Filtration for Dennerle 50l Dutch

[Aqua360]

Hi all,

I recently set up a Dutch Scape in a Dennerle 50l, it's early days, but I'm using an external EF-250 filter, rated at 800lph.

Problem is, its incredibly noisy, even with repeatedly purging it, and adding vaseline to the impeller.

I'm looking at alternate canisters now, including a friend's eheim ecco 130, which I believe is rated at 500lph.

I like eheim so I don't really doubt the quality will be there, but in terms of the flow rate, will this be enough to avoid any issues? The EF-250 flow is currently ideal, so I'd like to gather opinions on whether I should avoid the eheim ECCO 130 or proceed.

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

It really depends on how you are running the tank @Aqua360

If you are going Dutch you’re likely to be using Tropica or ADA style dosing to get form and colouration from your plants, combined with rich substrate and high light. In that case, sure, the Ecco has you covered.

If you went EI, would suggest a filter with more turnover. EI is more distribution dependent.

 

[Aqua360]

It really depends on how you are running the tank @Aqua360

If you are going Dutch you’re likely to be using Tropica or ADA style dosing to get form and colouration from your plants, combined with rich substrate and high light. In that case, sure, the Ecco has you covered.

If you went EI, would suggest a filter with more turnover. EI is more distribution dependent.

Thanks, yeah my dosing is really basic, liquid ferts once a week. Have started with dimmed lighting to try and avert algae as much as possible!

Will open a journal soon on the build

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

You’ll get a thumbs up from me on most Eheim filters @Aqua360 there’s the odd exception though.

If the turnover is adjustable like on the ‘e’ series of filters it’s a matter of finding one with the range you’re looking for. If you go for an Ecco you can adjust the output with the valve, but this isn’t the same as controlling the pump. The Ecco can be a pig if the mechanism that releases the pump head from the body breaks the plastic guides. Weakness of the design.

Equally, Oase biomaster filters usually work fine as long as they’re run fully open, but there’s issues if you cause back pressure from restricting the output with the lever from personal experience. A 250 thermo on a Dennerle 50l is a nice pairing and you’ll likely be running it on full anyway for example.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

The Ecco can be a pig if the mechanism that releases the pump head from the body breaks the plastic guides. Weakness of the design.

I'm an <"Eheim user">, but it is a definite <"design fault">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aqua360]

Hi all,

I'm an <"Eheim user">, but it is a definite <"design fault">.

cheers Darrel

Can you please elaborate on this design flaw? I'm sure I read something similar to this recently, but didn't fully understand it, is it the clamps on the filter head that are prone to breakage?

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

Can you please elaborate on this design flaw? I'm sure I read something similar to this recently, but didn't fully understand it, is it the clamps on the filter head that are prone to breakage?

To release the head you pull the handle down and the head lifts up uniformly on both sides from the canister body, breaking the seal, all done with precision German engineering…

In theory…

In reality… the neighbours call the police as the swearing sounds like someone is being murdered… the head lifts on one side and not the other 🤬😡😵‍💫🤬🤬🤬

This then snaps the plastic in the guide, leaving you with a filter head half released and lopsided 🤦🏻‍♂️

Then the panic sets in 💩 The head is forcing the round canister body into an oval shape. Will it crack the filter body 🤭

You think… I know… I’ll lever out the other side with a spoon! Your other half then declares, “you’re not using our spoons for that!!!” as you carefully try to prise the side that is stuck to release the seal and eject the filter head from the body…

And that is why Eheim Ecco users rarely clean their filters 😂

 

[Aqua360]

To release the head you pull the handle down and the head lifts up uniformly on both sides from the canister body, breaking the seal, all done with precision German engineering…

In theory…

In reality… the neighbours call the police as the swearing sounds like someone is being murdered… the head lifts on one side and not the other 🤬😡😵‍💫🤬🤬🤬

This then snaps the plastic in the guide, leaving you with a filter head half released and lopsided 🤦🏻‍♂️

Then the panic sets in 💩 The head is forcing the round canister body into an oval shape. Will it crack the filter body 🤭

You think… I know… I’ll lever out the other side with a spoon! Your other half then declares, “you’re not using our spoons for that!!!” as you carefully try to prise the side that is stuck to release the seal and eject the filter head from the body…

And that is why Eheim Ecco users rarely clean their filters 😂

Think I'll maybe reconsider the Ecco 👀

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

is it the clamps on the filter head that are prone to breakage?

To release the head you pull the handle down and the head lifts up uniformly on both sides from the canister body, breaking the seal, all done with precision German engineering… This then snaps the plastic in the guide, leaving you with a filter head half released and lopsided

Yes, it is the grey handle that opens the filter head. You are meant to rotate it to the back of the filter and that frees the head up, so you can remove from the filter canister. The locking mechanism needs to rotate through half a turn, to line up the lugs and opening, but often it doesn't, so there is no way of actually removing the head. When you look at where the opening should be there is a red plastic "cover" (actually the inner section of the handle, that should have revolved)

After a few backwards and forwards one of the <"flimsy plastic components inevitably snaps"> and then you are in the @Geoffrey Rea scenario.

cheers Darrel

 

[Geoffrey Rea]

To be fair… Everything has faults, even ADA Superjet filters. It’s just a matter of negating the circumstances that lead to them. The Ecco I run is one of the first off the production line. It’s been ‘broken’ for almost two decades but has done good service.

Dealt with Oase filters that leak because of back pressure, a real problem if the tank is upstairs. Folks on here binning Aquael filters because of the noise. Eheim flagship models that jam if the red button isn’t fully pulled out when you swing the level to release the cassette.

Get to know the filter you’re buying.

 

[erwin123]

To be fair to Eheim, mine only broke after 8 years but I am still using whenever I need to do additional emergency substrate vacuuming or my 6 monthly chiller cleaning. (the water seal is still good for say, 30 minutes of use, no leaks) 😅
I'm currently using Fluval 307/407 and quite happy with them- the priming rod/button is a bit flimsy so that is a possible area of breakage but it is not intended for repeated pumping.