Micro bubble problems with Eheim 2227 Wet/Dry filter :(

[Greggy]

Hi team,

My new Eheim 2227 Wet/Dry canister filter is producing micro-bubbles from the spray bar. These bubbles go a long way to make the tank look 'unclean' as they really pick up the light, and I'm sure they are not good for the fish.

I went with with an Eheim 2227 because I believe in its ability to provide excellent biological filtration as well has enhance the oxygenation/gas exchange process due to the media being exposed to water then air in a constant cycle. However I don't like the fact that it is creating these micro bubbles, and I dont know if this is a common problem with these types of filters. I also run an Eheim 2228 canister filter on the same 6'x2'x2' tank and it does not produce micro bubbles.

Now before you go asking me if the canister has an air leak then think about what your saying, because this type of filter has a huge air 'leak' in terms of that it is a 'breathing' filter i.e. air is constantly drawn into, then pumped out of the canister with the breather hose (the Ehiem 2227/2229 series filters have three pipes going to the aquarium instead of the usual two, one of them is the air breather).

I triple checked and re-sealed the output hoses & joins from the top of the filter all the way to the spray bar and from what I can tell there is no way that air could be comming in, so right now I'm at a loss.

Tonight I completely removed the Eheim 2227 from my aquarium and sure enough within about an hour there were no bubbles in the water, and it even looked alot clearer/cleaner! I've pulled the 2227 completely apart trying to hunt for a problem but I doubt I'm going to notice anything. All looks ok to me.

Becasue of the complexity of the Eheim 2227/2229 Wet/Dry canister filters I'm beginning to think maybe I made a wrong choice. Are they a gimmick/dud?

Does anyone else have experience with these filters? So far my experience is turning out to be a (very) bad one, and I must ensure my filtration is 100% effective before I even think about adding Discus.

Thankfully the 2228 is doing a fine job on it's own... for now.

Regards,

Greggy

[samir]

i've heard from a few people that they get clogged, I'd love the air bubbles though

[Greggy]

It wasn't clogged, it was actually very clean inside, as after all this is a new tank and it hasn't really had time to get dirty. I assue you you don't want the bubbles... well not these tiny ones thats for sure!

I will put the 2227 back together today and run it on a 25 litre bucket and see if I can determine what is wrong with it when its out in the open instead of being tucked away inside my tank cabinet. However I'm not confident I'm going to be able to resolve this issue.

Another 2228 or perhaps an Eheim Classic 2250 is beginning to look good!

Greggy

[scott bowler]

greggy i dont know much about these filters as i us fluval , but tis there a seal problem were air is getting in to make the bubbles .

[lesley]

Hello Greggy,

It's been a fair while since my wet/dry went to the tip! So I can't remember all the details, but I think I used to get a lot of small air bubbles too. My water was never really clean using it, and the inlet pipe clogged all the time. It was in a heavily planted tank. Didn't perform any differently in a sand based tank either. I don't think they are suitable for discus tanks (I never found a use for mine).

[ILLUSN]

correct me if i'm wrong but don't the 2227 and 2229 wet/dry work as bio filtration only?? for crystal clear water you need mechanical filtration to remove suspended particles. try a mechanical prefilter (fill and old canister with corse and fine sponges and hook it up inline like this
http://www.fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/canister-filters-in-series-vt13777.html
as for your fine bubbles, are they part of the wet/dry cycle of the filter? it sucks in air on the dry cycle then has to expell this air for the wet cycle, check that the breather isn't clogged also that it's filling compleatly on the intake cycle. any trapped air will be smashed by the impeller into a fine mist of bubbles, that why these filter are great as co2 reactors.

[Greggy]

Check out this reply I got from Bob Fenner from http://www.wetwebmedia.com



Hi Guys!
<Greg>
I have a new 6'x2'x2' fresh water setup currently in its 3rd week of cycling, and I've noticed that my Eheim 2227 Wet'n'Dry canister filter produces a lot of micro bubbles.
<Mmm... even Toyota has made them "clunkers" in its time... this one (of two or so), is Eheim's>
This causes the water to look 'unclean' and I'm certain it won't be good for the fish which currently includes 9 Black Neon Tetras and 4 Cory Catfish. The tank is destined to become a home for Discus once it has fully cycled and settled down probably in another few weeks.
<Nice!>
Are the Eheim 2227/2229 Wet'n'Dry filters known to cause micro bubbles? Is this a major problem? Can it be corrected?
<Are trouble... We could go back and forth here a bit/while... but in my usual (well, too-often) overly-direct M.O. I'll come straight out and state, "I'd return this filter"... and go with something (yes, even by Eheim...) else... A much larger (or two) canister filter itself likely...>
I'm sure I have the filter configured correctly as I followed the setup instructions to the letter and the unit seems to be working as expected, with rising & falling water level etc.
<Yes... have heard this all before... Have you written Eheim (DanielS in Canada) re?...>
The other filter running on the tank from the other end is an Eheim 2228 and it does not have this issue.
<A mighty fine product>
Are the Eheim 2227/2229 Wet'n'Dry series filters duds? Would I be better with something else?
<Yes, and yes>
Any information would be appreciated.
Regards,
Greg
Perth, Western Australia
<You are not the first... I wish Eheim would pull these turkeys. Bob Fenner>


I don't think I need much more convincing... this 2227 Wet/Dry is going back and I'm going to either get another Eheim 2228 or perhaps step up to the big Classic 2250.

Regards,

Greggy

[ILLUSN]

Greggy 2228 and 2250 are both EXCELLENT filters, 2228 ships with media and uses much less power then the 2250, 2250 will easily filter 1000l, good luck with it keep us all posted

[lesley]

The wet/dry was my one and only experiment with Eheim.

I have tried two other brands of filter (Jebo and Otto) and found them both to be excellent cleaners of the water, and much much cheaper.

So I think you actually have quite a few options.

[Greggy]

UPDATE:

I'm just waiting to hear back from Aquatopia (who are the sole Australian distributor for Eheim) as to whether Eheim will let me exchange my 2227 Wet/Dry for something else.

I've considered the Fluval FX5 but I think I'm going to stay with Eheim, especially if they look after me. Just can't decide if I should try the 2250 or not.

I will let you know the outcome with Eheim, because if it is a good one it only makes buying their filter equipment even more of a sound choice.

Regards,

Greggy

[Maximus]

Hi Gregg,

Sorry to hear about your problems with 2227. I have a 2229 for almost 11 years now and never had any problem with it. I have no bubbles effect as well, so not too sure what went wrong with yours. Happy to discuss further if you still have your filter.

Found a great way to maximise the use the wet/dry filter with minimum cleaning. As you know, the wet/dry is mainly for biological filtration. Putting a sponge in the inlet pipe tends to get clogged easily. One way to go around it is to use another cannister filter with same or lower flow rate than the wet/dry filter and "gang" them up. Eg. the outlet of the new filter is connected to the inlet of the wet/dry filter. This way, all the mechanical filtration is being done by the new filter and the wet/dry filter is solely on biological filtration.

GC

[Greggy]

Thats a good idea Maximus.

After dealing with Eheim Australia and trying a few things to stop the bubbles it seemed as though the unit itself had a fault (in the pump head), and I could not wait around for ever trouble shooting this & that so I ended up being refunded which was good.

I think the 2227/2229 series would be excellent biological filters, as well as providing good gas (oxygen) exchange but in some ways their complexity works against them. There is something good about simplicity when it comes to canister filters, and the more simple we can keep our hobby the better as things are too complicated as it is!

For now an Eheim 2228 (a really excellent product by the way - quiet as a mouse) and an Aqua One 2450 are doing the job very nicely.

Regards,

Greggy