Hello everyone,
I've got an Ehiem 2213 that's been in storage for at least 5-6 years. I'll be checking all of the seals & gaskets this weekend, and plugging it in for a test run. Before I get to that, I have a couple of questions.
1) Can I rinse / clean the existing ceramic filter media and use it, or do I need to buy a new bag? If I need to buy it, should I replace it with the same thing, or get something new and improved? This unit will be filtering a moderately stocked 55g, replacing the exising ofer the top style filter.
2) The intake and return tubes; which is which? One has holes drilled in the side and the end plugged, the other is solid with an open end.
3) The hoses are a bit stiff, I'm guessing from age. Can they be replaces with standard flexible clear hose, or is there some reason to stick to the Eheim green hoses?
4) I've searched through the forum and found that a double tap system is the way to go, but I think mine only has single taps. Is there an easy way to add 2 more, or do I have to buy 2 full double taps?
5) since I'm probably going to replace the hoses, how far away from the canister should the valves / taps be? Is there any limit to the length on the hoses?
6) When placing the hoses into the tank, how far apart should they be? Opposite corners of the tank?

I know that's a lot of info to ask for, but my fish will thank you for your help!!!
Jay

Firstly buy new seals, the existing ones
will proberbly be corroded and or dried out by now.

1:Yes you can rinse and clean the ceramic media, I'd also boil it for at lest 30 mins to steralise it (take care ceramics retain heat for a long time)

2:the tube that has holes and is blocked up is the return (spray bar) this should idealy be located at the opposite end of the tank to the intake.

3:Replace the hoses with original eheim ones, this will ensure a correct fit and no leaks.

4:Personally I'd just buy the new double taps.

5:mine are an 1" to 1 1/2" from the cannister

6:yes opposite ends of the tank, this ensures a good
circulation of dirty and cleaned water.


good luck and enjoy

Wow, that was fast! Thanks for the info!
A couple more quick ones for you;
How far should the intake be above the surface of the gravel (tank bottom)
Is the spray bar supposed to be mounted horizontally or vertically? Above or below the water surface?
Thank you so much for your replies! I can't wait to get home and try this thing out!

When it comes to the placement there are no rules - play around with it and see if you notice any differences. My Eheim spraybar is actually pointing staight down the side of the tank, at the end. If you saw the tank you'd appreciate why. I keep the intake well off the ground so it picks up less mechanical waste - I prefer that to be picked up by my very easily maintained aquaclear.

This post has been edited by freddyk: Feb 25 2005, 02:03 PM

having the spray bar above the water level will be noisey,
ok for a sitting room but bad for a bedroom.

mine is just under the surface pointing slightly downwards.

freddyk, What is the aquaclear you mentioned?

I was also thinking of creating and installing an inline prefilter. Probably just a 6" long section of 2"-3" diameter PVC with coarse filter material (fiber, filter pad, or something similar), shut-off valves, and easy to remove end caps / hose adapters. Is this advisable or not such a good idea? It seems like it would be faster and easier to rinse or replace one that material than it would be to open the Eheim for maintenance. Would this extend the duration between filter cleanings?

Now that I think of it, I don't even know the recommended time to run between filter cleanings... I've read 3-6 months, but I don't know if that's really true.

Sorry to be such a pain in the butt, but it seems the more information I get, the more questions I have...

I have so far only cleaned my cannister once in the 4 months I've had it.

The Wolf has nailed everything I would say. The only thing I would add is that the 2213 will not be enough filtration for a moderately stocked 55 gallon.

Ouch! That hurts my feelings... The entire point of getting this thing running was to replace my noisy over-the-back filter. How much more filtration will I need? I'm also using a powerhead / undergravel setup on 1/2 of the tank to keep the large debris at the bottom.

Side note, I replaced the 2 o-rings on the valves (it did have a double tap after all), re-lubed the 2 internal o-rings, cleaned it all out, and it's now running. Currently it's just pumping water in and out of a bucket, but when I'm satisfied there are no leaks I'll throw it in the tank. Thanks to everyone for the advice, I think it's going to work out well in the end.

I had a 2213 running on my 220 litre (55 US Gallon (?)) tank, and it was not coping with the bioload even before the tank was near half stocked, and even though it was a mature filter moved from an existing tank. Every couple of days I would get a small rise in Ammonia, then Nitrite...not a damaging amount, but enough to have me constantly checking parameters and changing water every couple of days. It would then settle for 24 hours, but soon show a slight reading again. I decided to invest in an Eheim Pro II 2028, which is overkill in a way, but I prefer to overfilter than under filter. Another 2213 might be enough on that tank, maybe utilising one as a mechanical, and one as a biological filter. Since I don't use UGF, I am not sure what impact one will have over half a tank, maybe it is sufficient! Give it a go and keep an eye on your parameters, maybe it will be fine!