OK, there just simply isn't a better filter on the market. With the intake on the bottom and the exhaust on the top, there is simply no place for water to bypass the media and hence the filtration is far more efficient. Some people complain that the filter is quite difficult to clean. However, the manual shows an easy way to do this. I have kept mine without cleaning for 3 months or and my heavily planted fresh water aquarium has been doing great. The media is reusable and reusable and reusable. Get my point? :-)
They are extremely efficient. A bit more expensive that the rest of canister filters out in the market. But in the long run, these are better since they last longer and the rarely break down.
Worried about the filtration on your aquarium??? Get one of these silent/efficient/reliable guys.
I have been using my Eheim 2213 for 19 years now, and have never had to replace any parts, until now. It is an incredible filter, that keeps everything in the tank clear and fresh. The only complaint I have has already been fixed. The double shutoff connections that they've added will make cleaning it so much easier. 19 years ago, they didn't have these, but I may buy some extras. I've heard that the only downfall for Eheim is ordering replacement parts. The only thing needing replacement is the suction cups that hold the parts in place inside of the tank. Everything else is wonderful!
I would definitely recommend this to others. Especially with a good price for a canister filter.
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This is the best and only filter I will ever own for my tank. It is very cost effective. I used to run the Bio-wheel and or the Whisper type filters. I found those filters to not last long and would have to change filters every 2 weeks. With this filter, changes are at about 3 month intervals however, I still recommend you do your normal water changes. The filter is extremely quite and is easy to set up.
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I bought my 2211-37 in late August 2010 and have it filtering a 16 gallon aquarium with one 5 inch goldfish (2 inches body, 3 inches tail). I'm guessing it can probably support 3 or 4 inches of goldfish not counting tail. (Goldfish are very messy, and a power filter on this tank cannot keep up.) The 2211 keeps up just fine--the water is crystal clear, and the ammonia and nitrite are zero. The pump is silent. It came with all the filter media, piping and quick disconnect couplers for both the intake and outflow--everything you need. My outflow coupler arrived cracked, and Fancy Pants Pets replaced it no charge. There is no internal canister to hold the media like in the 2213. The media sets directly in the can with a separator plate at the bottom to provide some space at the intake before the water flows through the bio media. The bio cylinders and bio balls are separated by the coarse filter pad. The fine filter pad and charcoal pad sit atop the bio balls, and a separator plate goes in on top to keep stuff out of the pump at the top. Cleaning is very easy and quick. There is no primer, so to prime the first time, you need to suck on the outflow. After that, you can prime the filter by leaving the intake filled with water at the coupling, opening the outflow coupler, then opening the intake coupler. The spray bar puts out quite a bit of flow (79 gph), I'd guess about 2/3 of what the 2213 does, so that's a lot of flow for a small tank like this, but not too much for my goldfish--she loves it. The pipes on the 2213 are both 12 mm, but on the 2211 the return pipe is only 9 mm while the intake is 12 mm. The height of the unit is 11.75 inches, but the return pipe climbs up a 1/4 inch higher, and you're going to want at least 12.5 inches to clear the unit. The canister is 4 inches across and a 5 inch square base is provided for the canister to rest in for added stability. This is an excellent filter for tanks 20 gallons and less (Eheim says up to 40 gallons, but if you've got goldfish in more than 20 gallons, you're going to want more filter). Max install height is 5 feet 10 inches. The 2211 is definitely worth the money over the hang on the back filters, which have much less bio filter capability and don't run silent like this one. The 2211 is also more suitable for small tanks than the 2213 is, which has a bit too much flow for under 20 gallons.
July 2011 UPDATE: I've had this filter on this tank for almost a year now. In that time I've had to clean it 4 times--it needs cleaning more often than the larger Eheim filters due to the smaller diameter. The good news is it's pretty easy to clean. (You know it needs cleaning when you see reduced outflow during a water change. I take care when cleaning my canister filters to keep the bio media submersed in tank water during the cleaning so as to keep the bacteria alive.) I have kept three different goldfish in the tank during the past year (one at a time). After the 5 inch veil tale above, a 6 inch fantail which kept his tank pretty clean for a goldfish, and more recently a 5 inch pearlscale which leaves more food and poop in the tank. The Eheim has kept the tank crystal clear and the water quality perfect all the time and given me no trouble. The 2211 is even quieter than when it was new, which is pretty close to silent. This is a great little filter for small tanks, and I'm very happy with it.
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The Eheim 2217 canister filter is a great workhorse. It provides mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration in a compact and nearly silent package. Like all external canister filters, it's best if you have an enclosed cabinet in your tank stand where it can be kept out of sight.
The instruction manual leaves a little to be desired. The illustrations are small and it's not always obvious which image goes which which instruction. However, once you sort out the various filter elements (coarse and fine filter pads, activated carbon pad, ceramic coarse mechanical filter material, and biological filter substrate) it's straightforward to get set up.
The filter comes with intake and outflow tubing as well as quick-disconnect valves for ease of cleaning. The filter stack must be mostly disassembled when replacing the filter pads, but it is neither complex nor overly time-consuming. The results speak for themselves: clear water, stable conditions, thriving fish. I'm very glad I bought the Eheim.
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The suction cup works well and the light is bright (Extremely powerful).The blue is a very nice blue, and much lighter than the night lights that are sometimes included on Metal halide lamps as night lights. One thing I would have added is a black piece of plastic to somewhat shield part of the light. The plug isn't one of those gigantic plugs either, although it isn't a standard plug. I can fit a standard plug next to the slot in the power strip. Looking back, I wish I would have chose the multicolored one H2Show LED Light ColorMix Multicolor though because 2 different colored lamps may be too bright at night, but I have mine in a 24 gallon nano cube, so take that into consideration. BTW, don't get the older model if you do get these. I've had the older models with bubbles, etc. Get the H2 Show model only. They have improved their product since then, and the older models with bubbles require you to have the included airline hang out on top of the tank, and the older models just aren't as bright and the blue just isn't as nice.
