# I'm breaking up with Eheim. Can you recommend a replacement for a 120 gallon?



## heavensabvus1 (Jan 26, 2010)

UPDATE: I have ordered a 2217. So technically, I'm breaking up with Pro 3s and not Eheim all together. I looked at all the suggestions and the Oase, Fluval Fx6 and Eheim Classics seemed to have the most fans. When I factored in cost, availability of parts (including a HUGE storage box filled with everything Eheim, it seemed like a good choice at half the cost of the other two.

Thanks you everyone who gave recommendations and for sharing such in depth info and experiences. I really appreciate it! I've been battling cyanobacteria ever since my first 2028 bit the dust, so I'm really looking forward to getting some good filtration going again. Thank you again!

_________________

I had two Eheim 2028s on my 120 gallon planted tank. Over the years, I've replaced all the seals and rings many times. And over the years I've had the dreaded leak from the power cord area many times. Even the priming ring has been replaced. This is a known issue with these filters. And I'm tired of the customer services issues I've experienced at Eheim as well -- maybe they'll get back to you and maybe they won't.

I got rid of one of them months ago and now the second one has developed the constant slow trickle. 

The only thing worse than hearing water alarms go off in the middle of the night is having your roommate call you in the middle of the night because of them -- while you're on vacation. 

Can you recommend a rock solid canister filter that will fit under a 120 gallon (4x4x2)? Something NOT known for having leaking issues. Long-lived, easy to change filter media, easy to get media. Good flow rate. I also have a Koralia for flow if that's helpful. I'm open to all suggestions, all brands. Thanks.


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## minorhero (Mar 28, 2019)

Fluval FX6 is the usual goto. Oase is making a big marketing push these days and they have the best feature-set with an easy to remove pre-filter and the option for a heater built in. But the Oase warranty is not as good. /shrug.


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## makeme (May 16, 2019)

I picked up the Oase Biomaster Thermo 350 a few months ago as a second canister on my 75 g, and I am in love with this filter. So so quiet, built-in heater, pre-filter thing that's really easy to clean (under 5 minutes). The other canister on this tank is the Eheim 2217, which I went to clean the other day and realized how much I despise THAT filter. In time I hope to replace the Eheim with another Oase Biomaster, but with Christmas shopping around the corner it'll have to wait.


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## AcidGambit (Aug 30, 2018)

I second the Oase Biomaster Thermo (I have the 250). In addition to the impressive feature set on the filter, the heater is excellent. I monitor my water temperature via my home automation system and the temperature stays within 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit of the set point.


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## john borr (Oct 28, 2011)

Have you considered the Eheim Classic Series?


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## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

john borr said:


> Have you considered the Eheim Classic Series?


Was going to say this. Everything else I have tried has let me down (including the newer Eheim models). Eheim Classic have never given me a problem in 30 years.


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## mossman77 (Aug 5, 2019)

heavensabvus1 said:


> I had two Eheim 2028s on my 120 gallon planted tank. Over the years, I've replaced all the seals and rings many times. And over the years I've had the dreaded leak from the power cord area many times. Even the priming ring has been replaced. This is a known issue with these filters. And I'm tired of the customer services issues I've experienced at Eheim as well -- maybe they'll get back to you and maybe they won't.
> 
> I got rid of one of them months ago and now the second one has developed the constant slow trickle.
> 
> ...



I've had a bad experience with Eheim products as well, and their customer service was of no help (wouldn't honor warranty). I'll never buy another Eheim product and encourage others to think twice before doing so.


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## d2creative (Jan 24, 2013)

I've got two of the Oase Biomaster 600 Thermos.
https://amzn.to/2C3vLS4
I'm a newb, but I bought them for the reasons stated above.
Integrated heater, easy to clean pre-filter, completely silent operation, and the hoses can be hooked up to 17mm glass pipes.
My only negative is the flow could be better. Some people have modified the pre-filter to help reduce restriction in that area.
There's some vids on youtube.


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## Triport (Sep 3, 2017)

I can't recommend anything but whatever you do don't go with Hydor canister filters. Total junk.


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## Quint (Mar 24, 2019)

I've got fluval 307, several issues but doesn't leak knock on wood. Buying replacement parts is a pain unless its 06 series or earlier. There website doesn't work all that great so have to call. Plus with all the yearly recommended parts I will be replacing it. Flow is good, maintenance is pretty easy but jeez put a handle on it lol. 

Small thing but every time disconnect the hoses/valve it squirts water out. I guess the fx series is much better but only comes in high flow big tank sizes.


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## Discusluv (Dec 24, 2017)

Love my FX6's on my 180 gallon and the Fluvel G6 on 60 gallon. The Fluvel G6 is the best filter Ive ever used ( in 3 decades of fish-keeping) and when it breaks ( its been going constantly for 8 years without loosing a beat) Ill buy another one.
Also have 207's on both my 30 gallons-_ which are okay._ But, Fluvels have been the only canisters Ive used in the past 18 years, haven't found a reason yet to switch. The 207's do irritate me sometimes because difficult to prime sometimes- if I ever switched to another brand it would be at this size.


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## Quint (Mar 24, 2019)

Seems the have various standards @Discusluv 

Honestly I don't see much of the 307 lasting very long. It is easy to setup though


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## silasvirus82 (Aug 12, 2019)

I got two Penn Plax Cascades (1000 & 1200) in a package deal recently and have been running them for several months now. The previous owner said they are about 5 years old and he replaced one impeller in that time and gave me an extra in case I had the same issue. For a budget canister filter I don't think they can be beat based on reviews I've read. Some have problems with priming, as did I until I figured out how to do it. I've had to take mine apart several times in a few months and re-prime them each time, its a piece of cake now. Complaints about cleaning are another common thing I've seen on reviews, but that one I don't understand. They are both very quiet and can be modified to use any configuration of filter media you want. My intent is to replace them both with a FX6 down the line, but until they fail I see no reason to swap out.


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## mgeorges (Feb 1, 2017)

john borr said:


> Have you considered the Eheim Classic Series?





Triport said:


> Was going to say this. Everything else I have tried has let me down (including the newer Eheim models). Eheim Classic have never given me a problem in 30 years.


I'll third this. I've been running two 2213's and a 2217 now for a few years with zero issues. The only thing I can see coming up anytime soon is the pump head o-ring may need replacing, not a big deal. They don't have nifty trays, so I throw the bio-media in media bags and I remove the ceramic rings and just add more sponges. Do that and maintenance is really quick and easy.


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

I had a dud of an Ehiem and it was a classic (a 2215). Over time, I probably paid almost what I paid for the filter, Ehiem was no help, they tried to put the responsibility on my LFS, and though they wanted to help, they couldn't return a canister that had been used, especially for some period of time (it was my first canister so I didn't know how bad my problems were until a few months, I though it wasn't primed). Anyway, it seemed to come with a broken impeller shaft, fixed that, but then my impeller's holes got elongated. So then I replaced both the impeller, and shaft again. I also broke the plastic head/pump cover from constantly opening it up, not knowing what was going on and with no help.

That said, I had an Ecco 2234 and it worked perfectly. My 2215 worked perfectly after all that, which I am convinced would have been working as well as it does now out the box if it didn't have that issue. Both filters have been running for over 10 years now, maybe 15, it's hard to remember, a bit after my join date. 

I wouldn't have ever bought one again but the 2234 was on clearance at Petco for like $35. I wish I bought them out, I was young and broke but I had planned on selling them to my local people for a decent price, then I happened to get a tank it was perfect for. 

My point is, even after a dud, and an expensive one, I do still trust Ehiem. I know that answer is not for everyone, and I would hate to lead you down the wrong road. The only filters of similar quality were Fluval, many liked them less than Eheims but felt they worked just fine, they just didn't like certain things about them. There are more innovative designs than both Fluval and Eheim from cheaper brands but I haven't found people liking them as consistently. Some love them, some have issues but own enough to swap parts, the main reason I like to stick with brand names is you can easily get replacement parts, either online, or in store.

Bump: I had a dud of an Ehiem and it was a classic (a 2215). Over time, I probably paid almost what I paid for the filter, Ehiem was no help, they tried to put the responsibility on my LFS, and though they wanted to help, they couldn't return a canister that had been used, especially for some period of time (it was my first canister so I didn't know how bad my problems were until a few months, I though it wasn't primed). Anyway, it seemed to come with a broken impeller shaft, fixed that, but then my impeller's holes got elongated. So then I replaced both the impeller, and shaft again. I also broke the plastic head/pump cover from constantly opening it up, not knowing what was going on and with no help.

That said, I had an Ecco 2234 and it worked perfectly. My 2215 worked perfectly after all that, which I am convinced would have been working as well as it does now out the box if it didn't have that issue. Both filters have been running for over 10 years now, maybe 15, it's hard to remember, a bit after my join date. 

I wouldn't have ever bought one again but the 2234 was on clearance at Petco for like $35. I wish I bought them out, I was young and broke but I had planned on selling them to my local people for a decent price, then I happened to get a tank it was perfect for. 

My point is, even after a dud, and an expensive one, I do still trust Ehiem. I know that answer is not for everyone, and I would hate to lead you down the wrong road. The only filters of similar quality were Fluval, many liked them less than Eheims but felt they worked just fine, they just didn't like certain things about them. There are more innovative designs than both Fluval and Eheim from cheaper brands but I haven't found people liking them as consistently. Some love them, some have issues but own enough to swap parts, the main reason I like to stick with brand names is you can easily get replacement parts, either online, or in store.


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## Couesfanatic (Sep 28, 2009)

My Fluval FX6 leaked. Wasn't a fan. I've never had a single issue with the Eheim Classic line, other than needing routine cleanings.


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## exv152 (Jun 8, 2009)

I am not surprised your Eheim proII 2028s are just failing now. When did that model get released by Eheim? It must be more than a decade ago. I have tried other brands, and they eventually do the same thing. Fluval is prone to leaking in my experience too. But I've never had any issues with the old Eheim classic line. They can last for decades. The 2217 would be the right fit for your tank size.


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## euphxenos (Jul 22, 2013)

I had problems with a couple of Eheim Pro3s failing while under warranty and Eheim was no help at all (claiming that parts that aren't user serviceable had failed due to neglect, despite there being no maintenance procedure for them in Eheim's manuals). They just wanted to sell me parts, and for me to tear apart the heads to make repairs myself (*while under warranty*). This was strange to me, since I had read of others having the exact same failures and receiving excellent support. When I looked into it a bit further, I found that Eheim had shut down their operations in the US in 2016, and had outsourced support for their products in the US to Cobalt. That's who you're dealing with now if you want support for an Eheim product in the US. I assume the support is still excellent if you're in some other part of the world.

I still have two Eheim Pro 3s limping along, but I'm moving to Fluval. I like the FX6 so far.


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## Jehorton (Nov 25, 2018)

I am a big fan of the sun sun, I have two and they have been great and so easy to clean and set up. And you can’t beat the price!


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

Isn’t Eheim exiting the USA market?


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## talontsiawd (Oct 19, 2008)

Streetwise said:


> Isn’t Eheim exiting the USA market?


Oh wow, good to know. That would definitely influence my decision on going Eheim, just looked it up.

Bump:


Streetwise said:


> Isn’t Eheim exiting the USA market?


Oh wow, good to know. That would definitely influence my decision on going Eheim, just looked it up.


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## Streetwise (May 24, 2019)

I see an article about some deal with Cobalt:

https://reefbuilders.com/2016/10/05...-cobalt-international-for-supportspare-parts/

I haven't seen anything restocked at my local stores. I'm sure someone else knows more.


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## mmreinhardmiller (Aug 31, 2008)

As much as I've loved my Eheims over the years, I've moved to taking more control over my filtration. I use Nu-Clear filters....2 inline on my 120g, I also run some old Ocean Clear on a 93g and a 60g. Yes it is pricier up front but it gives you control over plumbing and cleaning is far easier especially if you install ball valves to aid in back washing. 

Either way I hope all works out for you,

Mike


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## burr740 (Feb 19, 2014)

I like SunSuns, run them on all my big tanks. The built in surface skimmer and UV sterilizer is worth the price alone. You also get strong flow, quiet, easy to start/stop and do maintenance. Black pipes with several options to point flow in any direction. And they are dirt cheap.

The downside is they are made with cheaper materials than higher-priced brands. So you have to treat them like a delicate piece of equipment. They arent made to be yanked apart or shoved back together. 

For a 120 gal, go with two 304B or 704B (same filter, different casing)


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## Paul1307 (May 8, 2014)

I like the larger Fluval canister filters. Stop valve makes taking them out of the loop a no-drip operation, and changing the media is a breeze. Mine is about four years old and never leaks or leaked. I always lube up the O-rings with "Trident Pure Silicone Grease" which is dive-tank-rated pure silicone. Never, ever use anything else, such as petroleum jelly or any petroleum-based lube on any rubber parts. The rubber will absorb the petroleum, swell the rubber irregularly, and deteriorate, causing leaks. Rubber O-rings and seals should last a lifetime if properly lubed.


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## houstonreef (Aug 24, 2018)

i used to run 2 eheim Pro 4 600 and 2217 on my 120. Due to size and maintenance, it took up quite some time to clean those 2 filters. I decided to get rid of them and installed a sump. it works out perfectly for me and much less time on maintenance. Instead of removing 2 filters from the tank and taking the filters a part, all i do is to change filter sock. i save at least 1 hours on water change day.


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## jbecks (Jun 27, 2018)

Take a look at the Aquael Ultramax 2000


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## SG1_Renegade (Jan 15, 2021)

Hey do you find the Flow on this unit to be very strong ? Im trying to decide between the 250 & 350. its a 45gal Rectangle Measuring 36 by 18 by 18


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