How much would you pay for an Eheim 2128 Pro II?

for the most part i pay 1/2 of retail for used equipment.... if its something i really need ill go a little more. eheim have always tend to been on the higher range of the filters. lots of people love them since they are known to last a long time. it also has a heater built in.

something thats close is like the xp4 which is $200 Fluval 405 a little smaller but $200 C-530 $250 which is bigger c-360 $170... add in a inline heater thats another $40 ish....
 
I paid $199 for a 2028 new, but Petsmart was trying to get rid of them at the time. If I need this much filtration again, I going over to kensfish.com and ordering Rena XP4s.
 
Eheim filters are better quality than fluvals IME, though some of them are a bit overpriced. The thermofilter has a built-in heater, and some of the high-end models have microprocessors to monitor the filter functions. The classic line of canisters are probably the best value for the $$, simple design w/out all the extra accessories to fail in the long run. The Pro II series, with or w/out the heaters, have media baskets and priming pumps built in for convenience.
I have a couple of 2026's that I bought used, paid around $60-$70 each for them (+ shipping.) The 2217 classic model pumps about the same volume of water.
 
Ultimately its all going to depend on what motivates you in this hobby (fish or tech) and whether your interest are long term (TDS) or short (CL sold next year). ounce per ounce and item per item what you need to support this hobby can either be expensive or relatively cheap. But if you do go long term with it, you will without a doubt learn to stretch your dollars to support it and make it grow.

For anything 50 gal or below I personally recommend the 265 GPM Sunsun canister filter on ebay for $43 which I believe filters every bit as well as that Eheim your looking at.
 
I got my eheim 2028 from Ken's fish. I ended up not getting the heater one since it adds so much to the price and I've heard the heaters that come with them are pretty crummy. I LOVE my 2028 (which is just the one without the heater). Kenfish.com has great prices.

EDIT: Nevermind it looks like Ken's doesn't carry the 2028 any more and their 2128 is more expensive than the big als one.
 
If you want a newer Eheim model (the 2028/2128 are Professional II series) you can get a comparable sized Eheim Professional III series 2075 (with all media included and Eheim's more expensive modular intake and spraybar) on sale for $230 with free shipping here:

http://www.valuepetsupplies.com/Aqu...ers/Eheim/Eheim-2075-158G-Ultra-p7910926.html

This is a GREAT deal on a GREAT filter with Eheim long lasting quality, I just got one last week and it is running great and took minutes to setup. You get no Eheim media with the 2128 deal you mentioned ($50 value) and no modular intake and spraybar ($50 value) so it is cheaper and includes more.

I would order a Hydor ETH 5/8" inline 200w or 300w heater (from another site as they do not carry them) for $50 and you have the perfect combination. This filter/heater combination can be used for fresh or saltwater and automatically shuts off if run dry. I have seven of these vertical heaters and I really love them, highly recommended.

http://www.bigalsonline.com/StoreCa...r?&query=hydor+eth&queryType=0&hits=12&offset=

I have a number of the Eheim 2126/2128 Professional II models with heaters built in. Although this sounds great, personally I have had inconsistent luck with their internal heaters for the following reasons.

1) The external temperature control can fail and then you just have a straight 2026/2028 filter (external heaters are alot cheaper with more options to begin with).
2) The external temperature control is not water proof so you have to be careful not to spill or splash water on it (real design fault since it sets right next to the tank.
3) There are seperate 2126/2128 models for fresh and salt water (the salt water model can be used for either because it uses a salt proof heater). The model you references is for freshwater only, saltwater ones are $100 more.
4) The displayed temperature is often miscalibrated (not a big deal because you can compensate by changing temperature setting control but you need another tank thermometer to reference).
5) The internal heaters are roughly 200w you can get a larger 300w Hydor inline.
6) The internal heater elements tend to get a hard crust on them over time (I scrap it off the best I can with a razor blade because it probably effects performance.
7) Eheim wants $150 for just a replacement external temperature probe if they fail.
8) The 2126/2128 have two hard attached wires coming out of the bottom of the canister (one plugs is for the heater and the other goes to the external temperature control). This can make them alot harder to clean as the canister body cannot just be carried over to a sink (like normal Eheims with the power going to the pump head only) for cleaning without unplugging both wires first. Depending on how these two wires are routed under your tank it means you might have to do all the cleaning at the tank itself which might be messy or inconveinent. Personally I think this is a MAJOR design fault and that they should have some type of quick disconnect for both cables off the canister itself. Eheim changed the design for the Professional III filters and put the heater in the pump head to rectify this issue.
9) The external temperature control LED cannot be read in low light situations and even though it has an indicator bar showing the heater is actually running it has no indicator light (like the Hydor inline) so you cannot tell easily or how often the heater is actually working.
10) Because of the internal heater you are suppose to orrientate the internal media baskets in a specific direction when reassembling for maximum water flow.

Over time I have placed inline Hydor ETH heaters on all my 2126/2128 canisters and would not purchase anymore with the expectation of using the internal heater. I like the filters themselves but would stick to the 2026/2028 models and they are being phased out (another reason to go with the Eheim 2075 I linked to above).

The Professional III 2075 model also has the following advantages:
1) The prefilter on the top instead of the bottom (like 2128) so it is easier to do a quick partial filter cleaning.
2) The prefilter has its own tray you can carry it over to the sink to clean.
3) Does not use rubber seals (which get hard over time) between the internal media baskets (like 2128) and they only fit back together inside one way.
4) Has four slight smaller media baskets instead of three larger ones (like 2128) for easier cleaning or mixing of internal media components.

Personally if you can afford it I would highly recommend the Eheim 2075 Professional III/Hydor heater combination over the Eheim 2128 you mentioned and you can even save some money to boot at this great price......................
 
jcahow, thanks so much for the good reference! I don't think I'm ready for this sophisticated equipment yet. I still like my AC filters. Are these canister filters really that much better? Do they remove ammonia/nitrite/nitrate so that I can do less water changes?
 
You did not say what size tank you were going to have or the type of fish that are being kept so it is hard to say.

General advantages of canisters (in no particular order):

1) Can have larger quantities of media (espically biological media)
2) Can hide out of the way under tank (minimal tank visibility)
3) Can put tank closer to a wall
4) Usually Very Quiet
5) Easy to clean (many have quick dissconnect tubing attachments to carry to sink)
6) Multiple bins for different types of filtration (mechanical/chemical/biological)
7) High water turnover rate
8) Spraybar systems promote better water flow patterns and oxygenation
9) Usually can run longer between cleaning maintence (many variables)
10) Can be tailored for specific purposes or media
11) Can have Inline or Internal heaters (one less thing in the tank to break or see)
12) Usually easy to check water flow rate (tell when filter in getting dirty)
13) Can have multiple output returns for better water circulation

Large amounts of bio matter will promote faster conversion from Ammonia to Nitrates (helping on tanks with large bio loads). Other chemical media you can put in your canister (i.e. Seachem Purigen) will prevent Nitrates building up as fast or give clearer tank water (Purigen/Carbon) for cosmetic effect.

Once the canister filter get dirty flow rates may lower quite abit and the muck in the filter will raise your Nitrate levels. If you keep filters clean you will have lower Nitrate levels. Different types/size of fish produce different waste amounts so alot depends on the type of fish you have and the size of your tank. Personally I like to have at least two (if not more) canisters on any larger tank (75+ gallons) to promote better water circulation/oxygenation/heating and to allow thorough cleaning of one without having to worry about damaging your bio media bacteria.

You can also setup a seperate small low flow canister with something like Seachem De*Nitrate which should help stop Nitrates from forming.

You might get by with less water changes but you have to watch you cleaning intervals as well. Thats why the Eheim 2075 I mentioned about has a seperate pre-filter (collects worst waste) which allows a quick easy cleaning without doing a full cleaning.

Many people like to combines a HOB filter with a canister on the same tank.

Water changes basically do multiple things:

1) remove slightly toxic Nitrates assuming your tank is cycled
2) replenish vital minerals and elements in the water
3) remove/dulute chemicals or medications in the water

Slowing the creation of Nitrates would promote less water changes and you can add back minerals and additives manually if you want.

People in the US are really spoiled compared to the rest of the world when it comes to aquariums because of the abundance of cheap fresh clean water. Water changes are not a function of cost but of time and ambition. Many other places in the world (i.e. Australia for instance) which have had severe drought conditions put a premium on water. Aquarium owners there have had to compensate for the higher cost and lack of water (rationing) with better (more expensive) setups that limit Nitrate buildup allowing fewer water changes which might become the norm here someday.
 
Here in australia about $200-250
but if it breaks down you are better off to get a new one.
Also just a hint with cannesters:
put bio balls down the bottom,grid, above that filter rocks,above that put the filter pads, then some bio balls and at the top have a body scrubber and a grid.
and you should have perfict clean water.
any questions pm me and i can explain further
 
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