# Equipment Review: Eheim Pro II 2128 Thermofilter



## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Parts:
Package was very neatly packed within the Eheim box. The parts were in a separate box from the canister and so was the thermosensor. Parts included: 2 hoses (not kinked), fused shutoff valves, shutoff valve holders, some sort of lubrication in a language that I don't understand (haven't used yet), inlet and outlet tubes, spray bar and endcap, 90 degree elbow for spray bar, two piece strainer, suction cups, thermometer, thermosensor w/suction cups.

Unit was very easy to assemble and the parts fitted like a glove. A slight amount of energy was used to insert the tubing to the inlet and outlet tubes, but not much is required. Total amount of time to install the unit was ~ 30 minutes. Thermosensor is plugged into the thermometer via a cable and was a snap.


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

The filter comes w/3 media containers. No filter media was purchased (extra $40 more) since I planned on transferring the old media over from the Ecco 2231. The media basket on the upper left is the topmost one and contains a pad of floss and is covered by a grate. The other two media baskets sit below this one and there is a blue sponge pad that goes on the bottom of the canister.










Here's the canister w/the top removed to show the heating coils that the filter is equipped with. The heater is 210W and is quite adequate for heating up the water in the 90 gallon. As you can see, there are two power cords there, one for the filtration and the other for the heater. 

The large button that sits on the very top is the priming button and does its job quite well. The button was pressed twice to get going and was a very nice feature (priming is slightly different from the Ecco series where the handle is used and the Fluval 204 didn't even have that feature).

Documentation:
The filter came w/an very comprehensive instruction manual that was written in a few languages. Instructions were very concise. The only flaw that I saw in the instructions was the need to use a bit of the tubing to connect the spraybar to the output tube. Nothing of this nature was communicated other than in the picture. For a moment there, I thought that there was a part missing, but it was all there (had another Eheim 2128 that I'm about to send back to them to reference it against). Didn't see any mention of having the need to use the lubrication, so it is still in it's original packaging.


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Operation:
The priming button was pressed twice and the filter was plugged in. In the matter of seconds, the filter was up and operation. After it was up and running, the heater was plugged in and the heater was slowly moving the water temperature up. It would have been nice to see Eheim put some sort of sensor on the thermosensor so that you can know when the heater is running.

From the picture, you can see that it's actually sitting sideways, with the inlet and outlet tubes on the right hand side of the filter. The 90 gallon that it's filtering is 24" tall and the stand is 30" tall. Portions of the Eheim tubing was used to include the DIY CO2 reactor (attached to the side of the tank stand on the right hand side) and the filter was turned sideways to accommodate the reactor.

Flow rate:
Advertised flow rate for the filter is 198 GPH, which isn't a whole lot. After all the media was placed in the filter and after going through the reactor, the flow is much lower. A flow rate test was never done to determine what it actually was.

CO2 injection:
See above and refer to the picture.









That's the review. Hope you guys enjoyed it.


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## bigpow (May 24, 2004)

Nice review!

Love your bright idea of installing a light inside the cabinet


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Thanks. I figure that since everything was mounted inside the stand, it would be nice to be able to see down there. Makes it much easier to read the gauges (regulator, pH controller, temp. controller), and it's awesome at night.

I forgot to mention something about the Eheim 2128. There's a flow meter on the top which lets you know if you need to service the filter. Nice little feature, IMO.


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## motifone (Nov 21, 2004)

wow, perfect timing. I just got my 2126 and it was cool to see this photo reference. hope to set mine up this weekend once my darn tank and stand arrive at the LFS.


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Nice review, Eric, glad you put this up. It is absolutely amazing how far Jebo went to copy this design. I laughed when I read the lube tube wasn’t mentioned in the Eheim documentation. No wonder Jebo didn’t know to include it in theirs- Eheim didn’t tell them what it was for!

I’m ruminating on the value of the Jebo now that I read this. At a third the cost of the comparable Eheim, it’s looking sweeter by the minute. Here’s the big “if”- reliability. 

Hope you can add some comments on the maintenance after you’ve had it long enough to need to service it. The fused shutoffs should be a bit easier than the Jebo solution.

I’m going to “jebo” your under-tank lighting myself. I had thought of doing that, and after seeing how it works in your stand, it’s a no-brainer I need it.


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Yeah, not a problem. You might be correct w/the no instruction for the lube, hence it wasn't in the Jebo manual. :hihi: 

The cost is considerable for the Eheim, but I'm still happy w/the purchase. A big plus for the unit is the built in heater. It means one less piece of equipment in the tank or having to plumb an in-line heater in there (making the Eheim at about twice the cost of the Jebo versus 3x).

I'll update on the maintenance as time goes by, which will probably be at the month mark. There's the flow meter on the canister top which lets you know if it needs to be cleaned, so we'll see what it looks like then.

The lighting was a pretty inexpensive addition to the stand. There's currently two of them down there, one for each side. Just basically a plug and play unit that I picked up from OSH for $15 each. Didn't have to drill to hang them either. The package comes with double sided tape, which I'm using, or if you're inclined to, a set of screws are included as well.


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Here's how I figured the cost comparison, using pricing from superfishstore.com. Seemed fair to compare Jebo with the 2028 promo that included media, $220 vs. $68, (a little over 3x), or more unfairly, the Jebo+Hydor ($49) vs. 2128+media ($290) for 4x. YMMV, depending on how much you spend at a given store. Still, how much of a bargain depends on reliability and comparative flow.

I'm going to look for the double-sided tape model you mention. That's less holes in the wood (which is thin on my commercial pine unit, and already perforated by power strips &etc.). Maybe I can find a switch for the door, that would be elegant.


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## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

My understanding is the Eheim Pro II 2128's flow rate should be 275 gph @ 25 watts.


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## aquaverde (Apr 15, 2003)

Aye, but that's the rub, Hypancistrus. Nothing more than numbers. I call for a bucket test!

Who can solve this noble controversy?!??
/nudge nudge
:hihi:


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Flow rates from Eheim website states it at 198 gph, but I'll do a bucket test sometime soon (maybe this weekend if I have some spare time).

The light kit is a plug and play unit, with the button built on the side of it. It comes w/the 8W T5 bulb. I just leave the button side facing the front of the stand and it's easy to find.


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## BOTIA (Dec 23, 2003)

*re flow rates*

We must be carefull when talking flow rate specs there are two different specs for eheims. Here is the 2128 specs as shown online at eheim.








As you can see almost a 30% decrease from pump capacity to filtration rate. Some of them are as much 50% difference.
Botia


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## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

So then the 277 GPH is the pump rate and the 198 GPH is the filter rate?


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## Momotaro (Feb 21, 2003)

Maintenance of the 2126 is an absolute snap. The dual tap valves eliminate leaks. I believe the maximum water you will lose from the tap valves is about a tablespoon between the two.

The canister can be serviced a in the same time frame as any other canister. One month, bimonthly, biannually, there is no science to it. It is just a matter of personal preference.

I would suggest removing the ball that acts as the flow meter once in a while to give it a good cleaning. The ball is made of rubber, and can degrade and get a bit sticky. Cleaning it only helps.

Mike


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