Experiences with Eheim Pro 3E?

**Blades** · 17th Apr 2009, 12:29

Hi Guys, anyone using the above filters and your opinion and observations pls? Thanks in advance.

**vinz** · 17th Apr 2009, 13:16

Let's contrast with other filters of similar size.

I was using the "trash can" big filter, Eheim 2250. When it's full of water, it's hard to move it around for cleaning, etc. Emptying the water before moving is not practical. No media trays, no pre-filter, comparatively noisy. It's vibration and noise was irritating... I have to resort to cushioning it with a towel to reduce the noise and vibration.

Later, I got my hands on a Pro III. In comparison, the Pro III is silent. Once in the cabinet, I could not hear it. Negligible vibration. Media trays are standard with most contemporary canister filters, so no big advantage there. The wheels make it easy to move around even when full of water.

The pre-filter helps to keep the media from being choked sooner than usual, thus reducing the frequency of having to cleaning the rest of the filter media. You still have to regularly open it up to clear the pre-filter (I do it once a month) but you don't have to lug the whole thing to the sink/toilet/cleaning area. You only have to move the drip tray with the pre-filter.

Ever tried to carry a tray full of water without spilling? Not easy. You can't empty it back into the filter as the detritus will go in and kinda negate the whole point of the pre-filter. I empty it into a pail before carrying the whole tray and pre-filter to the cleaning area. Still... saves you from lugging the whole filter along.

Cleaning the power head/cover is easy.

They have a button for ejecting the in/out hose coupling. It is quite stiff to operate and the feeling is that you might break something if you press too hard. However, it's a simple mechanism and you won't break anything. There is a double-safety feature... the flow control lever locks the coupling in place if it's set in a open position. You MUST push the lever to the "closed" position before the coupling can be ejected.

**Blades** · 17th Apr 2009, 17:58

Thanks for the detailed explanation Vincent. Is 3E essentially the same as 3 minus the 'smart' parts?

**vinz** · 17th Apr 2009, 18:14

No idea. I've not tried the 3E, but the product literature shows that it is similar in physical aspects.

The new stuff (other than the "E" bits):
- The physical lever, while still present, functions only as a locking mechanism.

**Blades** · 17th Apr 2009, 18:23

Hopefully the 'E' is smart enuff to cut off the flow once the interlock is defeated.

**carlfsk** · 17th Apr 2009, 22:51

I have 3 type running at the moment. Hope my experience can help some in makng a wise decision that meet your needs.

Eheim 2260
Yup, this filter is pretty noisy, as in humming, due to vibration of the power head fixed on top of the cannister cover. I managed to resolve this problem by separating the power head from the cannister. I connect a hose to it instead of fixing it directly on top of the cannister. It's running as silent as I like it to be. I like this filter is because of the huge space available for media.

As for maintenance, there's a back flush at the bottom of the cannister body, which I used to drain the water from the cannister before carrying it to the toilet. Thereafter, I will pour all media into a plastic tub, which I will use the tank water to clean them. I have a sponge at the bottom of the cannister, which traps some dirt / debris, which I will usually clean with tap water.

Eheim 2080
I like the huge size which I can add in more media (biggest of the Pro series I suppose). What I do not like is there're 2 intake tube instead of the usual 1. This looks unsightly in the tank. I manage to solve this by customising a black acrylic cover to 'hide' the pipings from view.

As for maintenance, I will usually take out the media tray from the cannister and place them in a plastic tub. Without these trays of media, carrying the cannister, even with the remainder water in it is much more manageable. My last maintenace including changing water for my 2ft cube tank took me an hour.

Eheim 2078e
I like this is simply because it's size is just nice to fit into my cabinet for this particular tank I am using it for. It's electronic function is good if you need to programme it for different streaming mode for different timing of the day. Probably this might be good for marine tank, keeping corals. There're also other electronic function like automatic purging of air trapped in the filter, especially useful for priming the filter. Of course, the manual knob for priming is also available. The electronic purging just makes the manual priming much more easier. With the electronic control, I am also able to control the flowrate electronically, rather than manually / conventionally using control valve.

Maintenance wise, it's just similar to Eheim2080 to me.

Of the 3, the flow rate of the Eheim2260 best satisfy me. But higher flowrate means higher electricity consumption. 65watt for Eheim2260, 25watt for Eheim2080, and 35watt for Eheim2078e.