# Eheim Surface Extractor



## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

Anyone used an Eheim Surface Extractor? What is it like? Easy to use? Problems? Results?


----------



## TeeItUp (Mar 18, 2004)

I have always thought of getting one Gem but from the research I have done the Eheim seems finicky. I tried the Fluval (under $9) and it worked fantastic with my 2215. I do not have it on now but I am thinking of re-installing it. It is very easy to adjust and actually does such a great job that it does not need to be set for surface skim for very long before cleaning the surface. As with any surface extractor you will want to turn it off during feedings.
I also look forward to any Eheim feedback as well.


----------



## Wö£fëñxXx (Dec 2, 2003)

I have used one religously for awhile and love it, its a nice addition/tool in my arsenal..
Once you get use to it, you will never go back. It's well worth the $20+.

Problems=none..keep it clean
Results=outstanding, does what it was designed to do.


----------



## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

It will only work with 12/16mm tubing (1/2"). If you use the 16/22mm tubing (3/4"), there's really no practical way to hook it up. It also has its own intake strainer built in - there's no way to detach it. So if you use the prefilter module, the surface extractor won't work with it. I'm also not too fond of the fact that there's no specification of this on any of their advertising.


----------



## fishyboy (Nov 16, 2003)

you coudl always buy a reducer for your 5/8 to hook to 1/2


----------



## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

> If you use the 16/22mm tubing (3/4"), there's really no practical way to hook it up


That is _not _ correct.

I have described the manner of connection for this piece of equipment several times. So many times in fact that I just can't type it in again (at least today  ). Gemleggat, do a search and you will find the method (as described by Eheim) as to how to use a surface extractor with the larger tubing. If you can't find it, let me know and I will laboriously re-enter the process for you! :hihi: 

Mike


----------



## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

Do they make slurping noises?

Can the Eheim one be turned 'off'? Not so sure if TeeItUp meant that was only for the Fluval.


----------



## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

They slurp at times. 

You can turn the surface extractor off if it is installed with a T and you add a ball valve.

Mike


----------



## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

Mike - I looked up your post on T'ing the intakes, but yeah, I'm plenty confused now. I'll save Gemleggat the question and be the one to (politely) ask you to laboriously re-enter the process. 

If anything, what extra parts are needed?


----------



## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

Does using a surface extractor render the normal inlet redundant? Or is it in conjuction with the normal one?

I plan to use it with a eheim 2324 with it.


----------



## Dieni (Nov 18, 2004)

Got one, but I am not using it at the moment, cause its making a lot of noises with my 2026, but it worked great with my older filter.

To attach it to the 3/4" tubing, you just have to remove the piece of pipe that its used to attach it to the 1/2" tubing and connect the 3/4" directly to the extractor main body.


----------



## Gemleggat (Oct 10, 2004)

I've never seen one in my LFS only online, Id like a good pic if anyones got one.


----------



## Rolo (Dec 10, 2003)

Dieni said:


> Got one, but I am not using it at the moment, cause its making a lot of noises with my 2026, but it worked great with my older filter.
> 
> To attach it to the 3/4" tubing, you just have to remove the piece of pipe that its used to attach it to the 1/2" tubing and connect the 3/4" directly to the extractor main body.


I believe Mike said T'ing the extractor to the original inlet is essential for any filter larger then the 2213. If not, it will make a lot of noise - as you experience with your 2026.


----------



## Marc (Oct 13, 2004)

Its definitly a great unit, but when i had it, my otos kept getting stuck in the skimmer. They would swim in looking for food and get stuck since they cant swim back out of it. Ive been lucky enough to have saved them...so i stopped using it. 
The return tube is height adjustable- depending on water level, and the actuall surface skimmer swivels/floats with the water level.


----------



## eums (Sep 16, 2004)

i have a 2028 and the extractor tee'd off of it. 
it dosn't make any slurping i can hear, but i also have it only doing 100 gph. 
I would highly recomend one to any one that wants the top of there water crystal clear . 
i can take a picture of it in action once my tank is finished filling. (maybe by 10 pm PST ... ro/di water is a slow process, i think i need to get another 110 gpd unit...)

i have 10 oto's in my tank and none have ventured into the intake of the unit, could just be luck, but i don't know.


----------



## rayhwong (Aug 6, 2004)

can i use this to get rid of duckweed?
what is the benefit of surface skimmer? 
I am trying to get rid of a layer of organic matter on my water.


----------



## eums (Sep 16, 2004)

can i use this to get rid of duckweed? 
it will probly clog the intake, try netting it off the top of the water with a brine shrimp net.
what is the benefit of surface skimmer?
it will remove the top layer film, remopve the organic build up on the surfice of the warter and in doing so you will have slightly more light able to penetrate the water.(less crud on the top blocking it)


----------



## elbeasto (May 9, 2009)

Sorry to revive an ancient thread but I just put one of the eheim extractors into my tank.

I must say I'm very dissapointed, it doesn't seem to be cleaning the surface at all.

After half a day of mucking around with it, I think I'm just going to try the fluval one. Apprently they fit the eheim 12/16 hose (which I have).


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

Really? The Eheim extractor I have does a pretty good job. What seems to be the problem?


----------



## elbeasto (May 9, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> Really? The Eheim extractor I have does a pretty good job. What seems to be the problem?


Well nothing much seems to be going down the surface funnel part. I tried putting it at different angles and tried putting the spray bar in different positions. Maybe I wasn't patient enough with it, I mean how long before you would notice a clear surface?

btw, I was running it right off the 2215 without a T piece (still waiting for it to arrive...)

To be fair the surface was pretty bad, mabey I should give it another go when the T-piece arrives?

The main thing I didn't like about it though (aside from not being effective) is that where 'candy cane' part connects to the main unit isn't air tight! So when there is too much suction it starts sucking air into the filter. I had to reprime about 3 times.


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

elbeasto said:


> how long before you would notice a clear surface?


Maybe a couple of hours.



elbeasto said:


> btw, I was running it right off the 2215 without a T piece (still waiting for it to arrive...)
> 
> To be fair the surface was pretty bad, mabey I should give it another go when the T-piece arrives?


The T-piece for the surface extractor is an essential piece. It's what makes the surface extractor work.



elbeasto said:


> The main thing I didn't like about it though (aside from not being effective) is that where 'candy cane' part connects to the main unit isn't air tight! So when there is too much suction it starts sucking air into the filter. I had to reprime about 3 times.


I'm not too sure what part you are referring to. Are you referring to the U bend that connects the skimmer to the filter tubing? There should be a small rubber adapter that connects the two in an airtight seal.


----------



## elbeasto (May 9, 2009)

Darkblade48 said:


> Maybe a couple of hours.


Ok, I'll give it another go and let it run for a bit longer.


> The T-piece for the surface extractor is an essential piece. It's what makes the surface extractor work.


Hmm, essential for larger filters yes. Suction/pressure makes it work, not a T-piece. I'm sure I've read of people running it dirrectly off a 2215 on this forum.


> I'm not too sure what part you are referring to. Are you referring to the U bend that connects the skimmer to the filter tubing? There should be a small rubber adapter that connects the two in an airtight seal.


Yes that's the part I mean. It's flexible piece of hose cut to a very short length to seal that connection. Air gets in there! At least on mine it does. 

Anyway, the fluval model arrived today (still no T-piece) so I'll wait for the T and try both for a couple of hours. The fluval looks like a better design, it has an intake with a radius of about 2cm rather than the Eheim's tiny 1cm square intakes but I'll see how it goes. roud:

P.S. The Fluval and Aqua Clear brands don't come with the adaptor for the 12/16 Eheim hose. The "Tom" and no name brands do, I found out the hard way...


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

elbeasto said:


> Hmm, essential for larger filters yes. Suction/pressure makes it work, not a T-piece. I'm sure I've read of people running it dirrectly off a 2215 on this forum.


I run an Eheim 2028, and on the intake side, I have the skimmer attached via a T. I believe I misinterpreted your previous post; I thought that you were missing the U piece that is responsible for the skimming function. I assume that you are using it.



elbeasto said:


> Yes that's the part I mean. It's flexible piece of hose cut to a very short length to seal that connection. Air gets in there! At least on mine it does.


That's strange indeed; mine does not let in air at all...


----------



## elbeasto (May 9, 2009)

Ok, after installing the T-piece and the Eheim extractor it was obvious that mine was either a dud or they just don't work. 

The Eheim got thrown into the bin and I put in the Fluval which worked immediately.

:fish:


----------



## Porkchop (Feb 9, 2009)

Mine didn't work worth a darn either, until I figured out what I was doing wrong. Then, within a few hours the surface was super clean... Only problem I encountered was trying to run a powerhead with a 2213 and it would make the lead weight in that skimmer rattle to high heaven.

Long as you got one working, that's all that counts. But I wouldn't toss it out and say it's a loss...cause it might just be how you had it set up...but it could be a faulty part...


----------



## zavikan (Jan 5, 2009)

Just curious what this does to co2. I would think that skimming the surface would aerate that tank ALOT. = lots of lost co2

Elsewise, I might be in on one...


----------



## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

> Only problem I encountered was trying to run a powerhead with a 2213 and it would make the lead weight in that skimmer rattle to high heaven


You can pull off the bottom strainer and take out the weight. Dry the weight well, and wrap the weigh _thinly_ with some electrical tape. You still want it to be able to move a little bit. Re-assemble and run. That should stop the rattle.

As far as CO2 is concerned, surface extractor will out gas CO2.


----------



## Porkchop (Feb 9, 2009)

The rattle wasn't that bad and didn't happen all the time. I don't buy into that out gasing thing...I never suffered a problem from mine but that doesn't mean it wasn't happening.


----------



## elbeasto (May 9, 2009)

Porkchop said:


> Mine didn't work worth a darn either, until I figured out what I was doing wrong. Then, within a few hours the surface was super clean... Only problem I encountered was trying to run a powerhead with a 2213 and it would make the lead weight in that skimmer rattle to high heaven.
> 
> Long as you got one working, that's all that counts. But I wouldn't toss it out and say it's a loss...cause it might just be how you had it set up...but it could be a faulty part...


Could have been faulty or the way I set it up but it's long gone now, the bloody thing cost 6 times what the Fluval did too! :-s



zavikan said:


> Just curious what this does to co2. I would think that skimming the surface would aerate that tank ALOT. = lots of lost co2
> 
> Elsewise, I might be in on one...


You can adjust the float on both of these brands so you can be cleaning the surface until it's clean, (an hour or so), and then just adjust it back to be a regular intake. The only problem doing this though is that sometimes it sucks a bit of air into the canister, which is a bit of a pain...


----------



## herns (May 6, 2008)

Heres a surface film extractor sold in Ebay which looks very good.
Had anyone tried this before?

Ebay item no: 320381063143
320381063143


----------



## Darkblade48 (Jan 4, 2008)

herns said:


> Heres a surface film extractor sold in Ebay which looks very good.
> Had anyone tried this before?
> 
> Ebay item no: 320381063143
> 320381063143


Wow, it looks just like the Eheim (clearly a knockoff, though).


----------



## rich815 (May 21, 2008)

herns said:


> Heres a surface film extractor sold in Ebay which looks very good.
> Had anyone tried this before?
> 
> Ebay item no: 320381063143
> 320381063143


My god that seems a complicated piece of equipment. I have this one for the intake of my Eheim 2028:

http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...ery=Fuval+surface&queryType=0&hits=12&offset=

Works great. Cleared the scum off my surface in like 5 minutes. Crystal clear. Has been working for months now.


----------



## herns (May 6, 2008)

rich815 said:


> My god that seems a complicated piece of equipment. I have this one for the intake of my Eheim 2028:
> 
> http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...ery=Fuval+surface&queryType=0&hits=12&offset=
> 
> Works great. Cleared the scum off my surface in like 5 minutes. Crystal clear. Has been working for months now.


Will this work on 12/16mm tubing?


----------



## Bacano (Jul 19, 2009)

i notice alot of people having the same problem i had when i first got it. the unit seems preassemled out the box. You have to remove the green round weigth from the top and insert it in the bottom before the strainer. Trust me this is a great piece of equiptment to have.


----------



## herns (May 6, 2008)

anyone knows how to fit this 5/8" hose into an Ehiem 12/16mm tubing?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=12703


----------

