Need help regarding an Eheim canister filter

Hello Fishlore,

Note: English isn't my first language so i'm very very bad at explaining things in English so feel free to ask more questions if things are unclear.

The past few months i've been thinking about buying a canister filter because i have an ugly Juwel internal filter in my aquarium which is just very unsightly. So yesterday i decided to order the Eheim Pro 4+ 250. It would arrive at my door today but it didn't so i called them up and asked them what's wrong. They told me they only had 1 in stock but it was one which was returned to Eheim and Eheim fixed it and sent it back to these guys. He told me that Eheim also replaced the filter media with new filter media. It still had the spraybar etc but was missing the hoses and he would replace them with JBL hosing. He also offered me a €20,- discount so i accepted it and it'll arrive tomorrow.
Now here's a few things / questions.

They didn't know why it was returned to Eheim.
They don't know how long the previous owner had the filter.

Since i've never owned a canister filter before i've got no idea how it should function when it's brand new, so what are the things i should look out for. To me, this €160 filter is a big investment as i don't have that much money. How do i know if it's operating at a 100% and not "worn out" by the previous owner? Are there any things i should look out for?

Thanks alot.

-Jeroen

 

Simply don't buy it Jeroen.
Always buy a new filter and not a repaired one.

 

Simply don't buy it Jeroen.
Do you live in Holland (reading your name).

Yessir, and too late. I've already bought it :/

 

Yeah I saw it allready in your bio hahaha.

Okay, hoping it won't give you any trouble.

Decent site to get your stuff is www.aquaplantsonline.nl

 

Yeah I saw it allready in your bio hahaha.

Okay, hoping it won't give you any trouble.

Decent site to get your stuff is www.aquaplantsonline.nl

Yeah lol that's where i normally buy all my stuff but the website i've bought the filter from would deliver it the next day. Also, i'm assuming that if Eheim receives a broken product, they'll fix it and make sure it works a 100% properly right? If that makes any sense lol.

 

Yeah, but if even the shop can't tell what had to be repaired I still have my questions.
It was allready been installed and used I suppose.
But okay, we'll see. Fingers crossed.

 

Yeah, it was on sale for €160,- and the original price is around €180,- . So i ended up paying €140,- for it with the discount, so if it wasn't used for long by the previous owner it would be a pretty good deal. Idk, maybe that's just me trying to reach for positive things while making a big mistake lol.. But we'll see, i'll keep this updated.

So, apparently the previous owner had the filter for a few weeks. I hooked everything up and everything smelled / looked new. Everything's working now but i gotta say.. I am quite disappointed in the flow it gives.

 

I have the same exact filter in my 55. I don't think it has terrible strong flow either. It is super quiet though. Go easy on the lever that turns it on and off. Mine is stuck and the quick release won't work. Others have snapped it off.

 

Yeah the filter legit exactly fits my stand, it touches the sides lol so if i would've bought the 350 it probably wouldnt've fit. If the flow gets worse overtime i'll just add a small wavemaker or something.

Also, i'd like to buy a course pre-filter sponge for it but i'm not sure if they're easily available here in the Netherlands. DoubleDutch Do you have any idea where to get those?

 

Yeah the filter legit exactly fits my stand, it touches the sides lol so if i would've bought the 350 it probably wouldnt've fit. If the flow gets worse overtime i'll just add a small wavemaker or something.

Also, i'd like to buy a course pre-filter sponge for it but i'm not sure if they're easily available here in the Netherlands. DoubleDutch Do you have any idea where to get those?

No sorry I don't

 

I have the same exact filter in my 55. I don't think it has terrible strong flow either. It is super quiet though. Go easy on the lever that turns it on and off. Mine is stuck and the quick release won't work. Others have snapped it off.

Is yours good enough to still filter small particles etc? And which fine filterpads do you use?

 

Yes it still works just fine. I just have to take the whole top off instead of just the tubes

I use the sheet quilt batting from the fabric store. Cut to size.
I have the bottom tray a coarse and a medium sponge then the floss. The top tray the Eheim substrat that came with it. (the brown ball things) The black spiral things were a pain and I threw them out. Sometimes I put floss on top of the substrat but I think it slows the flow more.

 

Hi,
I don't have that filter but just wanted to mention that I just make my own pre-filter sponges.
It's really easy, you can either get a block of filter sponge (what ever density you require) and sculpt it using an electric knife, which cuts sponge brilliantly, and use a long bladed pair of scissors to cut out the inner part.
Alternatively, you can take a flat sheet of filter sponge and make a tube by sewing it with thin fishing wire.
Both options are loads cheaper than buying a ready made one and you don't have the worry of "Will this fit my intake?" when you buy it!
Hope this helps,
Emma

 

Hi,
I don't have that filter but just wanted to mention that I just make my own pre-filter sponges.
It's really easy, you can either get a block of filter sponge (what ever density you require) and sculpt it using an electric knife, which cuts sponge brilliantly, and use a long bladed pair of scissors to cut out the inner part.
Alternatively, you can take a flat sheet of filter sponge and make a tube by sewing it with thin fishing wire.
Both options are loads cheaper than buying a ready made one and you don't have the worry of "Will this fit my intake?" when you buy it!
Hope this helps,
Emma

Hey Emma,

Thanks alot, you're a genius. Now i just got to find out where to buy a coarse sponge

Yes it still works just fine. I just have to take the whole top off instead of just the tubes

I use the sheet quilt batting from the fabric store. Cut to size.
I have the bottom tray a coarse and a medium sponge then the floss. The top tray the Eheim substrat that came with it. (the brown ball things) The black spiral things were a pain and I threw them out. Sometimes I put floss on top of the substrat but I think it slows the flow more.

Are you overall happy with the filter compared to others you've owned? For how long have you been using it?
I saw Pondguru absolutely trash this particular series but imo it's pretty decent if you handle it with care.

 

Its the first one Ive owned so I have no comparison really. It does keep my water clean so I guess thats what matters!

 

Yes it still works just fine. I just have to take the whole top off instead of just the tubes

I use the sheet quilt batting from the fabric store. Cut to size.
I have the bottom tray a coarse and a medium sponge then the floss. The top tray the Eheim substrat that came with it. (the brown ball things) The black spiral things were a pain and I threw them out. Sometimes I put floss on top of the substrat but I think it slows the flow more.

Do you know the thickness of the coarse / medium / fine filterpads you own?

 

I don't remember I got them on Amazon. I'll see if I can find the link.

I think it was this.
Amazon.com : LTWHOME Fish Pong Foam Filter Sponge Set 17" X 11" Media (Pack of 1 Set) : Aquarium Filter Accessories : Pet Supplies
I used the coarse blue and the fine Green.

 

Thanks alot, so 3cm thick, now i know what fits in there . Unfortunately it's very hard to find stuff like this in the Netherlands online but i'll keep looking.

 

It gets kind of thick with the floss in the compartment but it still closes all the way and doesnt leave a gap at all. The compartment kind of floats at first putting it back together too.