EHEIM Professionel 4+ 250T (With Heater)

The EHEIM professionel 4+: our best external filter but now with an integrated ‘emergency’ button.

We have adopted the many advantages of the professional 3 series: powerful performance, optimal energy efficiency, quiet operation, priming aid, safety hose adapter, but we have also improved the technology by incorporating the new ‘Xtender’ button.
In the event the output is reduced due to the fine filter media blocking, the button can be adjusted to redirect the flow. The biological filtration is maintained and the service interval can be extended by a few days.

High quality filtration technology with integrated features

Eheim professionel 4+ is the most advanced generation of our professionel external filters. The square canister offers stability, a large filter volume, is suitable for corners and doesn’t take up too much space.

Due to the new Xtender function, the intervals between cleaning the filter can be extended.

All Eheim professionel 4+ filters are characterized by a high flow capacity, low energy consumption and additional features:

Self priming
No more complicated suction methods! The self priming aid primes the filter system for a quick and easy start.

Safety hose adapter
Tap unit with 2 hose connectors – for safety reasons, the hose adapter can only be released when the valves are closed.

Prefilter
The top prefilter traps large particles of dirt and can be cleaned regularly, allowing the maintenance period between media cleaning to be extended.

Filter baskets
Individual filter baskets for biological and mechanical media. Baskets can be easily removed and the contents can be cleaned using the ‘Easy Clean’ grid. Simple to remove and easy to clean.

„Xtender“ Control Function
If the media (fine filter pad) becomes blocked, the flow rate can be increased using the control function. The water will be redirected but the biological filtration will be maintained – allowing the cleaning of the filter to be postponed for a few days.

Quiet operation
EHEIM high performance bearings and ceramic axles guarantee quiet running, long life and durability.

Ready to connect
All professionel filters will include original EHEIM filter media and the following corresponding accessories: inlet and outlet pipes, EHEIM quality hose and set up accessories.

Specifications

EHEIM’s published figures for the professionel 4+ 250T (type 2371):

For aquariums 120 to 250 litres
Pump output about 950 litres an hour
Pump power consumption 12 W
Integrated heater 210 W
Voltage 230 V, 50 Hz
Delivery head 1.5 m
Maximum installation height 180 cm
Container volume 7.1 litres
Filter volume 3.5 litres
Prefilter volume 0.5 litres
Hose 16/22 mm
Dimensions 238 × 244 × 398 mm (w × d × h)

Heater settings. Target temperature is adjustable from 18 to 34 °C (64 to 93 °F), leaves the factory at 24 °C, switches with a hysteresis of ±1 °C and can display in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. Holding the button for about three seconds enters and leaves the setting mode, which doubles as a child guard: a stray press cannot change the temperature.

It runs on Indian mains as supplied. 230 V at 50 Hz is what comes out of the wall here, and the 210 W heater is a real load: put it on a circuit that can take it alongside your lighting.

Compatibility

Freshwater only, and that is because of the heater. EHEIM approve the plain professionel 4+ 250/350/600 for fresh and marine tanks, but the thermofilter versions (the 250T you are looking at, type 2371, and the 350T) are listed for freshwater aquariums only. Do not put this one on a reef.

Sized for 120 to 250 litres. The lower figure matters as much as the upper one: a 250T on a 60-litre tank is a lot of turnover and a lot of heater for the water volume.

Maximum installation height is 180 cm: the vertical distance from the filter to the water surface. A cabinet stand is well inside that; a filter sitting on the floor beside a tall tank on a high stand may not be.

Media loadout EHEIM specify for this size: the lower cartridge with EHEIM MECH pro, the upper cartridge with EHEIM SUBSTRAT pro topped with the white filter fleece and the screened cover, and the blue filter mat in the prefilter. The 350 and 600 take a bioMECH stage in between; the 250 does not have the room for it.

Hose is 16/22 mm, and EHEIM ask that you use their own hose with the safety adapter.

Safety & Precautions

Never power the heater before the water is moving. EHEIM put this in the commissioning sequence in bold: the heater is plugged in only once the filter is circulating and delivering water. A heating spiral energised in a dry canister is a burn hazard and a dead heater.

It gets hot, and it stays hot. EHEIM warn of burn injuries from the device during and directly after operation, and specifically from the heating spiral. Let it cool before a strip-down.

Freshwater, indoors, water not above 35 °C, and never running without water flow.

There is a strong magnet inside it. EHEIM’s own warning: the appliance contains magnets with strong magnetic fields that can affect pacemakers and implanted defibrillators, and you should keep at least 20 cm between the implant and the magnet. That applies while you are handling the impeller, not just while the unit is running.

Indoors, and not above 35 °C. EHEIM approve this unit for indoor aquarium use only, with a maximum water temperature of 35 °C. It must never be run without water flowing through it, and it must not be used to move anything other than aquarium water: not drinking water, not foodstuffs, and nothing corrosive, flammable or aggressive.

Put it on an earth-leakage breaker. EHEIM specify a residual current device rated at no more than 30 mA for this appliance. If your tank circuit does not have one, that is the single cheapest safety improvement you can make to a room with water and mains electricity in it.

Leave a drip loop. Run the cable so it dips below the level of the socket before it rises to it. Water that tracks along a cable stops at the bottom of the loop and drips off instead of running into the outlet. EHEIM print this instruction with a diagram in every manual in the range, which tells you how often it is ignored.

The mains cable cannot be replaced. EHEIM mould it into the unit. Their instruction is unambiguous: if the cable is damaged the appliance must be scrapped, not repaired and not re-terminated. Check the lead and plug before each use, and keep the cable away from heat, oil and sharp edges.

Unplug everything in the tank before you put your hands in it. EHEIM’s wording is to disconnect all devices in the aquarium from the power supply before installing or removing any part and before any cleaning or maintenance: not just the one you are working on.

Repairs go back to EHEIM. Their instruction is that repairs are carried out by an EHEIM service centre only, that you carry out only the work described in the manual, that you never modify the appliance, and that you fit only original EHEIM spare parts. Talk to us first: most faults in this range are a single wear part, and we would rather send you the part than the unit go anywhere.

Packaging and small parts are a choking hazard. Keep them away from children and animals. EHEIM rate the appliance as usable by children from three years old under supervision; cleaning and user maintenance are not jobs for children unless an adult is supervising.

What’s in the Box

• Filter canister with locking clips and rubber buffers
• Pump head with pump wheel, pump cover and profile seal
• Prefilter with prefilter seal, prefilter flap and blue filter mat
• Two filter cartridges, with the white filter pad and cover grating
• EHEIM filter media
• Range Xtender knob (fitted to the pump head)
• Safety adapter with locking lever, adapter bar and hose locking device
• Bracket and float
• Suction aid
• Hoses
• Suction pipe with suction basket, and suckers with terminal clamps
• Outlet elbow and nozzle pipe
• Heater control panel with pushbutton and display (integral to this model)
• Power cable

That list is EHEIM’s own component overview from the operation manual for this type number, which is the closest thing they publish to a packing list. If something is missing from the carton, tell us within the 7-day return window and we will sort it out.

It arrives filled. EHEIM ship the professionel 4+ with their own media already supplied along with the inlet and outlet pipes, hose and setting-up accessories: you are loading the baskets on day one, not shopping for media first.

Returns & Replacement

Returns are accepted within 7 days of delivery, provided the item is unused and in its original packaging. Manufacturer-sealed items cannot be returned once the seal is broken, and sale-priced items are not refundable.

If your item arrives defective or damaged, message us on WhatsApp with your order number, or email us if you would rather, and we will replace it. Approved replacements are delivered within 3 to 5 business days. Transit damage is covered by insurance on every shipment. If tracking shows delivered but nothing reached you, tell us within 48 hours, which is the reporting window Indian couriers allow. Damage caused during installation or use is not covered; replacement spares for such cases are chargeable.

Full terms are on our Cancellation & Returns page.

Warranty & Support

This product carries a 3-year manufacturer warranty from the date of purchase, covering material and manufacturing defects. EHEIM excludes wear parts (impeller, sealing rings, hoses and filter media) along with glass damage, units that have been opened, and any unit fitted with non-EHEIM parts.

Warranty support is handled by us directly. Message our WhatsApp support with your order number and we will diagnose the fault first. Most cases are solved by replacing a single part, so you rarely need to send the whole unit. If the item does need to come back, it ships to our Delhi or Pune warehouse, whichever one served your order, and courier cost in both directions is borne by the customer. Your GST invoice is valid proof of purchase for the claim.