The German company Eheim has been well known among aquarium enthusiasts for many years. It is one of the brands whose name is synonymous with quality.
This emblematic company was founded in 1949, and in the 1960s it designed the first suction filtering system for aquariums. This achievement contributed to greatly facilitating the practice of aquarium hobby, spreading much more the hobby of aquariums.
On this occasion, it brings us the range of Eheim PickUp internal filters for aquariums and fish tanks. This series of Eheim aquarium filters are a compact device for small and medium tanks, from 30 to 200 liters.
This filter sits inside the tank and comes fully equipped to work right out of the box. It is very easy to use and is perfect for beginners in the aquarium hobby.
The Eheim Pickup is a handy little filter with a special concept.
The EHEIM PickUp internal filter uses a support with suction cups that is easily attached to the aquarium. The special concept that Eheim highlights is the “PickUp” concept.
This concept refers to being able to “extract” the container with the filter material, leaving the support with the pump in the same place. This is very practical when cleaning and maintaining an internal aquarium filter.
Eheim has created the PickUp series of internal filters with 4 models for different aquarium sizes. It covers the range of small and medium aquariums up to 200 litres.
- EHEIM PickUp 45 – Up to 45 liters.
- EHEIM PickUp 60 – Up to 60 liters.
- EHEIM PickUp 160 – Up to 160 liters.
- EHEIM PickUp 200 – Up to 200 liters.
The PickUp filter’s small models are small enough to hide behind a Java fern. They are also gentle enough not to disturb more delicate fish.
Eheim PickUp internal filter
This concept is what the PickUp range is based on, allowing quick and trouble-free maintenance, in a simple and effective way.
It shows right away in the aquarium when you use an internal filter that has been designed and executed correctly. It doesn’t take long to realize that its design has been done in a qualitative rather than quantitative way.
The PickUp internal filter has that excellent build quality that is typical of the Eheim house. All parts fit exactly, and the plastics are solid and robust.
The PickUp internal filter is essentially a simple device, it is designed as follows: the pump sucks the water from the bottom, and drives it through the filter material to the top. The filtered and clean water is returned to the tank through the rotating outlet mouth.
Overall, the Eheim PickUp filter is the internal aquarium filter standard that all internal filters should reference. Click on the following link to see the offer of this internal filtration system for fish tanks on Amazon.
In addition to the excellently designed filter head, the compact and good quality filter sponge, the small size of the PickUp series is its greatest strength.
The vast majority of aquarium hobbyists who have purchased an Eheim PickUp submersible filter have done so because it is a very suitable filter for small and medium-sized tanks.
Technical data of the Eheim PickUp internal filter
Eheim PickUp 45
Eheim PickUp 60
Eheim PickUp 160
Eheim PickUp 200
Opinions, reviews, ratings, reviews and reviews
On Amazon.com you can find dozens of opinions about this series of submersible filters from the Eheim house.
The average score for this filter is 4.4 out of five, practically outstanding. At the time of writing this review, 85% of the opinions have rated this model with 4 and 5 stars.
Of the negative opinions, the majority is because it is shipped with the English plug. This bug is fixed with a simple adapter, but what annoys users the most is that it is not mentioned in the description. The other complaint has to do with the noise emitted by the internal Eheim filter.
On Amazon.co.uk there are more than 150 reviews of the PickUp series of filters, with a 4.4 out of 5 rating. Here you can see it. It is clear that the evaluations in general are very positive.
Of all the opinions left by users, more than 90% of those reviews are positive. 76% of reviews gave 5 stars, 13% 4 stars and 5% 3.
Of the 150 reviews we have 17 negative reviews left. This represents 5% of opinions with 1 star, and 1% of reviews with 2 stars. Criticism is always an opportunity for the manufacturer to learn from mistakes.
Below we see a general reflection of the opinions left by users regarding the Pick up Eheim internal filter.
Positive reviews
Among the positive evaluations we can highlight the following aspects.
Some users have reflected a preference for the rectangular design of the internal PickUp filter over models without corners like the Aqua Ball. This is because it blends better into the corner of the aquarium and its «pull-out» ability is easily maintained.
Some users appreciate the simplicity of this internal filter made up of only a sponge as a filter medium. The simplicity of the device stands out for those who do not want to complicate themselves with multiple cameras and different filter media.
Other users have valued as important, compared to other cheaper filters with the same capacity, that these have a higher flow rate and a much larger piece of sponge.
Furthermore, it has also been noted that the flow rate is maintained even when the sponge needs cleaning. Unlike other filters that slow down to a trickle after a week or two.
Many users have commented favorably on the advantage that results from the impeller being at the bottom. The usual design of internal filters with the impeller at the top does not allow the top cover to be lifted. But the Pick Up filter design allows access from above to the inside of the filter to remove only the sponge.
Negative reviews
Let ‘s see the most widespread criticism among users of the Eheim PickUp internal filter:
One of the common criticisms of this series of filters is the lack of a mechanical first filter media. That means a monthly gentle wash of this sponge is a must. And if your tank has a high biological load, it will need more frequent flushing.
This is coupled with complaints about the lack of effectiveness after a few days. It usually has to do with the accumulation of dirt on the sponge.
In addition to some other criticism, just highlight a couple of users who point to the filter as the culprit in the death of their fish. One speaks of a filter failure that generates overheating that kills the inhabitants of your aquarium. Another opines that it is to blame for the nitrate spike that killed his fish.
Characteristics of the Eheim PickUp aquarium filter
Let’s start by physically seeing the features with a video of an unboxing of the Eheim PickUp 160 filter. This video belongs to the Rincon Animal YouTube channel.
Among the different characteristics that an internal filtration system can have, many aquarium enthusiasts usually look at three main factors to determine if an internal filter is efficient and effective:
- flow production
- Filtration Efficiency
- physical size
In addition to these three, we are going to see the other characteristics that this series of internal filters has.
Powerful and adjustable flow
The PickUp internal filter head for aquariums has a switch that allows you to regulate the water flow. For example, in the Eheim PickUp 45 aquarium filter, the water output can be adjusted from 50 liters/hour to 180 l/h.
If the minimum flow is still too strong for the aquarium, the filter water outlet can be rotated to direct the flow to one side of the aquarium, further weakening the flow strength.
The small size of the Eheim Pick Up 45, with its ability to slow water flow at a rate of 50 liters per hour, makes it the perfect internal filter for a nano aquarium.
Transparent body
Having the transparent body also allows a visual control of the state of the filter material. This way you can see the buildup of debris on the filter sponge. If you see excessive buildup, it’s time to flush.
Filter sponge
The PickUp series of filters comes with a cream-colored filter sponge that is of good quality. At first contact it reminds us of the blue sponge of the waterfall filter for eheim liberty fish tank, which makes us suppose that it has been made with the same sponge.
This Eheim Pick Up filter sponge is very compact. This makes it a good biological medium as it allows more room for the colony of beneficial bacteria to establish itself.
Pick Up Concept
We already mentioned that this Eheim filter has a design based on the concept of ease of use. Therefore, the container with the sponge can be easily separated from the fixing unit.
The aquarium attachment system consisting of 4 suction cups together with the pump unit can remain in the aquarium while maintenance is being carried out. This solution is very useful when cleaning.
Oxygen diffuser
The three superior models (Eheim Pick Up 60, Eheim 160, 200 filter) come with an oxygen diffuser for proper water oxygenation.
Cleaning and maintenance
Cleaning the Eheim Pick Up models is not complicated: the internal Eheim filter chamber can be removed separately, while the fixing system and the pump remain in the tank.
The sponge must be washed lightly WITH WATER FROM THE AQUARIUM. If you do it with tap water, the chlorine will kill the colony of bacteria, with what that implies. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you should review our article on aquarium cycling, because it is really important to be clear about this aspect.
Other alternatives
Conclusions about the Eheim Pick Up filter
The PickUp series of internal filters are a very simple device that provides filtration endorsed by the German brand Eheim.
It is ideal for those who do not want to complicate themselves with aquarium filtration.
The general opinion has the Pick up series as one of the simplest and most efficient internal filters.
Of course, there are always contrary opinions, but in a general way the evaluation of these submersible filters is very good.
