Ehiem Pro II 2026 or Ehiem Pro II 2028

[Captain Telecredible]

Hi guys,
I am starting on a new tank a 4 ft tank, but not sure of which filter to choose for Ehiem Pro II 2026 or Ehiem Pro 2028 wonder why is there so much difference in price, and does the filter rate affects the tank ?

[illumnae]

the differences between the 2026 and the 2028 are that the 2026 is rated 100li/hour slower and has 1 less media tray, meaning about 2 litres less of media for you to play around with. in my opinion, a single 2028 is insufficient for a 4ft tank. if you're setting up a 4x2x2, go with 2x 2028s and if it's a 4x1.5x1.5 perhaps go with 2x 2026s or a single 3e

[acc]

There are large variations in prices of eheim filters depending on where you shop. I bought mine at NA. It should be priced nearer to $300 than to $400

[Captain Telecredible]

Woah 2 Ehiem Pro II 2026 would cost a bomb ! Around $810 like that ?

[uklau]

Providing sufficient circulation & filteration in a planted tank is crucial to a sucessful planted tank.

Although expensive, Eheim filters are very reliable & the power consumption is usually lower their competitors.

I ever did a comparison for Eheim 2232 with other equivalent competitors. Eheim breaks even in slightly less than a year. With the reliability of Ehein & the ease of getting the spare parts, it is definately worth to invest on Eheim (if you know that you are going to stay long in this hobby). On top of that, Eheim also has better resale value.

[gbr]

Would others agree that a 2028 is not sufficient for a 4x2x2?
I tend to disagree as I have a 4x2x2 and a single 2028. I even recently put on an outflow pipe (similar to a lilly-pipe) to reduce the turbulence. Perhaps the filter media make a difference on the flow rate. I'm just using the eheim media that was packaged with the 2028.
Isn't the goal of a good planted aquarium for the plants to become the filter (from reading Diana Walstead - Ecology of a planted aquarium)


I certainly do agree that Eheim is a very sound choice. I also found NA to be the cheapest.

[illumnae]

An Eheim ProII 2028 is rated at 1050 litres/hour. After taking into account flow reduction from media, inline equipment and other factors (e.g. sludge buildup in the media/hoses), it's probably closer to 900 litres/hour or lower. That's 2x tank volume per hour, which is extremely low especially for a planted tank. When I first started on planted tanks about a year and a half ago, the general recommendation given to me on this forum and others was 4-5x tank volume per hour. These days, it's not uncommon to see flow rates as high as 10x tank volume per hour for nano tanks. Hence, in my opinion, a single Eheim ProII 2028 would be woefully inadequate for a 4x2x2.

If cost is really a concern, another reliable choice to consider is the Fluval FX5. It costs slightly more than an Eheim ProII 2028 and has been getting good reviews from other forums. I've been using it myself for 8 months now and I have no complaints. It also runs at 2400litres/hour which beats 2x Eheim ProII 2028s in terms of flow anyway. The downside is that you have to tolerate 25mm diameter ribbed hoses that severely limit your choices of filter inlet/outlets.

[CK Yeo]

Neither. Pro II series are prone to leaks. Seems to be a common problem.

I prefer the classic and Pro series. See if you can still get them.

ck

[jacian]

Every tank is different so is the requirements. I will not say a single Ehiem 2028 is definitely not sufficient for a 4x2x2. The amount of filtration will depend on the bioload, if circulation is the concern, you can add a powerhead.

[illumnae]

very true jacian, i forgot about powerheads! (now I may go get one to add on to my 2x 2028s since my flow will be slowed by external reactors )

[gbr]

I'm curious now that I've read the recent comments on this thread whether the flow rate on my tank is sufficient. (As mentioned before I've only got a single 2028 for my 4x2x2 tank).

What problems would you expect in a planted aquarium with a lesser flow rates?

Also ... is there any particular media that people recommend for the ehiem canisters filters over what ehiem provides in the box? Is there any specific media for a planted aquarium that is recommend?

[gbr]

Neither. Pro II series are prone to leaks. Seems to be a common problem.

I prefer the classic and Pro series. See if you can still get them.

ck

Can anyone comment on their experiences with the newer Pro 3e?

[illumnae]

as long as the media you use provides sufficient "real estate" for sufficient benficial bacteria to colonize and metabolize the ammonia/nitrites in your water, you're fine

There's no media that is required for a planted aquarium, but some like to use certain brands of media that reputedly have a higher surface area to volume ratio, allowing for more bacteria to colonize in the same limited filter space. Such brands include biohome, ada biorio, eheim substratpro and seachem matrix amongst others.

As for flow, i personally like a higher flow rate as it allows for co2 to be mixed well and quickly, as well as ensures delivery of co2/nutrients to the plants in a timely manner. Also, due to hardscape and plants creating barriers to the flow, inadequate flow might result in a much lower than expected flowrate or even deadspots in certain areas of the tank.

[BFG]

What problems would you expect in a planted aquarium with a lesser flow rates?

You would begin to see more debris accumulating on the leaves. You will see more debris accumulating around the base of the plant further away from the filter inlet, depending on how you have your filter inlet and outlet.