Canister Filter 911

[Modius]

If ya look in my profile you will see my full setup. This aquarium was an x-mass gift to my elderly mother a few years ago. I am tring to make it as maintenance free as possible, she forgot to change the monthly filter cartridge in the over the back of the tank filter that came with the aquarium for a few months. This caused the water to over flow the filter, leaking out damaging her floor.

Since then, I now maintain the aquarium. I got an EHEIM 2211 classic canister filter as a replacement. It "says" it is good for up to 40 gal. tank, ours is only 29 gal. The reviews I read on three different sites said it was a great filter and that they only needed to clean/replace pads every 3-4 months. This has not been the case for me. In three days the flow goes from strong stream on the return line to drips, I have cleaned and replaced filter pad 5x now. I have been to the EHEIM website and done all the trouble shooting and tips and tricks to maximizing filter. No difference.

I contacted Amazon and they are letting me return it even though it's past the return date.

Here is where I need all of your experts help. Can you please recommend a canister filter that is quite and really does only need cleaning every few months or more. I need to order a new filter for her 29 gal. tank ASAP so I can remove my current for return.

Thank you all greatly for your help in advance.


P.S. I had done a full cleaning on the tank before I changed to the EHEIM 2211 filter and as I said I have had to change the filter 5x in the month I have been running it.

Oh and on a side note for those who looked at my profile for my tank setup... Should I get rid of my under gravel filter? Was reading and seems many think they are no good. The tank my parents had as I was growing up had one but that was .... a long time ago .... So I thought they were good, but seeing as I am on here desperate for help, it seems I don't know jack lol.

 

[Brookster123]

How often you change water? What's in the tank?? There has to be a logical reason other than product failure..

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[Modius]

If this makes it easier here is full tank info from my profile.


Tank Equip:
29 gal. Freshwater,
EHEIM Classic External Canister 2211 Filter,
Penn Plax CLEAR-FREE Undergravel Aquarium Filters,
Tetra Whisper Heater,
Aqua Culture air pump connected to under gravel filter bubblers and 1 air powered decoration.
Was using 2 AquaTech Power Heads on under gravel filter but removed do to excessive vibration noise, now just use the bubbler rods dropped down under gravel columns that came with it.

Deco:
6 plastic plants, 3 plastic coral, air powered drinking skeleton.

Fish:
2 Black Skirt Tetra
2 White Tetra
1 Sunburst Orange Tetra
1 Long-Finned Black-Skirt Tetra
2 Blue Gourami
2 Common Plecos

Started the EHEIM 2211 with new water in clean tank. I literally emptied the whole tank of everything, cleaned everything, re-added under gravel setup, gravel, deco, added fresh water, startup chemicals, ran for a little over a day to setup, re-added fish only not water fish were being kept in. 3-4 days later flow from EHEIM was drips, changed white filter pad, 3-4 days later flow was drips again, again and again for the last month.

 

[Modius]

Wow really? 70 views and not one person has any recommendations for canister filters???

I guess I joined the wrong forum site for aquariums. I will look for a better one.

 

[P220]

I have the eheim 2213 on my 29 gal... I clean it out maybe twice a month, just to get new filter floss in there

 

[Modius]

Thank you P220.


Posted on another aquarium forum and got 3 responses already one of superb help. He asked if I had the canister under the tank in a cabinet (Yes). He said he had the same problem and recommended getting a filter for a tank 50%-70% bigger. Since the filter is for about my size tank as soon as there is any buildup on the filter media it loses the power to pump the water back up to my tank. That most filters for larger tanks have adjustments to lower the flow if needed and are way easier to prime then the EHEIM 2211. He said EHEIM is a good brand so stick with that or Hagen.

 

[P220]

Thank you P220.


Posted on another aquarium forum and got 3 responses already one of superb help. He asked if I had the canister under the tank in a cabinet (Yes). He said he had the same problem and recommended getting a filter for a tank 50%-70% bigger. Since the filter is for about my size tank as soon as there is any buildup on the filter media it loses the power to pump the water back up to my tank. That most filters for larger tanks have adjustments to lower the flow if needed and are way easier to prime then the EHEIM 2211. He said EHEIM is a good brand so stick with that or Hagen.

All excellent advise. Being that the 2211's pump is small, I don't think Eheim recommends it being lower than 3ft. below the tank. And having a much larger filter than you need is why I went with the 2213 for my tank, coupled with their Spray Bar Kit, the flow is perfect. (Though I sometimes think I should have went with the 2215, since the 2213'2 media basket was a waste of space)

 

[Brookster123]

In this forum I'd recommend getting those common Plecos out of that tank.. they're going to get bigger and bigger and your water will get worse and worse.. no matter how much filtration you have..

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[jglover]

In this forum I'd recommend getting those common Plecos out of that tank.. they're going to get bigger and bigger and your water will get worse and worse.. no matter how much filtration you have..

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I agree with this. the two plecos wil end up with about three feet of fish between them, and plecos are poop machines. They will each grow to about 12-20" inches in length.

As for a cannister, don't know as I've never owned one.

 

[Modius]

Thanks ordered the 2215 already and thanks for suggesting of getting rid of the common plecos, been wondering about that for a while. One is already like 7 inches long.

 

[jglover]

Thanks ordered the 2215 already and thanks for suggesting of getting rid of the common plecos, been wondering about that for a while. One is already like 7 inches long.

Yep, the commons get very big. If you can find a place to re-home them, you could replace them with a smaller pleco, like a bristlenose or a clown pleco. These stay in the 4-5 inch range. I've got a bristlenose and it's a very entertaining and personable fish.

 

[Modius]

Update: Got new 2215 yesterday. Vacuumed gravel, added fresh water, washed all new filter parts while I waited an hour+ for tank to settle back down, and then setup new filter. It's purring like a kitten. Whisper quiet. Water is crystal clear.

Also, found home for largest common plecos, keeping smaller till I get something else was thinking of getting shrimp instead since they will eat the little bit of black algae I get on the plastic coral and plants. Was also thinking of adding a little driftwood with some java moss as well to eat up the nitrates so maybe won't get the algae so much.