upkeep on eheim 2215

[torin31]

Just got a 2215 and very new to canisters all went well had it running in 13 min or so. My question is i have noodles on the bottom blue pad than cocoa puffs carbon pad than white pad. I have no idea if that is the correct way to put it in and also how often do i clean this and ion what order and can i re use the pads. Just put it in the same way it came out thoughts please.

 

[InfernoST]

I have an Eheim 2215 and am using it for FW Cichlid tank, You do not have to use the noodle pad that came with it, mine is packed as follows:

1st Layer (bottom) = 2" Enfimech (Eheim ceramic rings)
2nd Layer = Coarse blue pad
3rd Layer = 3" Substrat Pro (Eheim high surface area biological glass balls)
4th Layer = 1 - 2 " of mechanical filter material (filter floss/pad)
5th Layer = 20 oz Chemi-pure (Any carbon or your choice)
6th Layer (last/top) = Same as 4th Layer.

SW applications are a little different.

You can re-use the blue coarse pad many times after a good cleaning, however you must replace the dense white pad because it is difficult to clean. What you can do is get some filter pad material and use the either pad as a template and make new ones they work just as good and wont cost you a fortune.

Note: On the bottom of the canister put one green plastic grid feet down then add your filter media and on the very top put the other green plastic grid feet up followed by the power head. I put the Substrat Pro in a media bag because it makes it easier to clean the filter. The Ceramic rings on the bottom should not be put in a media bag because their job is to trap large particles and assist in the biological filtration.

Tip: I use a little vaseline to lubricate the large O-Ring that goes around the power head every time I clean the filter. Hopefully yours came with the quick disconnects, if so make sure the top valve is open when you attempt to reinstall the powerhead ( it will slide right on), if they are both closed it will be nearly impossible to reinstall the powerhead(Also when attempting to open the canister make sure the top valve is open otherwise it is nearly impossible to open (Vacuum)). Whenever you clean the filter do not use straight tap water on any of the biological filtration media as this will destroy any/all beneficial bacteria the media is housing and don't allow the media to dry out either. To clean the biological media you just need to rinse it out using the water from your fish tank. Don't forget to de-chlorinate your tap water before putting it in the tank.

I hope this helps you out.

 

[Zenagin]

I read where one Eheim classic owner recommends replacing about 2/3 of the EhfiSubstrat every 3 months (keeping 1/3 of the original batch to "seed" the new replacement media). The author mentioned this routine was necessary due to inevitable clogging of the media.

Of numerous maintenance articles for Eheim classics I've perused, I've only come across this recommendation once. Am I missing something or does this 3-month EhfiSubstrat partial replacement really need to be done? I was under the impression that this stuff is quite re-usable at least until perhaps it becomes obviously gunked to the point of impaired flow, etc.

 

[InfernoST]

I read where one Eheim classic owner recommends replacing about 2/3 of the EhfiSubstrat every 3 months (keeping 1/3 of the original batch to "seed" the new replacement media). The author mentioned this routine was necessary due to inevitable clogging of the media.

Of numerous maintenance articles for Eheim classics I've perused, I've only come across this recommendation once. Am I missing something or does this 3-month EhfiSubstrat partial replacement really need to be done? I was under the impression that this stuff is quite re-usable at least until perhaps it becomes obviously gunked to the point of impaired flow, etc.

Substrat pro is a different animal, Eheim states it can be washed and re-used and lasts 50% longer before it has to be cleaned. It is made of glass so there is nothing to clog. Here is the Eheim link.
EHEIM ASIA PACIFIC
From what i read in the past EhfiSubstrat does clog and by it's nature (size) restricts waterflow where as the balls allow for more area between them thereby allowing the filter to maintain a higher flow rate.

 

[Zenagin]

Substrat pro is a different animal, Eheim states it can be washed and re-used and lasts 50% longer before it has to be cleaned. It is made of glass so there is nothing to clog. Here is the Eheim link.
EHEIM ASIA PACIFIC
From what i read in the past EhfiSubstrat does clog and by it's nature (size) restricts waterflow where as the balls allow for more area between them thereby allowing the filter to maintain a higher flow rate.

My Eheim 2215 came with the Substrat Pro (sintered glass balls). Great that it lasts 50% longer before it needs cleaning. But "cleaning" is fine with me (as I understand it, best to rinse in either aquarium water that you've just vacuumed out, or at the least in non-chlorinated water).

Ultimately, even Eheim's info leads me to believe that I do NOT need to replace 2/3 of the Substrat every 3 months???

And as long as regular rinsing allows water to flow unhindered, I could use it indefinitely. I personally just like the idea of having the strongest established base of nitrifying bacteria possible. So by constantly replacing 2/3 every 3 months, it seems you would run the risk (even though retaining a 1/2 colony of bacteria to seed with) of cycling all over again or bacterial and algae blooms, etc.

And pardon my hopping onto this thread, but I too am a new Eheim 2215 owner so perhaps I'm not entirely jacking the thread but rather enhancing it? lol Thanks for indulging me.

 

[torin31]

great info keep it coming I am very new to owning these filters or canisters in general. Know ??? filter floss instead of Buying the eheim were do i get it what does it look like. Also to pre cut the media for pads were do you get that too.

 

[Zenagin]

Not sure about floss and where to find filter pad material, but I will add one thought on the use of vaseline as a lubricant for the O-ring - while it may not be enough of a quanitity to actually cause any damage, petroleum based products and plastics/rubbers do no get along with each other very well in the long run. I'd have to recommend an alternative such as Marineland's Silicone O-Ring Lubricant (aquarium safe). I don't have any yet, I just sprinkled some water on the O-ring before sealing it, but I will get some now that the subject came up.

 

[InfernoST]

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at, I have this filter 15 or 16 years now and have used vaseline on the o-ring from day one and have never had to replace it. If vaseline is safe for kids it's sure as safe for the fish especially since the o-ring isn't in the direct flow of water. I don't know where you get your logic, o-rings are used on everything from car engines to jet engines. I guess all of these engineers and scientists are wrong according to you. Using water with o-rings works best when both parts are submerged which you can't do in this case, you still run the risk of it distorting and or tearing. It's always a great idea to follow the manufacturers recommendations, don't forget they need to stay in business too. All i've ever done is wash the old and new substrat in bucket of tank water to get the excess debris off and put it back in the filter, if you have the money and want to replace 2/3rds everytime that's great but you just lowered your biological filtering capacity by doing so until new colonies are established on the new media. You have to remember as long as you don't straight tap water it is very difficult to kill off the bacteria that is well established.

Good luck to you.

 

[InfernoST]

great info keep it coming I am very new to owning these filters or canisters in general. Know ??? filter floss instead of Buying the eheim were do i get it what does it look like. Also to pre cut the media for pads were do you get that too.

Filter supplies from eheim are good but very expensive. You should be able to get filter floss or pads @ your lfs, if not here is a website that i have used Aquarium Filter Media: Bio Media, Mechanical Media, Chemical Media & 3-Stage Filter Cartridges. Also check out the the AA sponsors section. If you need information on fish, freshwater and saltwater check out Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums there is a wealth of quick information there. Don't forget to check out AA's articles, a lot of good material there as well.

Take care, good luck if you need any help just give a ring.

 

[Zenagin]

I'm not quite sure what you're getting at, I have this filter 15 or 16 years now and have used vaseline on the o-ring from day one and have never had to replace it. If vaseline is safe for kids it's sure as safe for the fish especially since the o-ring isn't in the direct flow of water. I don't know where you get your logic, o-rings are used on everything from car engines to jet engines. I guess all of these engineers and scientists are wrong according to you. Using water with o-rings works best when both parts are submerged which you can't do in this case, you still run the risk of it distorting and or tearing. It's always a great idea to follow the manufacturers recommendations, don't forget they need to stay in business too. All i've ever done is wash the old and new substrat in bucket of tank water to get the excess debris off and put it back in the filter, if you have the money and want to replace 2/3rds everytime that's great but you just lowered your biological filtering capacity by doing so until new colonies are established on the new media. You have to remember as long as you don't straight tap water it is very difficult to kill off the bacteria that is well established.

Good luck to you.

I'm just saying that vaseline is known to dissolve plastic and rubber and as such I'd have to recommend a silicone based lubricant as an alternative. However, I did state that given the amounts used, vaseline probably wouldn't hurt a thing in this case (and I didn't intent to imply that anything other than the plastic or rubber parts were subject to harm).

Thanks for the additional opinion against changing 2/3 of that substrat every 3 months. I was hoping to get a strong "gosh no, this is NOT necessary", becuase it sure would get expensive and get old fast!

Thanks indeed for your input and I was but merely offeing mine as well. It's good to have choices.

 

[InfernoST]

Not a problem at all. I am confused about one thing however, I've never seen vaseline eat through plastic, after all it does come in a plastic container does it not? Take care and have a great day.

 

[Zenagin]

Not a problem at all. I am confused about one thing however, I've never seen vaseline eat through plastic, after all it does come in a plastic container does it not? Take care and have a great day.

Vaselines dissolves plastics/rubbers that are latex based, styrene based and others - typically at a rather slow pace. It isn't recommended as a good lubricant for use with condoms for example, as it tends to eat through latex probably the quickest. It will also dissolve dried rubber cement if allowed time to soak into it. None the less, there are numerous plastics and rubbers upon which vaseline will have no harmful effect as well (such as the plastic used to package it in). Experiment a bit and then you too can then see the wonders of vaseline eating through plastic or rubber.

Please don't be confused. There are many things we may never see, but that actually do exist.


Ultimately, it should be reasonable to conclude that the following advice is sound: Use vaseline on your O-ring or use a silicone based lubricant. Either will probably suffice nicely without destroying the equipment.

 

[InfernoST]

You're absolutely right about the things that do exist that we never see and probably consume, however that's for another Forum. The reason why I am so persistent about the vaseline is #1 it's safe to use (we both agree on that) and torin31 probably has some readily available (remember him, he was the one who started this thread). I hope he's getting this, he hasn't posted in a while. The silicone spray is a great product and will work great but all said and done it'll cost more with shipping. I'm an advocate of saving money where you can and spend when you need too. This hobby gets very expensive quickly and can be very costly if you skimp on the important things.
Anyway, the best thing of all is that both of you have excellent filters, they are efficient and quite. Enjoy them.

Take care