Fluval 406 comparing the eheim 2217 and 2215.

[molliwopp]

I got a fluval 406 today. It looks nice and i really like the prefilter, but im less impressed with the bundled media. Running this filter without buying extra media would be useless. Also the media space in the filter is also small in comparison to the 2217 or even the 2215!!!

Biologically, it even looks to me that the eheim 2215 will fit more media in it! And that pumps half the water of a 406.

Dont be taken in by all the 'extras' the 406 has like the self priming because its not enough to make it the better filter. Mechanically i can see that the fluval will be quite good at this.

Another negative is its operation is too complicated. Something is bound to go wrong with one of the many seals the filter has. The 406 has been made to look like the badgers nadgers but im just not convinced

If it isnt broke, dont fix it.
Id buy the eheim 2217 everytime.

 

[lbirath001]

I got a fluval 406 today. It looks nice and i really like the prefilter, but im less impressed with the bundled media. Running this filter without buying extra media would be useless. Also the media space in the filter is also small in comparison to the 2217 or even the 2215!!!

Biologically, it even looks to me that the eheim 2215 will fit more media in it! And that pumps half the water of a 406.

Dont be taken in by all the 'extras' the 406 has like the self priming because its not enough to make it the better filter. Mechanically i can see that the fluval will be quite good at this.

Another negative is its operation is too complicated. Something is bound to go wrong with one of the so many seals the filter has. The 406 has been made to look like the badgers nadgers but im just not convinced

If it isnt broke, dont fix it.
Id buy the eheim 2217 everytime.

Thanks I was looking at the two
Models.

 

[molliwopp]

Good. Ive always wanted a 406 to be able to compare these 2 for myself.

Cant really go wrong with either (maybe, i havent used the 406 yet but ive heard they have their problems)
I opened the fluval 406 with an open mind without expectations. Ill only buy eheim classics from now.

Just my unbiased 2 cence.

 

[lbirath001]

Good. Ive always wanted a 406 to be able to compare these 2 for myself.

Cant really go wrong with either (maybe, i havent used the 406 yet but ive heard they have their problems)
I opened the fluval 406 with an open mind without expectations. Ill only buy eheim classics from now.

Just my unbiased 2 cence.

What did you pay for your ehim 2217?

 

[molliwopp]

Well i blindly bid £100 maximum on ebay which is about $150 for the a new one. Didnt expect to win so was supprised. Its £130 new and so is the 2217 here in the uk.

 

[lbirath001]

Well i blindly bid £100 maximum on ebay which is about $150 for the a new one. Didnt expect to win so was supprised. Its £130 new and so is the 2217 here in the uk.

Oh ok. I found one for 142 here on a website. The local fish store sells it for over 300 dollars here so it's a big difference.

 

[scuba dude]

Can't say that I ever owned a Fluval so really can't say anything about them. I can say that I am running two 2215's on my 90 gallon and could not be happier. Crystal clear water and they run dead silent.

 

[molliwopp]

Yep, you really cant be the eheim classics for price vs quality.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

I'm the total opposite...I really dislike the antiquated design of those classic eheim cans. I own two '06 fluval cans and I absolutely love them. Innovative modular design, easy to clean, easy to prime, and quiet. There's a reason it has a user review rating of 4.5 stars out of 300+ reviews on Amazon, the filter is great! Just my 2 cents before others think it's a terrible filter or something. But to each their own. Not everyone is going to like what everyone else does, for what ever reason..

 

[bsantucci]

I'm the total opposite...I really dislike the antiquated design of those classic eheim cans. I own two '06 fluval cans and I absolutely love them. Innovative modular design, easy to clean, easy to prime, and quiet. There's a reason it has a user review rating of 4.5 stars out of 300+ reviews on Amazon, the filter is great! Just my 2 cents before others think it's a terrible filter or something. But to each their own. Not everyone is going to like what everyone else does, for what ever reason..

I agree with this. I've had a 306 and now a 406 as well and have not had any problems with anything, including leakage. If you're careful with closing the lid each time you won't have a problem. Just make sure to keep the o-ring lubed now and then so it doesn't crack.

The quick release valve and the flow control though is awesome in my opinion. Just wish they'd sell it with a modular spray bar for people who don't like the duckbill.

 

[Dallascowboys16]

I had an ehiem 2117 and hated it so bought a fluval 406 and I'm much happier with it. The inside of the fluval looks like a space ship and makes mainanence so much easier with the valves and the media sections on the inside. My vote is for the fluval 06 series.

 

[molliwopp]

You had an eheim2217 and hated it.. why? Or are you just joining the 06 bandwagen. If youve had and used both. What do you think are the pros the fluval has, that you actually use to solve a problem?

With the eheim 2217 you dont have to buy anything seperatly afterwards either. The supplied media in the 406 isnt enough by anyones standards and if you want spray bar you have to pay for it.

If you havent had and used both then youre obviously going to back the one youve bought and rightly so.
Biologically the eheims are without arguement superior. Infact if the 2215 had a more powerful pump it would also biologically be more sound than the 406, there just isnt much space inside the 06 series!! Neither are bad filter but the eheim 2217 definitely edges it.

Theyre both good, If youre looking for more flow, less media, flow control with a tiny chance of leaks or faults and dont mind buying extras the fluval 406 is the one for you.

If youre looking for heavy biological fitration and moderate flow and dont want to buy extra media or spray bar with an even smaller chance of brake down, the eheim 2217 is the one for you.

 

[bsantucci]

You had an eheim2217 and hated it.. why? Or are you just joining the 06 bandwagen. If youve had and used both. What do you think are the pros the fluval has, that you actually use to solve a problem?

With the eheim 2217 you dont have to buy anything seperatly afterwards either. The supplied media in the 406 isnt enough by anyones standards and if you want spray bar you have to pay for it.

If you havent had and used both then youre obviously going to back the one youve bought and rightly so.
Biologically the eheims are without arguement superior. Infact if the 2215 had a more powerful pump it would also biologically be more sound than the 406, there just isnt much space inside the 06 series!! Neither are bad filter but the eheim 2217 definitely edges it.

Theyre both good, If youre looking for more flow, less media, flow control with a tiny chance of leaks or faults and dont mind buying extras the fluval is the one for you.

If youre looking for heavy biological fitration and moderate flow with a small chance of brake down, the eheim 2217 is the one for you.

I'm still fairly new to this, but wouldn't the biological point be moot unless you're comparing the same exact fish stocking? I mean, the tank is going to only provide as much bacteria as needed based on what is stocked in the tank. So having all this extra media is redundant if you're not stocked heavy enough to blanket everything in bacteria.

That being said, For the size tanks the 406 is rated for, I'd say there's more than enough space to have enough media for the any stocking level you would have.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

The media and sponges that the fluval 06 cans come with are fine and are quite capable of filtering efficiently and effectively straight out of the box. There is "extra" space for those who like to customize and add in their own filtering media. For instance, the only thing I added was some Purigen and a layer of filter floss, only because I like that extra level of polishing. My water in my tanks are crystal clear.

Another one of my biggest upsell in getting the fluval 06 is the ability to have a flow control. I researched the Eheim heavily and even contacted their customer support because I was seriously considering one at one point... I was told that there's no flow control and if I attempted to restrict the flow with the quick disconnects, I would burn out the motor and/or reduce its longevity. Conversely, the fluval is designed with the flow control option in mind and has no impact on burning out the motor. This was key to me because I like to be over-filtered and reducing the flow while having the extra capacity was advantageous.

Spray bar vs. Spray nozzle, that's no biggie. Both companies sell accessories that don't come with the filter initially. It's easily upgraded and changed. I even swapped out the ribbed fluval hosing on one of my fluvals to clear vinyl tubing to accommodate some glass Lily pipes on my rimless tank.

They are both great companies when it comes to filtration. You'll have happy owners on both ends. But making blanket statements saying that the fluval's media isn't enough "by anyone's standards" is a bold statement and sounds like it's based on anecdotal assumptions. I just find that the fluval has more features that the eheim classic cans don't. I'm not knocking eheim as a bad filter by any stretch, but I just don't see how it's superior other than the no bypass single stack design. Even if my fluval allows some bypass or not, my water is always crystal with it. Everything else about the eheim makes it cumbersome and falls short in features, IMHO.

Edit: but despite how I feel or others that use a fluval 06 can, this is your thread and you're entitled to "your own" opinion. I just wanted to play devils advocate due to the one-sided tone of it.

 

[molliwopp]

As strange as it sounds i like my 406. Another plus for 406 is that it is that its easier to set up.

 

[bsantucci]

As strange as it sounds i like my 406. Another plus for 406 is that it is that its easier to set up.

Hah, it certainly sounded like you were against it from yours posts. What caused the turnaround?

 

[molliwopp]

No turnaround i just wanted to make sure i was being understood and didnt want to give the impression i was against fluval. Im still alittle upset i have to buy extra media though because the 2 bags of biomax only fill one side of one media tray. Also 4 bags of carbon could be considered too many. But im happy because now i can run one bag every 2month.. 4 bags = 8months of carbon or i may run one every 3 months for a month.. extend that to a year of carbon. I bought 300grams of bio rings off ebay i just hope its enough. Might need alittle more.

 

[Brian_Nano12g]

Is there a particular reason you're running carbon? A lot of seasoned hobbyist tend to forgo using it unless you're trying to remove chemicals, metals, or meds that you may have used to treat the tank with. Otherwise, it's omitted as an additive in normal use. Instead of using carbon, you should consider using Purigen instead. You wouldn't have to buy new Purigen after it's been used. You simply "recharge" it by using Bleach and then Prime. It's very effective at removing nitrogenous organic waste.

As for the biomax... it's really not that expensive to buy more. In some cases, you may not 'need' more. This highly depends on the bioload of your tank. Are you even testing the parameters occasionally when your tank is stocked each time? You may already have enough bio media for BB to develop enough colonies to process the ammonia and nitrites for what you have already. Just because there's extra space doesn't mean you need to fill in every nook and cranny. Moreover, you should never have to replace the media once it's in there. You can simply rinse it out occasionally as you would your sponges in siphoned out tank water. Are you in the habit of replacing all your media several months out of the year?

 

[molliwopp]

Im in no habbit of changing media only the cleaning, and never use carbon unless medicating like you said.

Ill be needing more media eventually so better to buy it now. This 406 will be on a 65 demasoni mbuna species tank.

 

[agrasyuk]

thank you , i was just looking at these two choices as replacement for rena XP2. i will admit i am leaning towards a 306 (for 55 Gal tank)

perhaps of topic,
rena had awesome reviews, but greeted me with a leak... if the 4 latches are fully locked i strongly believe there should not be any slight possibility for a leak, and if i screwed it up and got misaligned seal then it should be impossible to lock! i understand new filters can keep the water cloudy for a week, but the water is full of tiny debris . which makes me suspect inner gasket migt be letting unfiltered stuff through. water level inside also dropped, which means it is not air tight... waiting for rena tech support to respond , if not amazon says they will take it back for a full refund even thoguh it is open and wet.