Similarities between Eheim 2222 and Aqua1 CF500

[Benny]

Hey all, is it just me or is there a striking similarity between the two filters afformentioned?

From the clips to hold on the lid, the shape of the media trays, and the identical flow ratings???

An unnamed source tells me they come from the same chinese factory???

Interested on responses!, I can post pics of the CF500 to compare with the 2222 technical info sheet on their website


Regards,
Benny

[Proteus]

it is the same with some Atman & Via Aqua products.

The mouldings are made either in the same place, or based on the same design.

But when you get to the guts of it all (motor, and quality of parts) that is where the E-heim wil be miles ahead.

As they say, you get what you pay for (I will stress that some of the clones are great products, and in some cases you are just paying for the name, but each to there own)

[Benny]

I dont know but i took the impeller out today when cleaning,
and the tech diagram of the eheim looks identical?

[Proteus]

cause the aqua-one is a clone (they copied it)

the only difference you will find is inside the motor, plus the quality of some of the hook ups, etc

[dreamer]

look can be deceiving if only eheim can be easily copied both in design and quality .....

[Bronx19]

I have the 2222 on a 30 gallon.

It runs great, never had a problem with it, and its quiet.

[Blue]

They are copies, not something that should not be encouraged as Eheim puts alot back into R&D.

Eheim are made in germany by people who get paid a fair wage.

CHEAPER DOES NOT MEAN BETTER

[Fishpimpin73]

They are copies, not something that should not be encouraged as Eheim puts alot back into R&D.

Eheim are made in germany by people who get paid a fair wage.

CHEAPER DOES NOT MEAN BETTER

Neither does more expensive :wink:

There are a few products on the market that are IDENTICLE, right down to the wiring diagrams.

And they come with the same warranty that thier competitors offer.

[Blue]

but they don't put money into research and design, they just use other peoples design. Also they have there things made in countries with very poor working conditions/regulations.

I'm sure if everyone was banging on about this like they are about africa then people would be putting their names on all sorts of petitions. unfortunately its a fad and it'll wear off.

Out of sight out of mind, its as bad as the died fish thing.

But who cares so long as its cheap and it looks good?

[Blue]

They are copies, not something that should not be encouraged as Eheim puts alot back into R&D.

Eheim are made in germany by people who get paid a fair wage.

CHEAPER DOES NOT MEAN BETTER

Neither does more expensive :wink:

There are a few products on the market that are IDENTICLE, right down to the wiring diagrams.

And they come with the same warranty that thier competitors offer.

Does this mean you don't believe in fair trade?

[Proteus]

Just keep in mind, some people CANT afford the name brands.

Whilst I am sure if a preference was put forward most people would say yes to Eheim, AquaMedic etc, however, we are in a market driven society, and there are products for all market sectors.

On a personal note, I have had a 2228 clone (made by Atman/Via Aqua) and it has been going perfectly for 3 years, I had a 2028, and it lasted 18 months before the motor went???

[Fishpimpin73]

Does this mean you don't believe in fair trade?

Of course not.

It is all about fair trade.

More importantly though ( in this case ), it is about market share.

A company that makes a comparable product that offers it cheaper than its competitors stands to steal a good deal of the competitions profits.
The only thing standing in the way of the competition retrieving those sales is to lower prices.

And when a company like Aquarium Pharmaceuticals teams up with a company like Rena and puts out an equal if not better product than some of the "higher end" manufacturers, THAT is what I am going to buy.


but they don't put money into research and design, they just use other peoples design.

Don't put money into research?

A.P. is one of the leading companies in the entire industry when it comes to R&D.
Rena has done their research, their filters are one of the easiest units to setup and maintain.
And out of all of the people that I know that are using them.............
There are few complaints.

There are some subtle differences to all of the indy units, but for the most part they ARE the same.

I was involved in the initial testing of the Rena XP series of filters when they were first introduced in our local market.

IMO/E they are just as good if not better then their counterparts.

Compare the XP3 and the 2226
After a quick google search, price is only a little in favor of the XP3.
Check Stats
XP3 rated @ 350GPH 2226 rated @ 250.9634354199754 GPH

Now right here you have a distinct advantage to buying the cheaper filter bc it has a larger capacity.

Especially after applying the law of impedance.

Loss of ( average ) 25% ( although this can go as high as 35 to 40 % depending on how well kept your filters are ) of pumping/filter ( overall ) capacity.

Now you have

XP3 @ 262.5 ( we'll even round it down to 260 )
2226 @ 188.25 ( and that is after rounding UP )

We are looking at just basic math here.
And already we are seeing a deficit of 74.25 GPH.
Now that may not mean much to you...........
But my money is on the "better" filter.

It just so happens that in this case, the better one is also cheaper.

I have found that in this hobby, the more you can save by paying attention to who makes what and the "quality" of a product..........
The better off you are going to be.

[Sam]

i have an aquaone cf1200 and sometimes i forget its there coz i cant even hear it.

[Blue]

Where did rena come into it, this is a post about eheim and its carbon copies, you know the ones that are green.

What we are talking about here is eheim filters and "replicas" of eheim filters that are a third of the price. Not the differences between a couple of market leaders.

I'm sure you feel better now though.

[Fishpimpin73]

If you weren't paying attention...........

You started the whole fair trade arguement.

The XP series were "maligned" as Eheim "clones" when they first were released.


Where did rena come into it, this is a post about eheim and its carbon copies, you know the ones that are green.

Every company that puts out a decent product is going to get copied.
It's called COMPETITION.

Someone is always going to be able to offer the same exact product for a cheaper price.
Just means that they have to sell more to make the same amount of money.

:shock: They ONLY come in ONE color? :shock:

Well, shucks.......

If that is all, then it isn't even worth discussing.

Eheim should have nothing to worry about then :wink:

Although I could have sworn that the Rena filters look awfully like some of the Eheim ones...............

But you were ONLY talking about the "GREEN" ones.

My mistake.

[Blue]

An unnamed source tells me they come from the same chinese factory???



How can that be when eheim are manufactured in germany.

[Proteus]

The shells for eheim actually do come from China (well they did 2 years ago)

I have a cheap clone, and guess what, apart from chinese text on it, there is German as well, exactly the same as my eheim filter.

[Benny]

i was told eheim stopped producing canisters in germany 2 yrs ago or something.....

Quite frankly the aquaone clones bring much benefit to the aquarium hobby, it opens the doors to decent quality products (supposing they are actually eheim clones) at much more affordable prices...

For eheim to get ahead, they gotta look deeper into R&D, develop new and unique products, and then those that can afford the eheims end up with vastly superior products in the long run! Then clones of that are released .. bla bla bla it goes on in circles, but the end of it is that we as aquarists get superior technology... But if eheim had any sort of managerial talent onboard i am SURE they have already taken this into account, so why are you so worried about it ;)

And for the record my canister (CF500) isnt green either....


I dont see where the discussion about free trade is coming from though, if your opinions were enforced u would be inhibiting free trade by stopping the chinese clones wouldnt you? Free trade promotes competition, competition is all about who can make the same product at the lowest cost (yes i know eheim and aquaone are NOT the same quality)..

Consumers balance costs against benefits, and with the introduction of these clones, the benefits are obviously somewhat less then the eheim, but the costs are SO much less, GOTTA LOVE FREE TRADE :D

macroeconomics baby!! (i hated it @ uni)

Regards,
Benny

[Fishpimpin73]

You GO BENNY :thumb

[vishy]

I think everyone is getting confused yes aqua ONE/via aqua may look similar to some of the eheim products but what I think they were really refering to at the start were the aqua PRO filters which sell for around $100 i have had experience with these and they are shocking. They look very similar to eheim but a plastic fantastic and very dodgy mine carked it in a week and my friends only lasted 18 months where as i have heard eheims lasting a life time. It all comes down to personal preference and what you can afford i personally believe the Aqua ONE represent good value for money,
Matt

[weird]

Why not send a quick email to AquaOne and Eheim to find out ?

Perhaps Eheim's patent finished (then its fair game) , or never patented the design (very fair game to copy) or has an existing patent (ok now that is rude as people should be able to protect and benefit from their R&D).

[Benny]

nope i was reffering to AQUA ONE as i originally posted...

No confusion there buddy

[Bronx19]

You only have to pick them up and you'll know if its the real deal.

Eheim will feel heavy and the plastics will be of high quality, the cheaper brands feel light and the plastics arent attached as securely.