The Eheim 2217 canister filter is a great workhorse. It provides mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration in a compact and nearly silent package. Like all external canister filters, it's best if you have an enclosed cabinet in your tank stand where it can be kept out of sight.
The instruction manual leaves a little to be desired. The illustrations are small and it's not always obvious which image goes which which instruction. However, once you sort out the various filter elements (coarse and fine filter pads, activated carbon pad, ceramic coarse mechanical filter material, and biological filter substrate) it's straightforward to get set up.
The filter comes with intake and outflow tubing as well as quick-disconnect valves for ease of cleaning. The filter stack must be mostly disassembled when replacing the filter pads, but it is neither complex nor overly time-consuming. The results speak for themselves: clear water, stable conditions, thriving fish. I'm very glad I bought the Eheim. |
Fish prefer Eheim filters