Anyone using an Eheim Ecco filter ?

[Alan Silver]

Hello,

I'm just setting up a new tank and after some debate bought myself an
Eheim Ecco 2235. I decided that as I was spending so much on equipment,
it made sense to buy a decent one and everyone seems to pour praise on
Eheim.

Well, I got it out of the box yesterday to plug in to my old tank (to
get the bacteria colonies growing on the filter media) and I must say
I'm not impressed. Putting it together was easy, but starting it wasn't.
It took two of us an hour to get it going. I don't want to tell you some
of the words we thought (we're too polite to say them <blush>).

After much messing about, I realised that it would have more chance of
working if I sucked on the inlet tube to fill it with water before
trying to prime it. That worked. However, we had a lot of problems with
moving the handle up and down. Sometimes the whole top of the filter
came off, sometimes it didn't. I am not very impressed at the quality of
this filter.

Also, it seems very noisy after my Fluval 2 internal filters. They are
so quiet that you can press your ear against the glass and still not
hear them. This new one is so noisy that I can hear the humming when the
cupboard door is closed.

So, did I make a mistake ? Are Eheim not as good as they are cracked up
to be ? So far I'm not impressed. Any comments welcome.

--
Alan Silver

[RedForeman ©®]

I was told the ecco also was slang for economy model... get the pro series
and you'll be happier, if you can afford it, it's a bit higher in price...

better?? can't say, I've had problems with my used 2217 ever since I've got
it, had to replace every seal, still leaked, have had issues with it's
connectors leaking thru the switches, which are as expensive as anything
else, and could replace it, but haven't even been able to use it yet..

So I started looking at PennPlax's Cascade canisters... they are nice
tooo... will be looking more soon....


"Alan Silver"
> wrote in
message ...
> Hello,
>
> I'm just setting up a new tank and after some debate bought myself an
> Eheim Ecco 2235. I decided that as I was spending so much on equipment,
> it made sense to buy a decent one and everyone seems to pour praise on
> Eheim.
>
> Well, I got it out of the box yesterday to plug in to my old tank (to
> get the bacteria colonies growing on the filter media) and I must say
> I'm not impressed. Putting it together was easy, but starting it wasn't.
> It took two of us an hour to get it going. I don't want to tell you some
> of the words we thought (we're too polite to say them <blush>).
>
> After much messing about, I realised that it would have more chance of
> working if I sucked on the inlet tube to fill it with water before
> trying to prime it. That worked. However, we had a lot of problems with
> moving the handle up and down. Sometimes the whole top of the filter
> came off, sometimes it didn't. I am not very impressed at the quality of
> this filter.
>
> Also, it seems very noisy after my Fluval 2 internal filters. They are
> so quiet that you can press your ear against the glass and still not
> hear them. This new one is so noisy that I can hear the humming when the
> cupboard door is closed.
>
> So, did I make a mistake ? Are Eheim not as good as they are cracked up
> to be ? So far I'm not impressed. Any comments welcome.
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[Alan Silver]

In article >, RedForeman ©®
> writes
>I was told the ecco also was slang for economy model... get the pro
>series and you'll be happier, if you can afford it, it's a bit higher
>in price...

Hmm, wish I'd known. Bit late now. Thanx anyway.

--
Alan Silver

[NetMax]

"Alan Silver"
> wrote
in message ...
> In article >, RedForeman ©®
> > writes
> >I was told the ecco also was slang for economy model... get the pro
> >series and you'll be happier, if you can afford it, it's a bit higher
> >in price...
>
> Hmm, wish I'd known. Bit late now. Thanx anyway.
>
> --
> Alan Silver

Alan, regardless of the make or model, if you suspect that it's not
operating properly or below your expectations, return it to your vendor.
Defects can occur with every product. If your vendor can demonstrate
that his same models also have the same characteristics, then you decide
if you want to upgrade or go with another company. If the vendor
indicates that your characteristics are not normal, then they can make
arrangements to exchange it or the components which are causing the
incorrect behaviour. This filter will be your tank's life-line,
operating 24 hours a day. You need to be satisfied with your final
selection. JMO

NetMax

[Alan Silver]

In article >, NetMax
> writes
>
>Alan, regardless of the make or model, if you suspect that it's not
>operating properly or below your expectations, return it to your
>vendor. Defects can occur with every product. If your vendor can
>demonstrate that his same models also have the same characteristics,
>then you decide if you want to upgrade or go with another company. If
>the vendor indicates that your characteristics are not normal, then
>they can make arrangements to exchange it or the components which are
>causing the incorrect behaviour. This filter will be your tank's
>life-line, operating 24 hours a day. You need to be satisfied with
>your final selection. JMO

Trouble is, I already cut the tubing in half and ran the filter. Not
sure they'd be too happy to take it back unless I could prove that there
was something wrong with it.

I'm just disappointed. It was a hassle getting it going (although now I
know how to do it, it wouldn't be so hard next time) and it's noiser
than the internals I have, although not enough to make me suspect that
it's faulty. I think it's just not the best filter I could have bought,
but given that there's probably nothing defective, I can't return it
just 'cos I made a bad choice.

AFAIK Eheim are in general a good make, so I'm not worried about the
filter not doing its job. I'm sure it will be reliable, I was just
expecting more ;-(

Thanx anyway

--
Alan Silver

[RedForeman ©®]

suggestion, replace the tube, it's not terribly expensive, and then return
it, the worst thing would be you'll be out the cost of the tube, but maybe
it's an option....

I plugged the cascade filters, because I saw a setup that had used them and
they were quiet, strong, and quite versatile... PennPlax is a good name in
some things, being this the first time they've done canisters, time will
tell.... but they aren't that expensive, and I'm looking into one...


"Alan Silver"
> wrote in
message ...
> In article >, NetMax
> > writes
> >
> >Alan, regardless of the make or model, if you suspect that it's not
> >operating properly or below your expectations, return it to your
> >vendor. Defects can occur with every product. If your vendor can
> >demonstrate that his same models also have the same characteristics,
> >then you decide if you want to upgrade or go with another company. If
> >the vendor indicates that your characteristics are not normal, then
> >they can make arrangements to exchange it or the components which are
> >causing the incorrect behaviour. This filter will be your tank's
> >life-line, operating 24 hours a day. You need to be satisfied with
> >your final selection. JMO
>
> Trouble is, I already cut the tubing in half and ran the filter. Not
> sure they'd be too happy to take it back unless I could prove that there
> was something wrong with it.
>
> I'm just disappointed. It was a hassle getting it going (although now I
> know how to do it, it wouldn't be so hard next time) and it's noiser
> than the internals I have, although not enough to make me suspect that
> it's faulty. I think it's just not the best filter I could have bought,
> but given that there's probably nothing defective, I can't return it
> just 'cos I made a bad choice.
>
> AFAIK Eheim are in general a good make, so I'm not worried about the
> filter not doing its job. I'm sure it will be reliable, I was just
> expecting more ;-(
>
> Thanx anyway
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[Alan Silver]

In article >, RedForeman ©®
> writes
>suggestion, replace the tube, it's not terribly expensive, and then
>return it, the worst thing would be you'll be out the cost of the tube,
>but maybe it's an option....

That's a good idea. Never thought of it ;-)

I'll have to scrub the filter media too, but as it's only been running
for a few days, that shouldn't be so hard.

Thanx

--
Alan Silver

[RedForeman ©®]

Nah.. I wouldn't worry about the media, it might fit into whatever you buy
to replace it... just a thought...




"Alan Silver"
> wrote in
message ...
> In article >, RedForeman ©®
> > writes
> >suggestion, replace the tube, it's not terribly expensive, and then
> >return it, the worst thing would be you'll be out the cost of the tube,
> >but maybe it's an option....
>
> That's a good idea. Never thought of it ;-)
>
> I'll have to scrub the filter media too, but as it's only been running
> for a few days, that shouldn't be so hard.
>
> Thanx
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[NetMax]

"Alan Silver"
> wrote
in message ...
> In article >, NetMax
> > writes
> >
<snip>
>
> AFAIK Eheim are in general a good make, so I'm not worried about the
> filter not doing its job. I'm sure it will be reliable, I was just
> expecting more ;-(

I've been very disappointed in some of their characteristics and also
their follow up service, even having once gone directly to the
manufacturer for an obvious defect (the service capability of their
distribution channels did not meet my expectations or requirements). I
know others who have returned their filters for completely different
problems as well. They are generally good filters, but not all models
are built the same, you get some defects which slip in, they have some
weak points which are not always evident, - and because they are the most
expensive, they are probably over-rated. The same could be said (in
varying degrees) about every equipment manufacturer, so my point is that
your expectations might be set too high.

It's generally a very good idea to set filters up so you have some
redundancy, like using one canister and one powerfilter at the same time.
That way your fish don't have to share your distress ;o) when you find
your Cadillac filter went down ;~) JMO

NetMax


> Thanx anyway
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[Alan Silver]

In article >, NetMax
> writes
>It's generally a very good idea to set filters up so you have some
>redundancy, like using one canister and one powerfilter at the same
>time. That way your fish don't have to share your distress ;o) when you
>find your Cadillac filter went down ;~) JMO

Thanx (as ever) for the advice. Do you have any recommendations for good
filters ? The truth is that now I know how to start it up, it's not
actually too bad. I was just very frustrated at messing with it for so
long and not getting it to work. Given that I now know, and that they
don't need cleaning as often as internal ones seem to, I don't have such
reservations.

My only concern now is that you can hear a slight humming in the room. I
don't know if this is just a feature of external filters not being
muffled by the water and tank, or if this one really is noisy. I am
going to pop across the garden to my neighbour who has an external and
see how noisy his is. If mine is no worse, then I'll leave it.

Having said all that, we were discussing last night the thought of
adding a second filter. Probably something like a Fluval 2 to add some
extra circulation and to act as a back up (not much on a 220 litre tank,
but would help a bit in case of need). Any comments ?

Thanx for the reply

--
Alan Silver

[Alan Silver]

In article >, NetMax
> writes
> Some of the noise might be transmitted through the filter base
>(resonating on a shelf) or through the hoses (back panel vibrating
>through the suction cups). There are ways to isolate the filter from
>solid surfaces if this is the case.

I tried lifting the filter off the cupboard floor, but the humming was
about the same, so I guess that it's not vibrating on the floor, it's
the actual filter noise I can hear.

It could be that when I get the filter into the new cupboard (which is
bigger) and fill up the cupboard with other stuff, I could deaden the
noise. Either way, it's in the kitchen, so there is likely to be more
noise in their generally than in the living room.

>> Having said all that, we were discussing last night the thought of
>> adding a second filter. Probably something like a Fluval 2 to add some
>> extra circulation and to act as a back up (not much on a 220 litre
>tank,
>> but would help a bit in case of need). Any comments ?
>
>The Fluval 2 internal is not one of my favorites as an add on filter.

Only mentioned this one as I have two on my other tank and have been
very happy with them. They have been running there for about five or six
years and seem fine to me. I don't have experience of much else though,
so I can't compare.

> It holds very little carbon (proprietary sleeve),

Never use carbon. The other tank is well planted and I was advised not
to use carbon. Never found a need for it.

> internal filters take valuable room inside the tank,

Good point and one that we have considered. We have thought of a way of
hiding it in the new tank though.

> they are slightly more difficult to service and can be more difficult
>to know when to service (though the Fluval 2 does have an indicator,
>I've no experience to know how well that works).

What indicator is that ? I don't think mine have one. Is this a new
feature ? I've never serviced them, just clean them out every now and
then.

> I use Fluval 2's as primary filters in small tanks under very light
>fish-loads, or as flow generator powerheads in larger tanks. When
>adding a redundant filter to a primary canister, I usually use a
>powerfilter, a UGF or another canister. That's just what has worked
>for me.

Another external is too expensive. The advantage the Fluval (and
similar) had is that they are cheap. This is only as an extra, so I
can't afford to spend much on it.

Thanx for the reply

--
Alan Silver

[Blue Gourami]

> My only concern now is that you can hear a slight humming in the room. I
> don't know if this is just a feature of external filters not being
> muffled by the water and tank, or if this one really is noisy.

I have used three types of Eheim canister filters: the Professional
II, the Classic and the Ecco.

I found that the Ecco was the noisiest one of the three. It annoyed me
so much I stopped using it and switched to a Classic.

Blue Gourami

[NetMax]

"Alan Silver"
> wrote
in message ...
> In article >, NetMax
> > writes
<snip>
>
> > internal filters take valuable room inside the tank,
>
> Good point and one that we have considered. We have thought of a way of
> hiding it in the new tank though.

Some positive points not mentioned, are that there is no external
plumbing, and they will never drain your tank from a bypass, slipt hose
etc.

> > they are slightly more difficult to service and can be more difficult
> >to know when to service (though the Fluval 2 does have an indicator,
> >I've no experience to know how well that works).
>
> What indicator is that ? I don't think mine have one. Is this a new
> feature ? I've never serviced them, just clean them out every now and
> then.

It's a fairly recent addition. A yellow bit of plastic pops up when it
needs servicing.

> > I use Fluval 2's as primary filters in small tanks under very light
> >fish-loads, or as flow generator powerheads in larger tanks. When
> >adding a redundant filter to a primary canister, I usually use a
> >powerfilter, a UGF or another canister. That's just what has worked
> >for me.
>
> Another external is too expensive. The advantage the Fluval (and
> similar) had is that they are cheap. This is only as an extra, so I
> can't afford to spend much on it.

Yup, makes sense.

NetMax

> Thanx for the reply
>
> --
> Alan Silver
>

[Alan Silver]

In article >, Blue
Gourami > writes
>> My only concern now is that you can hear a slight humming in the room. I
>> don't know if this is just a feature of external filters not being
>> muffled by the water and tank, or if this one really is noisy.
>
>I have used three types of Eheim canister filters: the Professional II,
>the Classic and the Ecco.
>
>I found that the Ecco was the noisiest one of the three. It annoyed me
>so much I stopped using it and switched to a Classic.

Thanx for the comment. I did think this was noisy, but as I said, I am
used to internal filters which are IME silent. I may reconsider this
filter.

Ta ra

--
Alan Silver

[Alan Silver]

In article >,
Rickenbacker > writes
>Alan Silver
> wrote
>in :
>> Thanx for the comment. I did think this was noisy, but as I said, I am
>> used to internal filters which are IME silent. I may reconsider this
>> filter.
>
>I find the Ecco a bit noisy as well, but no worse than that I can sleep in
>the same room. It's worse right after cleaning, then gets quieter after
>about a day.
>
>There's a "silent mod" for the eheim pumps that watercoolers use (for the
>computer), which basically consists of supergluing or taping the impeller
>to the magnet part. Should work the same for the Ecco since it uses the
>same parts, but I haven't dared try it yet :).

If you, please let me know how it goes.

Truth is, I don't even notice it anymore. It's only in the quiet of the
night when I'm listening out for it that I can even hear it.

Thanx for the reply

--
Alan Silver

[Rickenbacker]

Alan Silver
> wrote
in :
> Truth is, I don't even notice it anymore. It's only in the quiet of
> the night when I'm listening out for it that I can even hear it.

Since I set up some DIY CO2 (the coke bottle and airstone variety) the
bubbling from that actually drowns out the Ecco :).