A guide to setup, maintenance, tips and tricks - by RyanR Hi all, I've had a search of the forums, and there are similar topics, but I figured with the popularity of these filters, I'd share my tips and tricks of using one (2213, but applies to all Classic filters) and the things I've learned. Positioning of the tubes So my philosophy on water filtration is as follows: Water enters the tank from the top and travels around the aquarium, then gets sucked back into the filter from the bottom, therefore: 1. Intake Tube (with strainer) Note: the intake tube connects to the bottom connection on the canister I position mine with the bottom of the strainer about 1.5cm (0.5"-0.75") above the substrate. If I had a sand substrate, I would raise this to 2.5/3cm (1-1.5") above the sand to reduce the chances of sand entering the filter and damaging it. 2. Return Tube (spray bar) Mine is positioned across the back of the aquarium, and sprays water from the back to the front. You could also run it length ways. The spray bar is positioned about 5cm (2") below the water surface, and is angled toward the surface, just enough to create movement on the surface. There is no need to have it 'splashing' water back. I position it there so that with evaporation, I don't get splashing, maintaining a more silent tank. Note: it is only necessary to have the surface moving/rippling to conduct gas exchange. Splashing does not help, and can upset some of the more peaceful species. 3. Canister location The filter relies on gravity to feed the water to the canister, contrary to popular belief, the pump/impeller does not suck water out of the tank per say, it only forces it back up the tube. With gravity in mind, the canister must be located below the aquarium to ensure optimum siphon effects. Note: pay attention to the hMax rating, this is the total height that the filter can return water to (generally 1.5m, or 5ft) Flow Control If you find your filter is producing too strong a current, the best advice is to take the spray bar and drill the holes wider. This is similar to the effect of putting your finger over the end of a hose, the smaller you make the hole, the greater the pressure it comes out, as you release your finger, the pressure is much less. Arrangement of media The Eheim canisters work on a bottom to top system - this means that the water enters the bottom and travels up the filter and returns to the aquarium. So how should you consider this when deciding on media layout, well the first thing you want to happen is for the water to be pre-filtered, then mechanical, then biological, then polished, and finally chemical (if required). The image below shows (what I believe) the most efficient layout of media in the Classics. (Note: the descriptions on the right are in the reverse order to how it appears in the canister - pay attention to the numbers, you can't go wrong) Carbon in the Classic - Carbon is generally considered unnecessary unless you are trying to clear odours, discolourations or medicines. If you require carbon in your filter, I suggest placing it on top of the white filter floss (it also makes it easier to remove ) Understand your Classic - noises The Eheim Classic filters are super silent, and in my experience, there are two types of noises made by the Eheim Classic. 1. Water Rushing sounds - normally indicates the presence of air in the system. This can be alleviated by gently rotating the canister on its sides until all the air is expelled. What causes this? The most obvious cause is during maintenance and allowing air into the system. Secondly, it could be a sign of a fatiguing o-ring, or a small air leak from one of the connections. 2. A 'rattling' sound - it sounds almost like the little impeller inside is banging against the sides. What I suggest you do is first - with the power still on, turn off (or partly turn off) one of the taps. If the rattling gets worse (louder), then there is most likely something blocking and/or inhibiting the flow on one or both water paths. I recommend doing this anyway, so you learn what the sound of restricted flow sounds like What causes this? Most likely, this is caused as a result of the impeller being 'starved' of water. 1st : broken impeller or impeller shaft, check and replace if necessary 2nd, check your strainer on the intake - is it all blocked up? Yes - clear the strainer see if that helps. 3rd, and most likely, clogged tubes and pipes. Take a look at the tubes, are they all brown and 'gunky'? Yes - get the pipe cleaning brush out and fully clean all hoses, including plastic tubes. Rinse with hot water to remove any last pieces of 'gunk'. 4th, blocked inlet/outlet on the canister - use a pipe cleaner brush to clean out the inlets/outlets. 5th, blocked media sponges. Check your blue coarse sponge, and clean in old tank water or dechlorinated water if necessary/ Check your white filter floss sponges - are they 'black'? replace if necessary. Maintenance Generally, the Classic filters are easy on maintenance. This will depend on your tank though. A good indication your filter is in need of a clean-out is when the flow rate slows to nothing more than a trickle. 1. Replacing media I only replace the white filter floss sponge, I do this once every 6-8wks. Your mileage will vary. The rest of the media is only rinsed in old tank water. 2. Cleaning pipes I have only had to do this once in 4 months of owning it. I wait until the filter starts making the rattling noise. 3. Cleaning media Again, I only do this once every 6-8wks, your mileage will vary. Whilst the Classic filters have a back flow (reverse flow) cleaning function, I personally prefer to remove the media from the media basket and rinse in old aquarium water. I find this to be more effective.
Fun Facts: *Takashi Amano use Eheim Classic filters in his Gallery and chose this very design for the ADA Super Jet filters that soon after was copied by brands such as NATURAL AQUARIO and the more recent CHIHIROS brand out of China. *Eheim Classic Impellers are interchangeable (for example) between models 2211(150)-2213(250) and 2215(350)-2217(600) The only difference between impellers are the number of blades. The 2211 (example) has three blades, whereas the 2213 (example) has six - and from this came about the flow mod. By replacing the stock impeller with impeller of the model up one can get a reasonable increase in flow, while still working with the same wattage pump and rpm. Thanks to the extra blade\s on the impeller, it's able to push more water per rotation. One of the very first Eheim Classic models: https://www.eheim.com/en_GB/company/history/year-1-6-till-1-6
Hi guys. This is the first time I have turned on my Eheim which I bought second hand. I have been running a sump since I started the hobby so am fairly unfamiliar with the strange sounds coming from the canister. The canister is running very loudly which I though might be some trapped air but I have tilted shaken and rocked every bit but it still runs loudly. Might it be an issue with the impeller?
Thanks for the thread @RC. The Classic filters are such a solid bet.. In my experience it helps a lot to thoroughly check all tubing for blockages during each and every canister cleaning, often I get gunk bunching right up against the tap connectors and constricting flow. The first time I noticed this and sorted it out, was amazed at the flow rate I was getting again, and it made a huge difference to the health of my tank which had been sorta on a slow decline. For what it's worth, I've since added an Eheim prefilter into the tank, which makes maintenance of the canister itself a whole bunch easier. Only thing is, the prefilter is a bit large and can be very obvious unless you hide it well. Otherwise, can firmly recommend these filters.
Another thing often overlooked (and this applies to most filters) is that the ceramic shaft may not be snugly inserted into rubber grommets on both ends.
Hi guys, i have a eheim 2235 - after a routine cleaning i plugged the filter in and the thing has started to make a very very loud noise, sounding like rattling and vibrating. Yet it is still pumping properly (Flow rate) The top of the filter doesn't seem to be sitting on the canisters body as tight as it usually doing. Does anyone know what to do ?
