fx5 is easier to maintain. Not that the 2262 is all that hard. With the quick disconnects it's just a matter of opening it up and putting it back together. But the fx5 is a bit easier in that the disconnects are on top and easy to access.

The 2262 is also twice as expensive once you buy all that media. So for my money I'd go for the fx5.


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

ahhhhh too many options!

I appreciate the benefits of a sump and its not out of the question (actually its probably still the most likely scenario), I was mostly just researching what it would take to sufficiently filter a 120g tank with solely canisters, in the opinion of those of you here who have used canisters anyways.

I don't quite understand how an Fx5 really works. I don't understand the foam around the outside of the basket. What is the flow path?


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## aquariam (Feb 11, 2010)

The Eheim Classic isn't designed to be a mechanical filter and it's not good at it. If you did get 2 2217s you'd need something else for mechanical.

The FX5 is much better at mechanical due to the internal design and the higher suction force. I'd still put a HOB there for redundancy. Why have 1 when you can have 2. Say one dies- your whole biofilter isn't going up in flames, just part of it. Salvagable. Maybe FX5+AC110. As was mentioned the AC110 is big, it picks stuff up, and it's easier to clean than pretty much anything else. You don't really do anything other than lift the media out, service X and Y and then slide it back down. The FX5 has a very different and creative sort of internal setup where water goes to the outside then gets sucked through sponge onto biomedia so it has sort of an 'internal prefilter' type of system. So does the 2217 with the coarse pads but the FX5 has a much larger area of prefilter which is good for maintaining higher flow between cleanings. Also more internal volume means more space for bacteria which is also good. Nobody ever seems to be upset with their FX5, especially when people get deals on them for 150-200.


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