The Puffer Forum

i just purchased a new ehiem 2080 canaster filter and i can't get it to work. I have 5 other fluval filters but after doing a lot of reading and shoping I decided on ehiem. I have never had a problem getting a canister filter to work but i can't for the life of me get the ehiem to start pumping water back into the tank. I can get the filter to prime itself and then when i plug it in it just hums but won't push any water back to the tank.

Does anyone know any "tricks" to getting this to start. I have emailed Ehiem but recieved zero response and I purchased the filter from an ebay seller brand new so I don't have any LFS support. After spending that much on a filter and getting no help from Ehiem I'm am very disappointed.

Did you fill it up to the top with water, before connecting it to the tubes?

We had that same problem when we got our Eheim canister filter. I had heard that they are a pain to get going, but well worth it once it's going. I have nothing bad to say about ours now that it's up and running.

Seems to me that my husband did the sucking the return pipe thing and got it going that way. He's not here right now, so I can't really ask him. But that seems to be what I recall. We could hear the impeller going, water was in the canister, but it wasn't coming out. And I thought the same as you -- pay all this money for a filter and now it's not working.

Stick with it, you will get it.

Hint: if you do a search on Eheim filters, there's a forum where a guy goes step by step of how to get it up and running. That's what we did, Google "setting up an Eheim external filter". That might help you. Sorry I can't be of more help.

i have 2x 2080s the central section has a flow controler make sure its the right way around otherwise it wont let water past itself its spring loaded and easy to dismantle. the self primer is rubish it only self primes to about60% i syphon it right to the top down using the channel on the corner. also make sure the top strainer in teh middle the small lip flips up and doesnt block its the small moving lip in the middle of the egg shape section. one other thing is make sure the sealing ring is on the outer compartment and linjes up with the bucket and not the trays there are 2 sealing sections if the wrong one is used it wiull be water tight but will loose air and so no water will flow upward. its not advisable to leave it running unless water is moving the motors can easilly burn out this way. any questions pm me so i get a message on my personal email and ill come back to threat to respond cheers