Eheim Classic 2217

Last night I set up the Eheim Classic 2217 filter in my 2 ft tank that I intend to build as a planted tank. As of this morning (less than 12 hours now) it's working silently. There were a few first timer's mistakes on my part but it is doing its job. Let me tell you - a 2217 is a complete overkill for a 2 feet tank. But this is what I have and I cannot help the overkill. I don't want to buy a smaller filter just now. 

This filter had been sitting in my house for quite a few years. Unopened. I had felt daunted by the complexity of setting it up. The useless user manual did not help matters. I realised most of the youtube videos by amateur hobbysts are even worse.

Last night something snapped in my head and I told myself "I must crack this damn thing" and went about learning the game. First I took all the items out of the box. I did not even know how to take out the top head. Do I turn it or pull it up? Is there any knob or switch to click open? I had no clue. Of course I read the instruction manual. As I said it is completely useless. It is just meant to cover the company's backside against legal claims and has mostly "safety instructions" and hardly any useful  "how to set up" instruction. 

For help I turned to youtube once again. Of course I had tried it a few days ago too and was disgusted by what I found. But this time I managed to at least understand that you need to pull the top up, holding the canister between your feet as you sit on a chair or stand. This you do after opening the five clips of course. 

After this I took a hard look at all the items. They made absolutely no sense to me.

This guy here, I realised soon, has a professional video on setting up the 2217. I watched his video several times. But I later realised that this guy over here, though amateur and without a crew, has perhaps a more practical video which gave me the confidence to cut up all the tubings etc (that part seemed quite intimidating to me). Actually where he scores over the pro is in showing the whole thing in one shot holding the two pipes - inlet and outlet - in two hands and explaining all the sections. That was the point where I knew exactly what is to be done. 

None of them is complete on its own. I suppose watching both several times did it for me. 

After cutting the tubes up and joining the various sections the more intimidating part of priming the pump came. I used the suction method where you actually suck on the outlet side of the tube. I had the bucket ready where I put the pipe in when water started coming out. After this I attached the spray bar and put it inside the water. 

I made a small mistake here. The spray bar's holes were pointing downwards. When the water flow increased after some time (after all the trapped air from the canister had gone out), it became too strong and kicked beat up a bad cloud (I have ADA soil). I stopped the filter by switching the power off. Turned the spray bar to point the holes to the top. I even turned the valves on the outlet side to close it a little so that the flow is gentler now. As I said 2217 is an overkill for a planted aquarium. 

I will probably bring in one of my four-footers from my other house and set it up here in my flat. For that aquarium I will use this filter. Probably I will need to buy a smaller filter for my two footer.