# Tetratec EX 1200 filter



## zig (22 Mar 2008)

Ok I will put the question in the right section this time  

Anybody using these filters, what do you think of them? 

Would it give me enough circulation with an inline heater plumbed in for a 150l tank?? What would you reckon? I could always plumb the heater in on an eheim 2213 and just use the Tetratec on its own, would that be nescessary do you reckon, I would rather keep the watts of power used down as much as possible.

Thanks


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## Steve Smith (23 Mar 2008)

I use the EX700 and I like it a lot 

Bare in mind that the EX1200 has 16/22mm hosing so you would either need the 300w hydor or 200w with hose enlargers.


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## Rob33 (23 Mar 2008)

I've been running a 1200 (on a Rio 180) for around 5 months.  No problems so far.


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## Bingy_bong (23 Mar 2008)

I think the tetratec 1200 is a great filter, easy to use and more output than others with the supposededly the same outputs. 
I am now running one of these with the hydor300 on alongside an eheim 1200 professional in a rio300, and the tetratec is far superior in my opinion

hope this helps, john


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## Lisa_Perry75 (23 Mar 2008)

Just got the tetratec 1200 on the Rio 125. Love. It. The flow is crazy. Comes with all media and a spray bar!!! The hoses are clear and the spraybar and inlet are clear with a light grey hue. The inlet is telescopic.

First filter I've set up myself and it was easy peasy. It was a tad noisy, just a hum, but considering the size of the filter the noise is reasonable.


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## zig (24 Mar 2008)

Thanks everyone just double checking really, I had heard good things about them but no info is better than first hand experience and plenty of that here. I will order one today, it seems to fit the bill perfectly, it will give me 8x turnover that should be enough I would imagine, beats the supposed 3.5x turnover I have now with my eheim 2215 (which I firmly doubt) I was a pretty big believer in eheims not so sure now though, the drop off in flow is pretty major with that filter. I now have it on an 84l tank and it seems about right for that . 

Thanks everyone.


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## George Farmer (24 Mar 2008)

I used the EX 1200 on my Rio 125.  Great filter, especially for the price.  It should be plenty for 150 l. with inline heater.


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## Arana (24 Mar 2008)

been running one for over 6 months now and i think they are awsome filters  I did have a problem with one of the plastic u pieces when it started to suck air in, they are moulded in 2 pieces i think then bonded together, i emailed tetratec in the morning and they had a replacement free of charge to me the next day... Great filter with great backup


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## zig (24 Mar 2008)

Might have to put this on hold for a week  

Just spent â‚¬850 in Tecso buying 2 LCD Tvs and a 160gig DVD revcorder , impulse buy, well not exactly impulse, seen an ad last night in the Sunday newspaper, got a great deal though, 50% off all Tvs DVDs etc in a one day only sale  

Fishtank flow can wait a little while, gotta get the oul priorities right sometimes


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## Denis C. (25 Mar 2008)

Why do I always miss these events! However, I did manage to get myself a digital scales in Lidl today for â‚¬14 euro! I bet your real Jealous! Real Jealous! 

Regarding the filter, it may have just been a batch that was sent to Ireland but I have heard "numerous" stories of people having to return to certain shops around Dublin to have their 1200 replaced. Apparently the seams around the area where the pipes entered the canister was leaking badly. Darren from (ITFS) had to replace his about three weeks ago and he only had it two days. Its something to think about and you might want to order one from abroad so as to not get stuck with one from the same batch if you buy here.  I have been using the EX700 since it came on the market and I highly recommend the TetraTec externals.


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## zig (25 Mar 2008)

Cheers Denis I didn't know that I will check it out a bit further   I was more looking at Zooplus.ie for the purchase although one thing I noticed is that Zooplus.co.uk have the same filter a lot cheaper, overall this filter is pretty cheap in the UK, not here though, although add postage costs from any UK supplier and it works out the same price from Zooplus.ie :?  I will check with Darren where he bought it although I can probably guess.

Thanks Denis


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## zig (27 Mar 2008)

Well I did a bit more checking around on this and it turns out there may be problems with this filter, a known problem which Tetra are aware of apparently.

The problem is with the sealing ring or gasket, which after opening up the filter for maintenance leaks when you start the filter up again.

A well known shop over here has returned several 1200 filters, also individuals who have bought these off the internet from abroad have had to return them as well so its not just a local issue.

Anyways, pity, would have fitted the bill nicely. Might wait a while and chance it anyway, checking the returns policy carefully beforehand from where I buy it.


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## Themuleous (27 Mar 2008)

Humm thanks for the heads up peter, I was probably going to get one of these for my 4ft.  Will have to rethink it now.

Guess there is always the rena xp4, but its not cheap in comparison.

Sam


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## Themuleous (27 Mar 2008)

Peter,

You might find this interesting 

http://www.fishforums.net/index.php?sho ... 23737&st=0

Sam


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## Lisa_Perry75 (27 Mar 2008)

Hi Sam,

I shall be opening up my filter tomorrow so if I have any problems I'll let you know. It's doing pretty good so far!

Lisa


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## zig (1 Apr 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Peter,
> 
> You might find this interesting
> 
> ...



Sorry Sam I didn't see this, thanks for that, tbh I haven't had a chance to do anything else about this as I have been too busy working


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## Martin (1 Apr 2008)

zig said:
			
		

> Sorry Sam I didn't see this, thanks for that, tbh I haven't had a chance to do anything else about this as I have been too busy working


 Ah yes work , I also find that it gets in the way of doing the things you really want to do.


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## zig (12 Jun 2008)

Well in the end I bought this filter,  a Tetratec EX1200, and took delivery this morning so I have it set up and running now. First impressions are that its BIG, definitely check your stand size before you place your order to make sure it fits inside your cabinet. The filter is not totally silent , you can hear a low level hum from it when its up and running, but nothing too major, the three Eheim externals I have are totally silent in comparison. I have the outflow running without the spraybar for the moment to try and maximise the flow, I have it pointing across the tank from the side. First observations are that I may have to use the spraybar, the plants do not move as I thought they would with all the extra flow I have added to this tank, I ran an Eheim 2215 on this 150l tank beforehand which was inadequate, cant say I see a huge difference with this so far  my expectations are probably a bit to high, I was expecting major flow   I will try it with the spraybar, I don't have a large lily pipe to try that out although I am sure I could mod something up to give that a go.

Ps. big stickers all over the box that it came in saying the customs hand searched my filter when it was being delivered, I wonder what they found     they weren't too careful either the box is pretty ripped up


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## Ark (13 Jun 2008)

Lisa_Perry75 said:
			
		

> Just got the tetratec 1200 on the Rio 125. Love. It. The flow is crazy. Comes with all media and a spray bar!!! The hoses are clear and the spraybar and inlet are clear with a light grey hue. The inlet is telescopic.
> 
> First filter I've set up myself and it was easy peasy. It was a tad noisy, just a hum, but considering the size of the filter the noise is reasonable.



did you manage to fit it into the stand alright as i was going to order one of these or did you have to move the wooden shelf in th middle ?


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## bare bottom (13 Jun 2008)

i stuck mine outside the cabinet as the shelf got in the way.

Couldn't be bothered to get the jigsaw out.


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## Lisa_Perry75 (15 Jun 2008)

The shelf wasn't fixed in so I just took it out, this was necessary to fit the big blahblahblahblah filter to fit!


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## zig (19 Jun 2008)

I did a test on this filter to see what the actual flow rate was with the tetratec spraybar and the provided attachments added to the filter tubing (pipe bends etc). The results were poor IMHO, as I suspected the output from this filter is less than half the advertised flowrate and came in at 500 l/h.

The filter I used was only 4 days old (had been up and running for 4 days) and included all the supplied media EXCEPT the 2 carbon bags which I wouldn't be using anyway, so the results might have been marginally worse/different if I did, but probably not by a whole lot.

It  took 72 seconds to fill 10 liters drawing from a 25 liter container, I did the test a few times and 72 seconds is about the average time. So if my math is correct, 72 seconds Ã· 3600 (seconds in 1 hour) = 50 x 10liters = 500 l/h.

Can only imagine the flowrate in a month or two when the filter gets a bit dirty :?


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## JamesM (19 Jun 2008)

I've got two 700's and a 1200 now, and they all run fine, quiet too :?


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## ceg4048 (19 Jun 2008)

Hi Peter,
             This is typical of manufactures filter ratings. My Eheim 2080 after 9 months of operation and rated at 1700LPH now delivers about 700 LPH. It delivered about 800LPH when brand new. Now you can see why the 10X tank volume filter rating rule that George and I keep pushing is not as outrageous as people seem to think.  

Cheers mate,


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## zig (19 Jun 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Hi Peter,
> This is typical of manufactures filter ratings. My Eheim 2080 after 9 months of operation and rated at 1700LPH now delivers about 700 LPH. It delivered about 800LPH when brand new. Now you can see why the 10X tank volume filter rating rule that George and I keep pushing is not as outrageous as people seem to think.
> 
> Cheers mate,



Yes I knew it wouldn't be anywhere near 1200 l/h Clive but I was curious anyway and expected a little bit better. I thought that it may be over half 600+ of the rated flow but this wasn't the case, less than half the rated output is poor IMO. Some of the fittings are poorly designed as well IMO, it uses right angled bends in the tubing instead of curved tubing to get over the lip of the tank for the inflow/outflow, this is a basic flaw IMHO and an impedance to flow, this is something I will change which should help a little bit. I won't be buying another one anyway, nice price, but ya get what ya pay for I guess.


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## Superman (22 Jun 2008)

Thanks for letting us know your views on this filter once it was up and running. I was looking to get one of these this week but have started to review other things now.

I'm not really price constraint (to a degree) so looking at Fluval FX5 or the Eheim 2080 which is discussed in.

Any suggestions?

EDIT: Realised that neither of them will fit my stand, might need to get two smaller externals.

EDIT (2nd): Might go back to my original idea of getting a JBL CristalProfi 500


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## Superman (27 Jun 2008)

Looks like I'm going to have to purchase this filter
- it'll fit in the center part of my stand with it being 24cm wide - I'll have to drill holes for the pipework
- its on the cheap range of things

I was going to get the JBL CristalProfi E1500, however that's Â£130 from AE. I spoke to AquaJardin and they said that the JBL's "E" range is now superseded buy just their numerical range and the "E500" is Â£170.

So thinking that the EX1200 of about Â£70 is more for me. I would like the JBL one at Â£130 but is it worth nearly double?!

Plus, is the noise that bad on the EX1200? My internal hums (doesn't smell!) so don't mind a little bit.


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## GreenNeedle (27 Jun 2008)

This post is quite a coincidence really.  My EX700 quite often (not always) leaks after I clean it out (monthly)  always leaks from where main clasps are.

This week following the washing up liquid experiment by my 3 year old son I have had to open it a few times and lo and behold it is shipping water ike mad now.  4 evenings in a row I emptied it, cleaned the O ring, cleaned the groove it fits in, cleaned the inside of the cannister and refitted.  By morning a lot of water gone.  I have always sat mine in a large mixing bowl as I never trust things like filters.

I gave up on it and put my old Fluval3+ Internal back in the tank (same 700lph rating) and my god it was as if I had put double the size filter in.  CO2 bubbles blowing all over the place, water circulating even faster etc.  I think the EX700 must've been very low even though it only had half the supplied media in it.

I am going to try over the weekend to get the darned thing to seal before selling it on ebay.  I think I may well continue with the internal seeing as it works a lot better (expecting someone to warble on about the media surface area now. lol)

I like Lisa will let you know if I have any success with getting it to 'unleak' but otherwise I think we now know that the price did tell us something!!!

Pity cos it looks good and is quiet although disappointing flow rate compared to similar rated internals.

Andy


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## GreenNeedle (28 Jun 2008)

Well after 4 days of being dry I put the media from the fluval back in the tetratec and sealed it, opened the taps so it filled and turned it on.  bone dry this morning so it has sealed!!!

It seems to be very hit and miss wether you get a proper seal with these filters and it is most annoying.  Have added my MP400 to the tank to aid the flow though because very unimpressed with the Tetratec flow compared to the Fluval internal.

Not opening it for at least a month now. lol

Andy


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## GreenNeedle (29 Jun 2008)

Had to take it apart for my 'unplanned' spur o the moment rescape and its shipping water again.

I will try again later to 'seal' it but even if it works I shall be saving up for a new filter as I can't trust it anymore and I don't want the frustration of having a number of attempts to seal it every time I need to open it.

Fluval3+ is in and will stay if needed until a decent filter arrives.  Probs in 2+ months

Andy


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## RossMartin (29 Jun 2008)

I opened my EX1200 today and all seems ok after i sealed it again. By the way these don't fit into the new style Rio 180 cupboards. Would possibly fit in the centre compartment!!


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## GreenNeedle (29 Jun 2008)

Mine was OK firs 6 months.  A little dribble here and there but that was me not closing it properly.  Recently though it has seemed OK then after 2 or more hours (I clean my filter near bedtime. eeek) It pours out from the clasps both sides at a horrendous rate.

Closed it up and tried it again this morning and it is working OK again, fingers crossed.  I have it stood in a large mixing bowl (40cm diameter and 20cm tall) cos I have lost faith. lol

Andy


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## GreenNeedle (3 Jul 2008)

After the last few moans I have to give Tetratec their dues.  I emailed them about the leaks and they are sending me a new main large 'O' ring and a new in/out part (there are some smaller O rings in there apparently.

So I guess once these arrive it will be like new for no extra cost.  I take back everything I said.

Andy


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## zig (3 Jul 2008)

Ask them about the rubbish output performance and see if they can sort that out as well


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## JamesM (3 Jul 2008)

zig said:
			
		

> Ask them about the rubbish output performance and see if they can sort that out as well


Maybe you should try another one before starting war against them? Most people who use them are happy with them.


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## zig (4 Jul 2008)

JAmesM said:
			
		

> zig said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



What war? 

my retort was more to do with Andys forgiveness "I take back everything I said " quote unquote.

I have just layed out the facts as I have found them and have TESTED them, nothing more nothing less.

I wonder would most people, including you, be happy if they knew the true output of the filter before they bought it? never mind the other minor    issue of leaks etc , But you see thats the beauty of forums like this we can all share information.

Anyway, I can confirm that my filter runs at the spec stated 21Watts, I monitored it with a (calibrated) energy meter over a period of time. No war here though couldn't be bothered with that, if I'm that unhappy with it over time I will just buy something else, money wasn't really an issue here, I just wanted something that would do the the job.

I just edited the post to add a bit more at  the end, just a bit more clarity on my behalf.

PS. the tank (150l) runs superb with the Tetratec 1200 and a Eheim 2215 running on it, now thats what I call flow


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## GreenNeedle (4 Jul 2008)

Just reading through this post a little seems that even though the flow is much less than we all expected it to be that Clive's assessment of the Eheim he had is virtually identical:

800lph from 1700lph = 47%
500lph from 1200lph = 42%

Has anyone tested the throughput when all the baskets and media are removed?  Does it reach the 1200lph then?  Also with the 1200s % being lower than the 1700, can I assume that the larger the filter the less reduction in flow there will be?  or am I reading something into it that isn't there.

Once the new O ring and in/out section comes I shall test the EX700 empty and then test it full to see what the difference really is on mine (curious now. lol)  Not doing it now as I am not opening the filter while it is working with the current O ring in it. lol

Will report back nxt week.

Andy


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## karl1987 (10 Jul 2008)

Well Ive been running my ex1200 in my 200 litre tank for the last 2 years now without any problems apart from a broken impeller that had to be replaced but that was my fault as I dropped it when cleaning it.

Defiantly the best filter ive ever had, far better then any eheim ive owned which are in my opinion overrated  and overpriced.


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## bare bottom (10 Jul 2008)

If it's not your main canister seal then it will be one of the 6 seals in the adaptor unit.

I had to take mine apart and change a seal some weekends ago just to get me through till Tetra could send another one under warranty.

I've asked if perhaps they could do a seal kit for the adaptor unit so you won't have to spend Â£20 when it's outside warranty. It means taking it apart yourself but it's not exactly rocket science.

I think my seals just dried up so vaselined them all and leak gone.

Good luck.


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## Ray (18 Aug 2008)

I baptised my 1200 last night, seemed OK, but this morning it was sitting in a small puddle of water, a tiny leak down the side out from the motor unit - main unit seal.  The manual says check O ring for placement and dirt, but its brand new and spotless.  Tonight I will check filter baskets are correctly placed, remove O ring, clean and replace.



			
				bare bottom said:
			
		

> I think my seals just dried up so vaselined them all and leak gone.


Should I apply vaseline also?

Is there any other kind of knack I should know?


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## Ray (19 Aug 2008)

So last night I cleaned it out, removed and cleaned the O ring and all around the seal area - but its brand new so of course, no dirt.  Put it back and left it running- not a leak.  This morning it was sat in a small puddle.  I pulled the plug and left for the office without isolating it from the tank with the taps - _big mistake _- wife called me 4 hours later and it was cascading down the sides, overflowing the dish I left it in and flooding the living room with 5 or 6 litres.  I'm in serious trouble now! 

I rue the day I bought this thing.  I will try to get some service out of Tetra but this is a real pain.

Does anyone know the biggest Eheim I can get through a 50cm high doorway?


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## Joecoral (19 Aug 2008)

Oopsie!
I have an Eheim Pro II 2026 in my Rio 180 and it just about fits through the door


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## GreenNeedle (25 Aug 2008)

Ray said:
			
		

> So last night I cleaned it out, removed and cleaned the O ring and all around the seal area - but its brand new so of course, no dirt.  Put it back and left it running- not a leak.  This morning it was sat in a small puddle.  I pulled the plug and left for the office without isolating it from the tank with the taps - _big mistake _- wife called me 4 hours later and it was cascading down the sides, overflowing the dish I left it in and flooding the living room with 5 or 6 litres.  I'm in serious trouble now!



This is deja vu for me.  I contacted Tetra and they sent me a replacement O ring and a replacement tap fitting for the top and not had a problem since.

I was cleaning the lot fitting it and fine.  after a few hours it was starting to leak.

It maybe that if you remove the large O ring that you can se a blemish on the moulding which is what was causing mine (I think)

Contact Tetra.  The filter has a 3 year warranty and their after sale IME are superb.

AC


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## eljaes (5 Nov 2008)

Just bought one of these filters off fleabay (supposedly new!!) however, when i opened it I found a dirty great scratch down one of the main clasps & body. Anyway, set the thing up, plugged it in & voila .... water leaking from all clasp area's    I took the unit apart, cleaned the seals & applied vasoline, refitted & all that was achieved from my exercise was to get water all over my wooden floor.  I did manage to get it running for approx 30 minutes give or take without a leak but when I went to move the filter into the cabinet it started to trickle then pour out of the filter head.   I am totally fed up with this filter & wish I had stuck to my original plan & gone for an Eheim.  I found the filter to have a noticeable humming noise from the motor whilst it was running (with no leaks) which I found rather annoying as I have an Eheim 2324 in a tank in my bedroom (at the foot of the bed) & cannot hear the slightest noise from the motor even in the dead of night!  So I cannot understand why people have said on many forums that these filters are as quiet as Eheim. I also found this filter to be messy when removing & refitting the head unit.  If the head unit is removed (to try to re-seal the damn thing!) & then refitted, water shoots out of the inlet/outlet tubes unless some water is poured out of the main body.  I have spent one evening cussing & cleaning up that I needn't have.  I wish I had found this thread before purchasing.  I suppose you get what you pay for in the end.  Am sending this thing back & getting another Eheim.  Sod the expense!


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## Themuleous (5 Nov 2008)

eljaes said:
			
		

> Am sending this thing back & getting another Eheim.  Sod the expense!



That's exactly the conclusion I came too after my experience with the ex2400.

Sam

Edit - I will add that the ex600 I have it whisper quite and works well. ALthough even with this its annoying how the filter head gets filled with water when you take the taps off though!!! Grr!


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## howardish (5 Nov 2008)

There seems to be a growing number of us who have had a bad experience with the Ex1200. As sam says above, the ex600 is great, iv not had a leak and its quiet..apart from the problem mentioned above.

Its a shame as for the price (if it worked properly) itd be a good filter.

Thanks, Howard


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## JamesM (5 Nov 2008)

Still nothing wrong with my 2 EX700's or my EX1200. I would like a little more flow from the EX700's, but no leaks and no noise.


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## Westyggx (8 Mar 2011)

I'm having a nightmare with mine right now, starting leaking very small drips now i come home and its soaked my bedroom floor!


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## bare bottom (15 Mar 2011)

My old post from a previous thread

Mine was leaking in June 2008 after a filter clean. I found the water was filling up the void between the plastic case of the head and the head itself and manifested as a leak from the latch.

If you look really closely you should be able to tell if it is the main pump head seal or not.

If the pump head seal is ok there are two other sets of seals, the ones on the adaptor unit that you can see where it plugs into the head and have spares for that were included in the box, and the ones INSIDE the adaptor unit.

The seals inside are not available as spares you have to replace the adapter unit itself. I took the unit apart (4 screws) and found two seals that had dried out. Relubed put back together and all ok.

I should point out that taking apart the filter could void the warranty but in my case i had no option as it was the weekend and Tetra have been excellent about it and sent a new adapter unit. I even sent the pictures of the problem to them and they were still fine i'd taken it apart.

Great service though.


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## Westyggx (15 Mar 2011)

I rang Tetratec and they confirmed it was the valve adapter thing, they replaced it in 2 days and it works a treat. Although my filter is now alot more noisier... dont want to take it apart incase it breaks again ha!


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## a1Matt (16 Mar 2011)

I'd give them a call again and tell them it is noisier.  I expect they will help you out...


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## sanj (24 May 2011)

I know this is an old post, but my second tetratec has failed me for the last time. It was only luck that I spotted it had been leaking for some days and sensible of me to have had it placed in a tray.

Yes helpful customer service, but that is no good on what IS a substandard product in comparison to Eheim 2080 or Fluval FX5 which I bought and have run for around the same time as my two Tetratec ex1200s since 2008. Those other models have not leaked on me yet but both tetretecs have dones so.

I know there are many people who have had issues with these filters and initially I gave them half a chance. I cannot recommend the ex1200s to anyone though. 

If I was going to recommend a good filter that i have found to stand the test of time and have far more good reviews than bad I would say Fx5 (of which I have two) and the Eheim 2080. I cant talk about other Eheims or fluvals.

Obviously this is not a review with statistical facts of testing hundreds of products, but this is one more person(who is peed off) and gives the ex1200s the thumbs down.


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