So yes, I believe this product is well worth its cost. There's always a "but", right? After all is said and done, and your ready to start the filter up one step in the manual was wrong. I had read in past reviews that priming was an issue for others, and it is. Easy fix! In step one it instructs you to open both valves...don't. First, open the intake valve then pull down the handle. Wait ten seconds or until you hear water rush through the intake valve. Then open outtake valve and put the handle back to original position. Other than the minor mistake in the instruction manual it is a great product so far. I do think any person will eventually figure this out....but for those of you that try and try and try, hopefully this helps. :)

Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean

+3points

4of 5voted this as helpful.

Review 3 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

must have

January 22, 2013

by skpr

fromfriendswood, tx

What is your gender?F

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

For anyone with fish tanks, you already know filtration is everything. This is the filter to have!!!

Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 4 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

I'LL NEVER GO BACK!!!

January 17, 2013

by JC49426

fromHudsonville, MI

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

After being intimidated by external cannister filtration systems (price and concept) for many years of keeping large aquariums ... this system has converted me! Petsmart had this on sale for 1/2 of going retail, so I jumped on the opportunity.

I've had this system (ECCO Pro 2234) on a 46g bowfront now for a month (new tank setup), and I'll never go back to a "behind the tank" filtration system.

My tank now sits a mere 1" away from the wall! Priming was automatic and simple! It's completely silent! Even more - my tank remains crystal clear!

For any future aquariums, I will definitely consider EHEIM Jager cannister filtration systems (ECCO Pro) first!

Pros: easy to clean, works great, easy to install

+3points

3of 3voted this as helpful.

Review 5 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Love the Eheim Ecco

January 12, 2013

by corgisncollies

fromMetro Atlanta

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

The Eheim Ecco is my first canister filter. Our traditional filter just wasn't cutting it for our 38 gallon cichlid tank. We read that canister filters were superior and decided to give one a try. It was easy for my husband to set up, it's quiet, and you can go 3-6 months in between media changes. We're just now changing our media for the first time and it was so easy to change it out. We're about to set up a second aquarium and we're buying a second Eheim Ecco. I would definitely recommend this filter.

Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 6 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Best filters for easy maintenance!

January 7, 2013

by IggyMom

fromSterling Heights, MI

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

Replaced Marineland with 2 of these Eheim filters for our 100 gallon freshwater aquarium. Easiest filters to clean. Maintain quality of water great!

Pros: easy to clean, works great, easy to install

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 7 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

November 29, 2012

by VAL8953

fromNJ

What is your gender?F

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

GOT 2234 FOR 46 BOW 3 YEARS AGO COST OVER $130 THE BEST , NO NOISE EASY TO CLEAN , , HAVE 44 GAL TANK GOT ONE FOR AROUND $60 ON SALE BEST BUY OF THIS YEAR. I LOVE THESE EHEIM FILTERS . NO PROBLEMS, AS OF YET' WITH THEM.

Pros: works great, easy to install, easy to clean

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 8 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

3 / 5 26 reviews

replacment parts unavailable

January 3, 2012

by engineerD

fromGA, USA

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

1 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

Great filter when it works. Good luck finding parts if it breaks.

I loved this filter until the impeller sheared. PetSmart does not currently carry this replacement part. I could only find replacement online for half what I paid for the whole filter setup. I am using another brand filter now. I will not pay $80 for an impeller for a $150 filter. PetSmart needs to stock/sell replacement parts for these at a reasonable price! I wont buy any filter from now on unless parts are readily available.

Pros: easy to clean, works great, easy to install

+2points

4of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 9 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Watch the silent ones!!

August 2, 2011

by PlecoLuvr

fromRisingSun,MD

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

This filter is so quiet you have to look to make sure it is running. It has been on my tank two months now and is working amazingly. I cannot be more pleased. If you are looking for a replacement canister filter or looking to purchase your first one; this is the one. Easy to setup, prime and clean.

+6points

6of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 10 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Great Filter, easy to set up

December 5, 2010

by jctnk

fromCalifornia

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

I've had this filter for about 4 months now with no problems. Some reviewers say that it shears the impeller blades but this is not true. You do have to remove the impeller every few weeks to simply wipe it clean. You will have to replace the fine filter pad like once a month. Do not expect any filter to function perfectly for years without any maintenance. If you take 15 minutes once a week, this filter will give you years of service.

+1point

3of 5voted this as helpful.

Review 11 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Look No Further...Greatest Filter Ever Made!

March 16, 2010

by KurtZ

fromChicago

What is your gender?M

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

Dont waste time and money on other filters, this one is a sure bet. I purchased a HOT Magnum, and after struggling with it for hours I took it back...spent a bit more on this one and am thrilled with my Eheim. IT is truly silent (my Magnum was noisy as heck), so quiet I had to check a few times to make sure it was working. Set up was simple had it up and running within 20 minutes. Only suggestion, wait to plug it in until AFTER you prime it (directions are a bit unclear)..but either way it is the greatest filter made. thanks Eheim!

+3points

4of 5voted this as helpful.

Review 12 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

4 / 5 26 reviews

good - but the 2217 is much better

January 15, 2010

by ranchugoldfishesss

fromorange county

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Performance

4 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

i initially bought a fluval 205 from petsmart instores. after 1 month of usage the fluval had clogged up, and my water was brownish and smelly. when i opened up the filter, the vertical white styrofoam filter pads were saturated in fish food that the filters were completely brown in color. i rinsed and cleaned everything and put it back into the packaging and brought it back to the store for an exchange because i was totally unsatisfied. i was extremely surprised petsmart allowed me to exchange it for another filter because it was absolutely used and not resaleable. i put in a little more money and bought the eheim ecco 2236. i changed half of my water and installed the eheim 2236 (germany made), when i woke up the ext morning my water was crystal clear. i have been using the ehim for 2 months and the quality over the fluaval is superb! no clogging at all. i am now totally a fan of eheim! but after searching on the internet i found out and researched about the "ehiem 2217". it has zero bypass, much stronger pump output, and is 2x as effective as the 2236 (the 2236 is rated to treat 80 gallons, and the 2217 is rated for 160 gallons). the only downside is the the 2217 does not have the priming, meaning you would have to siphon the water, but that is a no brainer trade off for the how much better of a filter the 2217 is. and the ehiem 2217 only costs 149.99 on the internet, comes with all media. i have just ordered the 2217 & i have also ordered the wetdry eheim 2229. the eheim 2229, on petsmart by the way, has the cheapest price you will ever find on the web. i'll tell you how they work!!!

Pros: eheims are better than fluval rena marineland...

Cons: the eheim 2217 is better than the ehiem 2236, eheim 2217 is a little cheaper price than the 2236

+2points

4of 6voted this as helpful.

Review 13 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

3 / 5 26 reviews

Not Eheim's best...

December 11, 2009

by RESSAP

fromHouston, TX

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Performance

3 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

3 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

3 / 5 26 reviews

I've had an Eheim Ecco 2236 for about 3 years now, and I definetely would not recommend this model filter to anyone. Eheim makes some great filters, but the Ecco models are not among them. When the filter's working properly, it's pretty good, though not as quiet as some Eheims. Issues I've had include the handle breaking loose, the impeller shearing blades (twice), and leaking o-rings. Spend your money on an Eheim Classic or Pro2 instead of an Ecco, and you'll be much happier.

+4points

4of 4voted this as helpful.

Review 14 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

December 22, 2008

by zuvvy

fromSacramento, Ca

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

I am using the 2236 for my 65 gallon turtle tank and it is keeping it very clear. If your ever owned turtles you know how messy they can get. The ecco filter works wonderfully. Very easy to use. Instructions very simple. Don't forget to rinse filter media before using or your tank will get cloudy. Highly recommened.

Pros: very easy to use, quite

Cons: wish it came with spray bar

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 15 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

easy to use and reliable

June 10, 2008

by pessmist

fromSeattle, WA

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Performance

4 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

I use the 2236 model for my 30 gallon planted tank and am pleased with it. It is quiet and easy to maintain. The multi function handle on top is brilliantly engineered and really helps to make maintenance easier. However, I would not recommend this filter for large tanks with heavy fish load or with messy fish.(ie large cichlids). I do not feel that it's flow rate is sufficient for such applications. In light fish load situations though, this filter excels. It can hold gobs of biological media(included) which is a definite plus. This filter is well worth the money.

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 16 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Great Filter!

March 13, 2008

by MLML

fromAtlanta

What is your gender?F

How many pets do you have?4

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

We bought Model #2236 for our 55-gallon turtle aquarium. It worked great for the first 2 months, but then our water began to get dirty and smelled up our entire house! Yes, we did change the water & cleaned the filter regularly, but it didn't work. Thru alot of trial & error, we found that we needed to put some activated charcoal in the filter along with a charcoal filter pad and the substrate. When we did this, the water was crystal clean the next day, and best of all the odor went away. We have a large RES, between the size of a salad & dinner plate, and he creates alot of waste. Bottom line, if you have a smaller turtle, then you may not run into the problem that we had with the water quality using this filter and it will work great for you. As far as the filter itself, in all fairness, it is quiet and performs great. In this product line, the 2236 is the largest you can get. If you have a larger aquarium than 55 gallons, then I would suggest purchasing another one of Eheim's larger filters.

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 17 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Super Quiet

February 21, 2008

by Workfolk

fromUSA

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

I got the 2234 for a 30 gallon tank. Nice flow and super quiet. This thing is more quiet than the Dell laptop I am using. If you are wondering if you should buy this filter do it, you wont regret it.

+2points

2of 2voted this as helpful.

Review 18 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

Great Purchase

November 1, 2007

by sleepylof07

fromsan jose, ca

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

I bought the Eheim Ecco after discussions on a planted tank forum. I assembled the filter and attached it to my newly setup tank. The filter is extremely quiet; absent are the loud trickling sounds of water. It's easy to prime the filter by using the attached handle. It's convenient to replace the filter media with the included filter baskets. There's a reassuring "click" when closing the filter after servicing the filter to ensure no leaks. Overall: excellent, and I'll be using this on my future tanks.

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 19 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

The one and only

September 17, 2007

by FishyBrad

fromIowa

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Monthly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

Don't buy anything else, they're simple, they're user friendly, they're super quiet, and you can't beat the price at PetSmart. Buy an Eheim, your fish will love you for it.

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

Review 20 for EHEIM Ecco Canister Filters for Saltwater or Freshwater Aquariums

Overall rating

5 / 5 26 reviews

The best filter in the world!!!!!!!

August 31, 2007

by brandonl1975

fromColorado Springs, CO

What is your gender?M

How many pets do you have?5 or more

How often do you shop at PetSmart?Weekly

Performance

5 / 5 26 reviews

Quality

5 / 5 26 reviews

Ease of Use

5 / 5 26 reviews

I baught this flitler about 5 months ago and I have yet to clean it out. Other than taking the carbon pad out after 14 days as recommended by the company I have not had to touch the canister at all. It is still flowing just as stong as the day I baught it. I have told all my friends about this canister filter, and they love it too. I highly recommend tha tyou go with either the 2234, or 2236. For only a few bucks more you get more flow ans more filtation chambers, and you cannever really have too much flow. I am using the 2234 on a 29 gallon tank right now, with the ability to upgrade to a 60 gallon with the same filter. Algea growth in really kept to a minimum and I also have a gold algea eater named spaz that pretty much takes care of the rest. Buy this filter and be happy for a long time to come.

+1point

1of 1voted this as helpful.

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