New Eheim 2080 setup - Help needed

[4D3]

Hi,

First post here so bear with me:

Situation: I have a 6x2x2 with cichlids, currently running 1 Eheim Classic 2217, and 1 Pro-Aqua 2200UV, the water is murky , the quality is perfect Ammonia 0 Nitrite 0 Nitrate 0-5, just not crystal clear!!

I have just bought the following:

3 x 2.3L Pre-Filters with 4 Pads in each - Coarse to Fine
1 x 36w UV Sterilizer
1 x 1L Reactor - I plan to fill this with a 50:50 mix of Purigen and Hyperzorb
1 x Eheim Pro 3 2080

The Plan: - Decommission Pro-Aqua 2200UV and make the water clear again!!

My Idea:

For the Eheim Pro 3 - Have the canister under the tank on the right hand side.

Run an inlet to the Pro 3 from each side of the tank, before these inlets hit the Pro 3, each would pass through its own dedicated 2.3L Pre Filter (i.e. one Pre-Filter per inlet) then through the Pro 3, From there pass the cleaned water through the UV Sterilizer and up to a spray bar which would be across the right hand side of the tank blowing the water towards the centre of the tank

For the Classic 2217 - Have the canister under the tank on the left hand side.

Have the inlet on the RIGHT HAND SIDE, underneath the spray bar for the Pro 3, from there the water into a Pre-Filter then into the Classic 2217, from there the outlet passing the fluid through the Reactor and up to a spray bar on the LEFT HAND SIDE of the tank spraying the water towards the centre of the tank.


The desired effect: The Pro 3 already takes water from both sides and mixes it for good water dispersion, the Classic will suck in from one side and eject of the other for increased water mix.

Hopefully the prefilter can collect all the debris that is in my water and give me nice clean water, with the reactor essentially dealing with chemical filtration and tannin from the drift wood.



MY QUESTIONS:

1: Is this overkill
2: Does anyone think there are any flaws with the idea
3: Should I use PVC pipe and hard plumb or just stick to the hoses (I am leaning towards hoses as there is less head pressure and the water flow is greater by not using right angles, and it is easier to install)
4: Is there anything i have missed?


I look forward to your responses!!

thanks

 

[FishNCash]

I don't see why you should use PVC instead of hoses. The hoses should be fine as long as you use high quality hoses. I have the hoses for over 3 yrs and no issue. It's never overkill for your setup. You can think of it as buying an insurance policy for clean water.


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[4D3]

Hi,

thanks for the reply, thats what i was meaning, PVC piping, while lots of people including my friends swear by it, from a purely fluid dynamics point of view, any low surface friction co-efficient the PVC has over the hose, is destroyed by using PVC 90 degree bends, the more bends the lower the flow!

I am wanting to use hoses!!

Is there any reason why the canister filters would be stressed by the prefilters I am going to add to each intake? or will the syphoning effect be enough to cope with this?

thanks

 

[deeda]

The only problem with using any type of pre-filter is that when it becomes clogged, the filter may be 'starved' of sufficient water to keep the impeller cooled and lubricated. If you are vigilant with pre-filter cleaning, you should be fine.

Quick question though, what exactly do you mean by murky water? Is it cloudy, white or greenish or is it just that there is a lot of fine debris that isn't being captured by the existing filters?

 

[4D3]

The only problem with using any type of pre-filter is that when it becomes clogged, the filter may be 'starved' of sufficient water to keep the impeller cooled and lubricated. If you are vigilant with pre-filter cleaning, you should be fine.

Hi,

thats why i bought 2.3l pre filters!! I was planning to blast the prefinters under the tap weekly so i didnt have to open the filter as much!! it is a big mother and i dont think te wife will be happy with me soaking the lounge!!

I might try the filter for a few weeks with no pre filters and see what happens, if i still get the debris ill add the pre filters!

Quick question though, what exactly do you mean by murky water? Is it cloudy, white or greenish or is it just that there is a lot of fine debris that isn't being captured by the existing filters?

yeah the existing filters aint collecting enough fish poop!!thats why i got the 2080!

 

[FishNCash]

Is there any reason why the canister filters would be stressed by the prefilters I am going to add to each intake? or will the syphoning effect be enough to cope with this?

thanks

i used prefilters on two of my eheim 2028 pro II for many yrs and never a problem. I recommend you get the porous type prefilters so you don't have to clean every 3 days. I can go 1-2 weeks before I have to rinse the prefilters. I also added a powerhead with prefilters for extra bubble aeration. I run an HOB for mechanical filtration which I clean every 2-3 weeks




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[4D3]

i used prefilters on two of my eheim 2028 pro II for many yrs and never a problem. I recommend you get the porous type prefilters so you don't have to clean every 3 days. I can go 1-2 weeks before I have to rinse the prefilters. I also added a powerhead with prefilters for extra bubble aeration. I run an HOB for mechanical filtration which I clean every 2-3 weeks




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Hi,

thanks again, i will add the pre filters when they arrive! a few days away yet...

I was wondering, do the inlet hoses have to be the same length or does it not matter with the siphon effect?

thanks

 

[FishNCash]

Hi,

thanks again, i will add the pre filters when they arrive! a few days away yet...

I was wondering, do the inlet hoses have to be the same length or does it not matter with the siphon effect?

thanks

i don't think they have to be the same but longer hose will reduce your flow. I have my outlet hose longer than my inlet on one of the Eheim.




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[4D3]

i don't think they have to be the same but longer hose will reduce your flow. I have my outlet hose longer than my inlet on one of the Eheim.


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my problem is i cant get the canister under my stand!! so it if on the left , and i have put the spraybar on the left also so there is less to push!

ill try and get the hoses as even as possible!

 

[FishNCash]

my problem is i cant get the canister under my stand!! so it if on the left , and i have put the spraybar on the left also so there is less to push!

ill try and get the hoses as even as possible!

i don't use spraybars. Don't worry too much about water movement in the tank. You can add a koralia powerhead to increase your flow to remove dead spots in your tank.




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