2.12.2017

I see this filter gets mixed reviews. I am giving it a massive thumbs up. I went back to keeping tropical fish after ten years of not doing so due to house moves etc. It's interesting to see how a hobby changes. Internal filters used to be a powerhead with an impeller and a filter sponge. Nowadays the influence of external filters is evident in all current designs with several sponges and biological media, carbon elements and cartridges and different compartments for everything.The current Fluval models epitomise this but anything by Interpret and the rest are pretty well the same. This slavish imitation of external filter systems is I am sure very useful for enthusiasts keeping specialised fish but for the rest of us with a pleco and some neon tetras it is just unnecessary complication.Somewhere along the road the fact that a sponge can perform both mechanical and biological filtration seems to have been forgotten. Well guess what a sponge can do both quite adequately as the supreme water quality in my tank bears testament.I read theses blurbs for modern internal filters saying you need two or more separate sponges in a filter so you can clean them alternately and not jeopardise the bacteria in your tank. Yes true up to a point but when you rinse out your sponge to clean it ,the filter and the substrate and the rocks and the rest of the tank is still going to be coated in the same bacteria which will rapidly recolonise the sponge so there is a distinct element of marketing buzz about multiple sponge set ups.The other great thing about the Eheim Pick up models is that they push the water through from the bottom unlike all other filters including more recent Eheim designs which pull the water through from a motor in the top. This does look a bit mad on paper but it works fine and it means you can flip the lid off it and pull out the sponge and clean it in about five minutes as opposed to taking the whole filter out of the tank and dismantling it then getting the sponge out then putting it back together then back into the tank.My only caveat about the Pickup range would be the continued availability of replacement sponges. The Pickup is an older design which still features on the Eheim website and replacement sponges can be easily bought. However I notice that the Powerline which is another older design still features on the website and is still on sale if you look hard enough on the internet but I cannot find refill sponges for either Poweline model anywhere and I am slightly concerned the same fate might befall the Pickup range.Fluval has always had a better sales and marketing set up than Eheim in the UK anyway as long as I can remember but when you buy stuff for your tank you are not buying the sales and marketing operation you are buying the product and generally Eheim's products are superior.

27.6.2017

I bought this as a spare to use when I clean an aquarium and need to house fish somewhere else for a day or two whilst the new tank sets up. I thought it would be used if I did buy another small tank but at the price I paid I am happy with it always being spare and available for those rare occasions when I need it.The compartment for media is small. You could take out the media you get with the filter and add something else. It comes with a sponge which would act as mechanical filtration, although not especially fine filtration, but it is also suitable in shape and density for good bacteria to build up and act as biological filtration.With so many sellers offering sponge based media, including carbon,

5.9.2015

Done a lot of research before buying this, wanted a reasonable price, quality and something that would fit nicely in my 2 foot tank. This is it !! Originally bought the larger 2010, but didn't give me much space between the base of the filter and gravel, so bought this one. Well what can I say ?? Water is always crystal clear !! Even though it sucks up loads of plant debris, waste, and of course water, I have never had the flow decrease, the foam media is easy to clean and has always collected loads of bits.....Easily detachable filter media section, simply slides upwards (as in picture), so fixture and the main workings stay in your tank.Adjustable 180 degrees of flow direction and power using the nozzle on top,

15.6.2017

AWESOME filter. I've only used Interpet and one that came standard with my first tank but seemed generic, there was no branding on it so I can't speak of the make of it. I found the Interpet got very dirty, it broke twice, and was loud. This is incredible. It's simple and intuitive to use but does a really good job.I brought it for my new 48L tank that houses a school of Neon Tetras and have used for a few months before reviewing to make sure it was really good, and it is. You can slide it out without a bunch of gunk coming loose because you don't need to take the whole filter out to clean/change the filter media, it's just the green housing and the spout on top.

3.1.2021

I've seen some reviews complaining that this filter didn't keep their tank clean. I'll make it clear that filters are NOT there to keep your tank sparkling clean. It's there to aerate the water, remove debris and some harmful elements from the water. You still need to perform 50% water changes weekly/biweekly. All tanks require elbow grease and care, if you want something that "cleans" your tank you wont find it.I have the pickup 60 and it's currently in a 60 litre tank which is pushing the boundary of what this unit can do. I have to say though it's handling it well and aerating the water without a hitch. I've had no stoppages or blockages (and I cycled my tank with fish food and not ammonia,

5.3.2019

I bought this filter after I was sold an Exo Terra one with my tank and it stopped working after 2 days. There’s nothing more important than a good filter and I wish I’d gathered the necessary parts individually, but I assumed the staff at the aquatic centre had enough of a sense of duty not to sell me faulty products. I quickly noticed the original filter wasn’t doing enough of a job and hopped on Amazon to find a replacement before the water got too unclean and dangerous.I read a review from another customer saying they wished they hadn’t waited so long before buying the Eheim Pickup, and that spurred me to make my purchase. I fully agree; I too wish I hadn’t waited so long! The filter is easy to assemble,

8.3.2015

I got this filter as part of a small 60 litre tank setup, an Eheim Aquastar. Now I'm no expert and have only really kept tropical fish for around 6 months but I now know that this filter despite being great, is under powered for a 60 litre tank.An often used rule of thumb is have a filter double he power for what your tank needs. So the 60 litre tank really needs a filter capable of filtering around 120 litres. This being packaged with a 60 litre tank means it's running on full load so I'm often having to clean the filter.So I placed this into a smaller tank which my niece used for her goldfish and it works much better.Noise levels are fine, in fact I find it quiet compared to some out there.

21.7.2016

Am using this in a temporary koi fry container. The flow isnt very strong and the sponge gets blocked VERY quickly so will need constant maintenance. It's ok for a temporary solution but I'd hate to have to live with it on a permanent basis. When you pull the top off to clean the innards it all feels fragile. I don't expect it to last long. I will have to be very gentle with it.I bought this to replace a cheap Hidom one I bought from Amazon for £7. That died after a week but had a much better flow rate and a great little spray bar.With the Eheim I have had to add air pump and stones to oxygenate the waterEDit . Adding a star. The water must have been filthy but not anymore.

8.4.2019

I bought this for my 72 litre tank and it certainly keeps the water clean but its pretty big, for my tank anyway. The water flow is quite strong even on the lowest setting (very strong in the highest setting) so I tied some stuffing around the output with fishing line just to soften the current for my rasboras as they can’t handle much water flow. If my tank wasnt so small then maybe it wouldn’t have been an issue. I find the filter very quiet IF you have the output at just the right level. If its too high above the water level the water gushes out really fast and its pretty loud. The filter itself is very quiet though. Just a low white noise that you dont really notice unless the room is completely silent.

24.8.2019

I have a 60L heavily planted aquarium, stepping up from my 20L nano tank which is running a flaval mini. After reading many reviews between a bigger fluval filter and this eheim filter, i decided to go for this one.I have to admit, it is doing a good job of filtering my tank, however, the eheim is now wearing one of my stockings! My shrimp babies kept getting sucked inside, i could see them swimming behind the green plastic window, which was a good thing, i let them out and they seemed completely unharmed. I decided to cut the foot from a stocking i have never worn before, and slip that over the filter itself, to prevent my small shrimp being sucked in.The tank was a little bit cloudy,

19.5.2017

Got this to replace a broken old filter we go with our second hand 60l tank.I was a little worried by a few other reviews that commented on the noise the pump makes but after an initial settling in period ours is running very very quietly.The filter comes with an adjustable nozzle that you can change the outflow pressure and direction. This has been brilliant for us as its allowed us to minimise dirt build up in the tank by changing which way the water circulates.However the most impressive thing is its filtration ability. When I've noticed the tank water starting to become a little murky I've taken the sponge filter out rinsed thoroughly under the tap and placed back in,

13.5.2020

The clip securing the top to the body is a bit tricky but will probably get easier with use. I bought this for my neighbour who has 4 danios in a 30 litre tank with the original filter being noisy and poor she went for this and it is quiet, does a good job with water circulation - ideal for fish like danios who are basically river fish and like a fast current -- but it is possible to regulate the water flow to much less. The filter compartment can used with your own combination of media, it is small but she fixed in some filter wool, loose activated carbon , and a thin layer of the supplied sponge on top to hold it all in neatly. Much cheaper than buying filter cartridges and better result.

20.5.2015

I purchased this as a second filter for my 20 gallon, because my built-in aquarium filter is a bit weak and I've got loads of plants. This one is actually more powerful than my built- in aquarium one. I love the adjustable flow control, since my fish species aren't fans of currents, and I can submerge and point the output at the glass without disturbing the water flow too much. It's very quiet, which is a major plus. I actually paid more for this than other options because it was an Eheim, and their air stone pumps are actually silent, so I knew it would be a good brand for filters too. Although it's a little bit big and ugly, I've managed to hide it behind a big slab of slate.

12.3.2019

I upgraded from a 90l to a 120l tank and decided to replace my Pickup 160 to this. I ran both next to each other in the new tank for a couple of weeks and I added a little biomedia to the bottom of the 200 container. You can add about an inch or so and still squeeze in the sponge OK.I was impressed with the 160 and the 200 is every bit as good. Just a little bigger. As much as I'd like an Eheim external I simply don't have the room as my tank is slotted into an alcove. But this is effective and super quiet which, as my tank is in my living room, is very important to me. With both filters running it hardly made any difference to the noise level! Easy to setup and maintain these really are brilliant filters.

11.5.2020

Arrived ahead of schedule. Well packaged. So easy to set up, literally stick it to the side of the aquarium with the supplied rubber pads and plug it in. The water outflow is directional just by turning the head and it's easy to pull the whole cartridge out for cleaning from the top without disturning anything else. I like that the impellor comes out with the cartridge so that can be cleaned too. It only runs with one foam insert but thats fine, there are probably activated charcoal versions out there I guess if thats what you want. I think the advert may have said you can change the flow rate but mine doesnt have that feature (I may have been dreaming)

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