Eheim Mini-Up Review
A tiny, whisper-quiet submersible for nano tanks — just 5 W, adjustable output and a footprint small enough to tuck into the corner of a shrimp cube.
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👍 Pros
- Genuinely tiny — hides in the corner of a nano or shrimp cube
- Only 5 W and extremely quiet, ideal for a bedroom or desk tank
- Adjustable output so you can gentle the flow for shrimp or a betta
- Eheim build quality and reliability in a nano package
👎 Cons
- Single small filter pad means limited media capacity
- Only suits tanks up to roughly 30 L — not for a community tank
- Bare intake can catch tiny shrimp fry without a sponge guard
Small tank, small filter
Putting a big filter on a nano tank is a common beginner mistake — the flow blasts the fish around and the unit dominates the tank. The Eheim Mini-Up is the opposite: a genuinely tiny submersible designed for tanks up to about 30 litres. It tucks into a back corner of a shrimp cube or a betta tank, draws just 5 watts, and runs so quietly it is at home on a bedside table or a desk.
Gentle, adjustable, reliable
Output is adjustable to around 150 L/h, so you can give a nano its recommended 4× turnover and then wind the flow down for shrimp or a slow-finned betta. A single filter pad handles mechanical and biological filtration — plenty for a lightly-stocked small tank. As with everything Eheim makes, it is built to keep running for years on a cheap replacement pad and the occasional impeller clean. For a shrimp tank, add a small sponge pre-filter over the intake to protect fry.
Stepping up from a nano
Outgrow 30 L and you will want more filter: the Fluval U3 internal covers tanks up to 150 L, and for a proper display a canister like the Fluval 407 is the endgame. To match a filter to any tank size — and to understand the 4× turnover rule — see our aquarium filters hub.
The go-to filter for nano and shrimp tanks. It is tiny, sips power and runs near-silent, with Eheim's usual reliability — everything a small tank needs and nothing it doesn't.
Eheim Mini-Up — frequently asked questions
Is the Eheim Mini-Up strong enough for a nano tank?
For a nano up to about 30 L, yes. At roughly 150 L/h its turnover clears the 4× guideline for a small tank comfortably, and the adjustable output means you can dial it back for shrimp or a betta that dislike current.
Can I use it in a shrimp tank?
It is a popular shrimp-tank filter, but slip a small sponge pre-filter over the intake first — the bare inlet can suck up tiny shrimplets. With a sponge guard fitted it is gentle, quiet and safe.
How much media does it hold?
Just a single filter pad, which handles mechanical and biological duty in a small tank. That is plenty for a lightly-stocked nano, but it is the reason the Mini-Up is not suited to anything much above 30 L — the media simply cannot keep up with a bigger bioload.
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