Eheim pro series3e 700

HI guys,

I just picked up the eheim pro series3e 700 for cheeeap. Prior to this filter I ran a Sun sun Can filter(manual also wrong). I have a feeling the people that had it before me were having issues with it as they had the wrong model media loaded, which is significantly smaller. The 700 is massive! Very awesome capacity.

After much research of proper media order for this filter, I thought I would share what I have found after hours and close study of the poorly interpreted manual.

Almost all manufactures list the media order incorrectly. Nearly all can filters work the same way. Water enters inflow tube from the tank, flows bottom to top of filter and back out to outflow tube in the tank.

In all cases Media should be loaded in the following order from inflow. Course Mechanical media, Fine Mechanical media, biological media, Chemical media.

The pro series is an exception to other can filters. It has a top accessable,“prefilter section” that the inflow water hits first, before going into the bottom of the canister. They do this for easy maintenance and quick exchanges of course mechanical media instead of having to dig to the bottom of filter, which is the typical arrangement for most Can filters.

Eheim confuses the media load in the manual showing the fine mechanical media as the last layer, after bio/chem media. THIS IS WRONG. It should be loaded in the same chamber as the prefilter(blue).

Ideally put it ontop of the course prefilter(blue)to protect all four trays from small sediment(polished water) to biological/chem media layers. This filter will adjust and maximize flow depending on how contaminated the pads get.

The alternative Method is to lay the fine mechanical media pad down on the most bottom tray and fill the rest with bio balls or ceramic media , ect, ect, but will make it more difficult for quick exchanges.

Or as I have done, forgo the prefilter section entirely and load Course mechanical/Fine mechanical media into the very bottom tray, identical to others. The prefilter course mechanical (blue)provided is weak(thin)I use the bottom tray exclusively for customized mechanical media instead. as mentioned its a bit tougher to get to, but will provide best efficiencies within.

The manual is terrible to follow. But if you look closely at the flow diagram, It does show how this filter flows(red arrows). I have attached for referance.

 

FoxxCAN Welcome to forum !

I see this is your first post.

Tell us about your tank and your stocking.

Good score on the 700e ! That is an awesome canister !!

Be advised this model (I think) had a known problem where I believe the first couple of production runs had an issue with leaking until a revised version was produced. I think it was an issue with an internal leak inside the motor head that would drip water inside somewhere in the hose block area. Water would build up inside the motor head and I think would eventually drip out where the cord is.

I might be confusing your model with the 1200xlt though, but I think the 700 had a similar issue.

YouTube has a ton of videos on the subject and a replacement of a couple of orings and gaskets deep in the motor head I believe solves the problem.

I would advise to get the serial number from the motor head and email Eheim and ask if you have the revised motor head or the one affected by the issue.

At one point, they were sending owners new an updated motor heads for replacement.

Even if your model was not affected, it may be good preventative maintenance to go ahead and replace all the gaskets, orings and seals in the canister. That is cheap insurance plus the time and effort would be a wise investment for years of service from your new Eheim !

Sorry, this response isn't all doom and gloom. You've got a great filter for apparently a great deal, I just wanted to pass on the info.

Your are right about the media placement. Many times the manufacturers have the placement all wrong in the eyes of the hobbyists.

You mentioned the can came with some media, was it the original Eheim Mech and Substrat Pro ?

There is a space below the bottom basket, a void area where I think an optional internal heater would have gone.

You can throw in some of the Mech down there and it will help settle out some of the larger muck as the water hits the bottom and starts to rise back up.

As for the pre-filter tray at the very top, you can make your own coarse foam insert. Amazon has the Marineland 2-pack replacement foam for their C-530 for about $3-$4 on sale. They are very wide pads and coarse, maybe 10ppi. LINK

I suggest that because I've bought that same 2-pack before and used it for some DIY media in a Tidal filter my friend gave me.

Otherwise, I think your setup is spot on.

What are you using for the fine media? Something like Polyfil batting or Pinky floss ?

Post some pics of the filter and your tank if you can.

 

Welcome to forum.

Good score on the 700e ! That is an awesome canister !!

Be advised this model (I think) had a known problem where I believe the first couple of production runs had an issue with leaking until a revised version was produced. I think it was an issue with an internal leak inside the motor head that would drip water inside somewhere in the hose block area. Water would build up inside the motor head and I think would eventually drip out where the cord is.

I might be confusing your model with the 1200xlt though, but I think the 700 had a similar issue.

YouTube has a ton of videos on the subject and a replacement of a couple of orings and gaskets deep in the motor head I believe solves the problem.

I would advise to get the serial number from the motor head and email Eheim and ask if you have the revised motor head or the one affected by the issue.

At one point, they were sending owners new an updated motor heads for replacement.

Even if your model was not affected, it may be good preventative maintenance to go ahead and replace all the gaskets, orings and seals in the canister. That is cheap insurance plus the time and effort would be a wise investment for years of service from your new Eheim !

Sorry, this response isn't all doom and gloom. You've got a great filter for apparently a great deal, I just wanted to pass on the info.

Your are right about the media placement. Many times the manufacturers have the placement all wrong in the eyes of the hobbyists.

You mentioned the can came with some media, was it the original Eheim Mech and Substrat Pro ?

There is a space below the bottom basket, a void area where I think an optional internal heater would have gone.

You can throw in some of the Mech down there and it will help settle out some of the larger muck as the water hits the bottom and starts to rise back up.

As for the pre-filter tray at the very top, you can make your own coarse foam insert. Amazon has the Marineland 2-pack replacement foam for their C-530 for about $3-$4 on sale. They are very wide pads and coarse, maybe 10ppi. LINK

I suggest that because I've bought that same 2-pack before and used it for some DIY media in a Tidal filter my friend gave me.

Otherwise, I think your setup is spot on.

What are you using for the fine media? Something like Polyfil batting or Pinky floss ?

Post some pics of the filter and your tank if you can.

Hey there!

Yes I was reading about the leaking. I think my model is OK. There is an oring kit that is available for the 700 I saw on google. I did have a look around the top of the head(pwr connector) area and did a test run in the kitchen sink with no leaking. Dont see any calcium or water staining around the connector, but you might have a good point in just replacing those orings anyways, or at least having the kit on standby. Ill fire off an email to eheim just to check! Thanks for the info!

For media. I am using bio ceramic course/fine eheim media. I also have some that I transferred from the sun sun . One tray I have filled with Hydroton(a hydroponic growing media). I have used this in the past,is cheap and also is suspended(floats). So it is actually a fluidized media without air bubbles as it is underwater constantly. Works very, very good, and is hugely underrated as a bio media..It is a bit of a pita though, because it floats when removing trays in canister water. I have a pound of Biohome minI ultra coming to add later.

For the course and fine mechanical. I'm using aqua-clear 70(large sponge)I just cut to shape for can filter trays. Did this with the Sun sun filter as well. They are cheap enough locally(8$ 3-pack CAN), and work very good.I normally use it 2-3 times and exchange. The fine is a indeed filter floss. I actually found pre-cut knock off Sponge media on eBay for this filter cheap(course and fine). So I will try it inwhen it comes. Coming from China, so it will be awhile.

The sponge media it came with looks like 200-300 series eheim from which the can is significantly smaller. If they were using it as it appears they were. There would have been huge gaps for muck to slip by.

I did put bio ceramic rings in the bottom of my Sun Sun for this very purpose. The gap is quite deep on the pro, so I left it for now. But once I move the pads into the top area its basically added capacity for more bio media.

still playing with the scape and undergravel jet filter. The tank just went through a reseal as it decided to let go over the holidays.

In the tank I have my ReHome Tiger Oscar (13 inch long 5.5 inches wide) Dumbledor

AppyV3 the giant apple snail

and Rocksteady the Rino Pleco

The tank is a 75gal glass bowfront

 

Fantastic set up you have!

The bow front tank and its stand is great looking.

I've see the Hydroton grow media on Amazon, though haven't used it before.

The under gravel jet setup is very interesting. It appears you have a pump with a sponge pre-filter that shoots water into the UGF and then the intake of the Eheim drawing up water from the UGF.

Is this correct?

 

Fantastic set up you have!

The bow front tank and its stand is great looking.

I've see the Hydroton grow media on Amazon, though haven't used it before.

The under gravel jet setup is very interesting. It appears you have a pump with a sponge pre-filter that shoots water into the UGF and then the intake of the Eheim drawing up water from the UGF.

Is this correct?

Hey there!

Thank you!! Ive learned a lot since having the oscar(about 2-years). Mostly the Filtration has become a huge factor. I don't have time to clean it al the time. He is a dirty fish ! Before the eheim I was gravel vaccuming every week.. water changes (50%) every two. I'm hoping to double this and do 25% water instead every two weeks..

The undergravel jet system works like so. It is being driven by a maxI 295gph powerhead with a prefilter as mentioned. Pushing the sediment up into the tank where the eheim inflow tube can catch it. I also have another powerhead helping create surface agitation and create a current in the opposite direction + outflow from eheim

I will be changing the intake to a surface skimmer setup in the future. As the Jet system works so well, the protein bits floats up onto the surface and stay until my Snail goes up there and skims for me!

Here is some picts of that build. I made it with two risers for two reasons.

1. To flush it when I need to.
2. Add more pwr if I determine its needed

 

That is an awesome DIY filtration method.

Water looks crystal clear.

That oscar you have looks very healthy and had good looking color.

 

Thanks! He is a pretty cool fish I want him to stay around a long time! Ive watched tons of builds including the DYI King - Joey. Taken all those ideas to come up with this design. Happy to get rid of the purchased ugf I was running, it was junk.. The Oscar digs and renders it useless as flow always follows the path of least resistance. With the jet system if he uncovers parts of it(which he has already!). It still works evenly throughout the tank.

Ill post another picture of it once attach the skimmer! Super simple to build and cheap to. About $50 CAN in supplies and another $50 for the pump

cheers !

 

Would this design work with plants or would the jet stream create too much disruption for them ?

 

Works fine with plants. Have since moved into a planted tank.

 

FoxxCAN , how have you been and how are your tanks doing ?