# Eheim aquaball



## TDI-line (11 Mar 2008)

I have just bought one of these for a small tank, it has  3 extra containers on the unit. I just wondered if i could feel up the containers with media such as efhi substrat etc. 

Does anyone have any experience with these.

This will be used in a non-plant breeding project.


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## Ed Seeley (11 Mar 2008)

Got two in planted tanks - best internal filter I've ever used by a mile.

The different sections all need the foam in as the water is sucked in through all the sections, except the little container at the top which has a coarse blue foam in at first; I've put broken up sintered glass media in there in my two, but have put Carbon in in the past.  Not sure what you mean by three _extra _containers though?


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## nickyc (11 Mar 2008)

Mine's got 3 sections.  I fill 2 with foam and 1 with something else - substrat or fine wool depending.  Great little filter!


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## TDI-line (12 Mar 2008)

Yes, i meant the sections.

It just seems the very small section with the blue foam media seems very small to subsitute with sintered glass.

I was going to fill to sections with sintered glass, what do you think?

Also i have noted that these are available in different sizes for different size tanks, but all you get is another section with filter foam. So this foam in the section must be the filter media too....?

My model is the 2212.


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## johnny70 (12 Mar 2008)

I have these in a few of my tanks, they are GREAT filters, I don't see any reason for not substituiting the media in them for what you want, the last small section I always fill with filter wool for the fine particles, easily replace every filter clean. The only thing I find is that in a heavily stocked tank they do GUNK up pretty quick being dense foam so another type of media may be better, I may experiment with this myself at some point.

JOHNNY


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## TDI-line (12 Mar 2008)

Thanks Johnny.

There won't be much gunk in my bare bottom tank with a few baby plecs (hopefully).


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## Themuleous (12 Mar 2008)

Its personal choice obviously, but why spend money on fancy filter media when sponges will do?

Sam


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## Ed Seeley (12 Mar 2008)

I agree with Sam here.  I use sintered glass mainly as I had mature media to get the filters estiblished almost straight away.  You could use anything you liked in the sections, but as water is drawn in there straight from the tank the media would get dirt in there.  Won't be a big deal if the tank isn't too dirty I don't think.

The larger aquaballs do have more powerful pumps as well as extra sections.  I have one that was the one with two foam sections and the other was the one foam one to which I've added an add-on section to up the meida without upping the flow.  Works well on my 2ft Apisto tank.


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## Martin (13 Mar 2008)

Just to add to the above comments, the aquaball is a great internal filter. I've got the 2212 and the 3 sections are useful as you can alternate between rinsing the sponges, which I find do a superb job.


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## TDI-line (14 Mar 2008)

*Re:*



			
				Themuleous said:
			
		

> Its personal choice obviously, but why spend money on fancy filter media when sponges will do?
> 
> Sam



I have some spare efhi substrat pro, so seemed a shame not to use it.


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## Themuleous (14 Mar 2008)

Well if its going spare, why not!!!


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## JamieH (28 Apr 2008)

Just ordered a 2012 with an extra module.


QUESTION:


if you use different media in each basket, won't the water just use the path of least resistance?


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## Ed Seeley (28 Apr 2008)

JamieH said:
			
		

> if you use different media in each basket, won't the water just use the path of least resistance?



Yes.  It probably won't matter though but I stick to the foam cartridges in the modules but I have crushed sintered glass media in the top section under the pump.  You could probably fit some in the centre sections too but they might restrict the flow and would make cleaning a bit of a pain.


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## passerby* (24 Jul 2008)

sos. i know this Discussion ended months ago but are these filters quiet, due to im thinking of getting one but i do like a a filter tht's quiet  due to the tank is in my bedroom....
cheers....passerby.


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## TDI-line (25 Jul 2008)

Not sure Passerby, mine is still in it's box.


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## nickyc (25 Jul 2008)

Very quiet IMO


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## johnny70 (25 Jul 2008)

mine are quiet as long as the water isn't splashing anyway  

JOHNNY


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## Ed Seeley (26 Jul 2008)

Dead quiet.  As had been said keep the outlet below the water though.


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## passerby* (27 Jul 2008)

thanks ... for ur replyâ€™s .much appreciated, shame they dont come in black cause the green will stand out against a black background but hey ho,
cheers....passerby


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## Ed Seeley (28 Jul 2008)

One last thing.  I don't know what size you were thinking, but I'd go with the next model up as the flow rates are pretty low compared to filter size.  A very good thing for breeding dwarf cichlids, not so good for plants!


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## passerby* (29 Jul 2008)

cheers..its something to keep in mind when buying..
cheers....passerby


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