# eheim 2222?



## George Willms (Jul 25, 2003)

I have no experience with the older pro models but the pro II models are excellent and I would recommend them to anybody.


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## illego69 (Dec 17, 2003)

I just bought a used Eheim 2222 for my 40 gallon tank. It is super quiet. I can't complain.


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## Raul-7 (Oct 17, 2003)

Save yourself the few bucks and get the 2026, you won't regret it...!


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## cousin it (Nov 1, 2002)

the 2213 with double taps is a very easy filter to prime, I have 2 tanks running them and one tank running a 2215 and they are simplicity in them selves so long as you don't have any blockages in the filter pipes or compacted filter media.
to prime them you simply disconnect the double tap on the out let side of the filter and place your finger over the end to control the flow, then open the tap and carefully allow the air to escape when water starts to come up the tube place the tap into a bucket to catch the water and then shut the tap off. attach the taps back into the operational position open both and then give the filter a gentle rock back wards and forwardest and then switch on. you'll get a few bits of air blown into the tank and any additional air can be removed from the filter by repeating the rocking motion.

personally I cannot see any point in paying extra for an easy prime system when they are already easy to prime.

Included with my new eheim tank was a 2224 filter which after looking at how it connects could be a real pain to prime unless additional double taps are fitted, which could explain why they revised the range into the pro 2 systems with the easy prime bit.


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## anonapersona (Oct 19, 2002)

I agree with cousin it, I have several Eheim filters (classics, eccos, pro and pro2 and pro2thermo), and while the self-prining ones are easy, the old classics are so easy I don't think I'd pay extra for the priming features again. 

The whole thing to priming is to be sure the air is expelled the right way, up the outlet, not up the inlet which will break your siphon. That can be done, as cousin it says, by letting air out the outlet side of the filter until water has filled the filter and runs out the outlet (have a towel or bucket handy) 

It can also be done by having the outlet tube completely empty of water when the unit is reconnected if the in tank outlet is above the level of water in the tank (so air can escape). If both tubes are dry, like you just cleaned tubes, connect the inlet sides, suck on the filter outlet just to get water flowing into the filter then connect the outlet tubes before the filter is full, all the inlet side is full of water which is heavy, so air must go up the outlet. When rushing water stops you turn on the filter. 

The very common advice (toally wrong IMO) that we see so often that says to fill the canister full of water before connecting pretty much assures you that a bubble from below the close off valves that will travel up the inlet line and break your siphon, and if it does move down into the filter, it will get stuck in the impeller, airlocking the unit unitl you rock it free. 

I cut the &#%[email protected]% out of my hand rocking a Fluval 303 trying to get it going, spent an hour on the damn thing, running late for an appointment by then -- after I bled all over the place from where my knuckle hit the sharp glass edge of the lower tank (it was really bad) I had to sit and think about why it wasn't working. Looking that physics of the thing, it becomes obvious -- you gotta get the air to go up the outlet. Either bleed it out, past the impeller by letting air then water escape the canister, or have the entire oulet line full of air so that it all has to go up with water pushing it from the inlet. 

So, for units that have the integrated taps, you might need to bleed all water from the outlet line -- I have begun doing this as part of the procedure, it flushes a lot of crud from the lines that otherwise can flood into the tank and it gives me some tank water in a bucket to rinse media in.


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## infin (Oct 2, 2003)

well i finally bought a new filter! i got the 2213 canister filter but turns out that the one i got on ebay, the guy ran away with my money! he cancelled his ebay account and doesnt answer my emails, so much for bidding on ebay to think the guy had 1200+ all positive feedback and my luck. Paypal is doing an investigation to get my money back. But i guess it was a good thing that the guy screwed me, cause i bought a 2026 from a guy brand new for $89! he got it as a gift and posted it up for sale. The 2026 might be an overkill for my 20gal least it has a flow control, but for the price i couldnt pass it up.


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## g8wayg8r (Dec 24, 2003)

I'm considering an Eheim Pro 2222 or an Eheim 2213 to replace the Penguin 170 Power Filter. which I beleive is undersized for my 29 gallon tank. I have my doubts that the filter element and bio-wheel can keep up the load placed on it by the plants and fish in the tank.

Priming is not as big of an issue with me as maintenance. The Pro canister has cute little trays to hold the various substrates while the standard canister has a bag to contain all of the packed media. How do you clean the media if it isn't in a tray so the job isn't too onerous? Backflush the canister? I'm assuming that all you need to do is rinse out the media to remove any blockage and that the pads may need to be replaced on occasion.

I'm sure this has been discussed to the point of whipping a dead horse but I'm also a little concerned about the gallons per minute rating. My power head filter is rate at 170 g/hr for a 29 gallon tank. Most the the canister filters for tanks that size are far less. I also remember reading that the those rating are a bit idea. What does experience tell you that works? How many gallons per minute do you feel is best for a canister?

If I have duplicated any threads, please accept my apology and kindly provide a link :lol:


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## anonapersona (Oct 19, 2002)

I have an old 2213 that has no holder for the media at all, it all sits in the canister. The noodles are on the bottom, then a firm blue pad, then substrat, then white pad (I use quilt batting or cut filter padding myself)

When I clean it, I toss the white stuff. Then I pour the substrat into a colander, just keep a finger on the blue pad to keep the noodles in the canister. I dunk the colander of substrat in a bucket of tank water, swish around as needed. Then I pour the substrat into another bowl and do the same for the noodles. I do have to pick one or two bits of the substrat off the blue pad, but otherwise they stay separated. 

When I am disconnecting th filter from the tank, I drain the outlet line of water into a big bucket to give me the tank water I need for rinsing, I just toss out the water in the canister for it is pretty dirty. This also helps clear the output line of any buildups. With the input line full of water, the output line full of air, the unit will prime instantly when connected, connect outputs and open, then connect inputs and open.


I also have the 2222. The baskets are nice, but there are a lot more parts to these than the 2213. I just bought two used tanks and they came with Eheim filters, mostly 18 months old, of the 4 filters, 2 were missing parts. The lady who had this was a very particular person, so I doubt that she lost them, she didn't realize that there was a seal missing on one and a connector missing on the other, so each of these 2 units was having some or a lot of bypass. The Pro2 she had was only using the top 1/4 inch of the topmost filter pad. I don't have any receipt and so I've had to buy the parts myself, though Eheim was really nice and covered part of one part and part of the shipping also. 

So, the mechanical engineer in me needs to remind you that more parts = more stuff to go wrong. The simplicity of the 2213 is really appealing. Especially when I saw the $67 including media that the fish store in Austin has it for.

I had the 2213 running on a 20high for awhile that was way, way overstocked, along with a HOB Whisper, and based on that I think it will be fine for your 29 gallon. The flow rate on the 2213 is comparable to the Fluval 303 I have on my 29 gallon and it does fine all by itself, with a gentle circulation all around the tank.


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## g8wayg8r (Dec 24, 2003)

Thanks for the details. It sounds like once you make a change or two, handling the media is no biggie. 

I was thinking about using my power filter on a 10 gallon tank for my wife's office and I'm not sure I'll keep it on the 29 unless you think the the 2213 or 2222 can't handle the load. Maybe I should step up to a 60 gal type.


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## anonapersona (Oct 19, 2002)

I think the 2213 is fine for the 29. 

I actually had the whisper on the overstocked 20 to begin with and then finally got the parts I needed for the 2213 (I picked it up with a box of misc fish stuff at a gargae sale for $5, missing media and an o-ring) so, I added first added the 2213 as backup to the existing whisper, just kept the whisper since it was there and helped with mech filtration. I was way overstocked on that tank and I was real nervous, even though it was a planted tank it had high nitrates from too many fish. 

The 170 would be fine for the office tank, is that a planted tank or fish only? I do like the Penguins in that they always start back up after a power outage, my whipsers don't, but that biowheel and output flow is not good for a CO2 injected tank. Not an issue if you use Excell for carbon, which works in a planted 10g nicely.

The 2213 is simple and straightforward, quiet and runs forever. With a sponge over the inlet (the eheim wet/dry prefilter, $5, works well) you won't get plant bits in it, just rinse the sponge weekly. The 2222 has more gadgets, baskets, small parts to take care of, still quiet. 

Whatever you use, if you use quilt batting instead of bought sponges, do check the impeller for stray threads, some of these battings are bonded, some aren't. I've decided the fish store blue/white bonded sheeting is better than the craft store poly floss, but I need to use it up now. i may put the ploy floss below a bonded layer, maybe that will isolate the stray threads better.


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## g8wayg8r (Dec 24, 2003)

I decided on the 2213: good reputation, simple design and a price I couldn't pass up. It includes the media but suspect I will change it around once I learn more about what works in my particular tank. Regardless, it will be an order of magnitude improvement over the Penguin 170. 

I am concerned about the time it's going to take to establish the bacterial cultures in my new filter. One week? Two weeks? I'm at a loss here but it's probably not a bad idea to run the Pengiun for a week and then cut it off to allow the canister to get established.

I guess the 10 gallon tank for my wife's Valentines Day present is going to be a few day late because I'll need the 170 for a while. I've also got a 125 watt Ebo Yager that will find a home there as well. All I need is some substrate, a cover, a CF lamp and some clipping from my 29. 

Like many people, my 29 started out as a fish tank with a few live plants thrown in. They didn't grow and my attempts thusfar to convert it into to a planted tank with fish has been slow and somewhat frustrating. When I was kid, I would go down to the creek and grab a handfull of plants to put into the aquarium. I had a sand substrate (everything in Florida grows in sand) and the plants did great. I never thought once about fish loading, watts per gallon, water quality and so on. I did grow my fair share of algae but on the whole the tank seems to do well. It's much more difficult for me now for some reason. This time, however, I'll start the 10 gallon tank right per the sequence outlined in the Curmudgeon's Planted Aquarium Help Page. About the only fish I plan to put in it are some ottos and perhaps a few rasboras or neons after a few months.


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## anonapersona (Oct 19, 2002)

If you will take a wad of filter batting, or polyester quilt batting or something aquarium safe, and put it upstream of the 170 filter cartridge, it will begin to collect the bacteria you need for the new filter. You don't need much, maybe a loose golfball size bunch or half of that, whatever will fit in the space available in the 170. 

Then, when you set up the new 2213, place that very dirty wad of stuff in the bottom of the 2213, maybe in top of the noodle section or the bottom of the substrat section. Those bacteria will wash off the crowded batting and quickly colonize the new substrat and the pads in the 2213. because the wad is sort of small, you dont' need to remove it until you do a regular cleaning in a few months.

When I added the new canister to the 29 gallon, I think I ran the two filters for about a week but really I'm not sure if that is truly necessary. In the old tank, you have bacteria all over the plants and the surfaces in the tank, as well as the filter. 

If you were to try to clean off the penguin filter, swishing it in tank water, then pouring that water into the tank at the new canister intake while it is running, all that bacteria loosened from the old filter will instantly be inside the new filter spread all around the surfaces. I've done this when starting Q tanks, using old filters not in use, pouring filter squeezings directly into the filter housing. Never measured any ammonia or nitrites even when I fully stocked the Q tank immediately. 

Then you can take the old but squeezed flter cartridge and filter to the 10 gallon, it has enough bacteria on it to start a new tank if the fish load isn't too high. 

I'd do it all on the same day if that suited my schedule, just keeping the feeding down a bit in the 29 gallon until I was comfortable that the bacteria was OK -- that is, testing ammonia and nitrite daily or more.


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## g8wayg8r (Dec 24, 2003)

I'm going to put the 10-gallon set-up on hold until my wife makes room for the tank. I guess I can use the filter media in the Penguin between the coarse and fine media in the canister. I also like the idea of putting wash water from the Penguin inside the canister. Although the water will soon be pumped out of the canister, maybe it will give bacteria a quicker start. Good grief. It's not like 0.25 to 1.0 mg/l of ammonia/ammonium won't give the little beasties enough to eat. 

The 2213 is scheduled to arrive today and it won't be a day too soon. I used to like my tank until I started measuring ammonia. My pH yesterday morning was between 6.8 and 7.0. I guess any ammonia in the tank is ammonium so no time to panic. Nevertheless, the filter won't get here a day too soon.


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## anonapersona (Oct 19, 2002)

A little shot of Prime could put your mind at ease.


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## g8wayg8r (Dec 24, 2003)

I added a little detox and bugs from a bottle a day ago so it's wait and see. I just installed the canister and set-up and operation is so simple I'm gald I decided to save the bucks and get the traditional model. It's working wonders on water clarity in just a few hours as well.


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## Daniel L (Dec 6, 2010)

*Eheim 2222 impressions*

Although this thread is kind of old, I thought it might be helpful to post my impressions, as they still sell that filter and I got two of them for my 40 gallon planted tanks. They where less than 100 USD shipped with media, which is the reason I chose them instead of Eheim Classics. So far, they are reliable, whisper quiet and I like the form factor and media baskets. As I wanted to keep equipment out of the tank, I added a Hydor ETH 200 and 13 mm ADA style intakes an outtakes with clear piping. These setups have been up and running for about 2 months now and I couldn't be happier. The sound is really only noticeable up close or when air is trapped (tilting the filter for a little while usually helps to get rid of that problem). They don't have a self priming feature, which I don't really miss. When disconnecting the filter for maintenance, the quick connects are very handy. While I think the flow rate has decreased a little since first connecting the filters, they are not prone to clogging up. It was only necessary to rinse the fine filter pads once so far. So if you can find them for as cheap as I did, I would say don't hesitate, they are great filters!


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## brothergc (Aug 1, 2011)

Daniel L said:


> Although this thread is kind of old, I thought it might be helpful to post my impressions, as they still sell that filter and I got two of them for my 40 gallon planted tanks. They where less than 100 USD shipped with media, which is the reason I chose them instead of Eheim Classics. So far, they are reliable, whisper quiet and I like the form factor and media baskets. As I wanted to keep equipment out of the tank, I added a Hydor ETH 200 and 13 mm ADA style intakes an outtakes with clear piping. These setups have been up and running for about 2 months now and I couldn't be happier. The sound is really only noticeable up close or when air is trapped (tilting the filter for a little while usually helps to get rid of that problem). They don't have a self priming feature, which I don't really miss. When disconnecting the filter for maintenance, the quick connects are very handy. While I think the flow rate has decreased a little since first connecting the filters, they are not prone to clogging up. It was only necessary to rinse the fine filter pads once so far. So if you can find them for as cheap as I did, I would say don't hesitate, they are great filters!


 which one did you get the 2222 or the 2224 ? I have a 36 gallon bowfront and I am going to get one or the other of the old pro series , and wondered what you have and how you like it


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