# Filter Media Eheim 2213



## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

I guess it's a question of ... if it's not broken don't fix it lol.

Running an Eheim 2213 with the stock filter media (eheim noodles, blue pad, substrat pro, white pad and carbon eheim pad. Next month I will take out the carbon Eheim sponge ... with the extra space I'm wondering what I should replace it with since I will have some more room in the Eheim 2213.

1. A couple of 100 gram pouches of Purigen that I can rotate out and re-charge.

2. Filter Floss 

3. Some extra seachem matrix, also have an extra 100 gram bag of Seachem de-nitrate - so a combination of both.

4. Any other suggestions?

Thanks!


----------



## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

I use Purigen in most of my filters so swapping them out to recharge is a good idea. I usually have 6 to 8 bags ready for recharging. I don't like the recharging process so I stockpile them in a bucket of water until I have enough to give them the bleach treatment.

Seachem de-nitrate is supposed to work best in a low flow system, like less than 50gph. Your eheim has more flow than that. If you're trying to reduce nitrates, some people on the forum has had good success with Hydroton - clay pellets that you can pick up at a Hydroponics store. I can't say I have had success with it, I've used it in a high flow environment (big canisters, hob's) and lower flow trickle filters with not much change in nitrate levels. Do a search and maybe it might work well for you. I've had better success with Marinepure Cermedia in a trickle filter, so YMMV. But Hydroton is dirt cheap, so it might be worth a try. It could be my setups, they were heavily stocked so maybe it was too much of a load to reduce nitrates unless I seriously upped the amount of biomedia I used.

I'd let it run for a bit and if your bioload produces more nitrates than you like, then you might want to play with denitrification ie. de-nitrate, hydroton, cermedia and other super biomedia. You really don't know until your new tank matures a bit. To fill in the space of the carbon pad, I'd just use extra floss and if you want to play with denitrification just replace the extra floss.


----------



## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks! appreciate the advice. I'll just keep the de-nitrate in the spare bin then.


----------



## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

You could use the de-nitrate, it will just be regular biomedia like matrix in a higher flow filter. I've thought of using de-nitrate in an old school air driven corner filter to see if that has any effect. But it looks ugly and takes up a little tank space.


----------



## The Guy (Nov 26, 2010)

Absolutely Purigen < best ever >


----------



## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

Great advice so far ... I use hydroton as my main bio-media and follow the idea that water should flow in the order of media:


Pre-filter foam on intake > optional
Course Foam
Fine Foam
Floss pad
Bio-media > Hydroton
Chemical > Purigen or Charcoal

The idea is to have the water as clean as possible before it goes through bio-media and chemical filtration, that way it doesn't clog. I don't think hydroton or more expensive biohome works that well though for nitrates though especially in higher flow situations.

I don't use purigen but many do with great results and I think it works well in high flow situations. I also like the idea of keeping a number of purigen on hand as suggested because the re-charge bleach process is kind of harsh.

Actually the ideas of Kevin Novak around anoxic filtration, plenums and biocenosis in particular, are the most economical and easy to maintain but they require a significant set-up and require you can suffer through his presentation style on YouTube. There is follow-up from another YouTuber - Luke The big requirement is having the flow rate not too high.

Hope this helps as well


----------



## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks! When I clean the filter I wil change the media setup as I currently have the white pads above the bio media. I’ll go ceramic, blue pad, white pad, filter floss, substrate pro and then a bag of pyrogen


----------



## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

I changed the media set-up. As suggested, ceramic noodles in bottom, blue course pad, moved white course pad on top of blue pad, substrat pro and two bags of 100 ml purigen. I was going to put floss above the white pad but was worried I would reduce the flow to much .... will see about adding the next time I clean it.


----------



## VElderton (Jun 3, 2015)

Sounds good ... after a tough start, with the cracked canister.

I have a bunch of canisters and have found once they are set-up correctly they don't have to be cleaned too frequently. Others might think differently about this but it's what I have found with experience. I watch for flow rates, when the flow rate drops significantly it's time for cleaning the spongs and floss pads thoroughly. I wash mine out in tank water or declorinated fresh water and just rince the bio-media.


----------



## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Thank, yes I’m happy with the Eheim now that it’s working and with Ron at king Ed’s for the no hassle exchange.


----------



## hp10BII (Apr 23, 2010)

Here's a current video of "pond guru" pimping out a 2213. I like his ideas and used it in other filtration applications, I might start pimping my my 2217.


----------



## _noob (Oct 30, 2016)

Thanks I will watch I’ve seen some of his other videos before


----------

