EHEIM’s invention of the aquarium suction filter in the 60’s, started the long journey of making aquarium keeping a hobby for broad sections of the population and millions of enthusiasts worldwide.
Deizisau, May 2024 - It all began in 1949, the year in which the Federal Republic of Germany was founded. At that time, a young engineer named Gunther Eheim started his first company near Stuttgart to "repair and manufacture technical toys". The business was set up on his father-in-law's veranda and Model railways were repaired and rebuilt there. The company later moved to Deizisau, just a few kilometres away, where EHEIM has its headquarters today.
This is where Eheim developed its legendary model trolley bus in 1953. Although a bestseller, it only came with a fountain for model railway layouts and a pump with magnetic coupling that was designed for this purpose. Though it was waterproof.
The idea of combining this centrifugal pump with a cleaning tank ultimately led to the development of a suction filter for aquariums. Finally, aquarium water could be cleaned automatically.
It’s important to note: The beautiful, fascinating underwater worlds that feature exotic fish, plants or corals, and dreamlike aquascapes, would probably never have happened if Gunther Eheim had not come up with this ingenious idea. The first exotic ornamental fish only arrived in Europe at the beginning of the 20th century and could only be kept under the most difficult conditions.
The first EHEIM filter system went into production in 1963. By 1971, 100,000 EHEIM aquarium filters were already in use worldwide. Ten years later, the company was already manufacturing on 10,000 m² of factory space. Further inventions, innovations, and products appeared quickly. Firstly, in 1981, a new generation of EHEIM filters with synchronised motor technology was developed, followed by a new product line for garden ponds in 1985. Further internal and external filter models followed. In the 1990s, the EHEIM professionel and EHEIM ecco filter series were introduced, which have been further developed into the highly efficient, energy-saving devices we know today.
To expand their aquarium portfolio, EHEIM acquired the aquarium construction company Müller & Pfleger (mp) in Rockenhausen (Rhineland-Palatinate) in 1993. Since then, aquarium sets in various sizes and designs have been created for both freshwater and marine. During this period, the "shopDesign" shopfitting service for the pet trade was also created.
In 2002 EHEIM also took over the Jäger company in Wüstenrot Similar to Gunther Eheim, the engineer Eugen Jäger helped increase the popularity of the ornamental fish aquarium with his invention of the adjustable "Jäger Regulator Heater". Over the years, this heater has been continuously improved, resulting in the electronically controlled EHEIM thermocontrol-e heating of today.
This innovation continued in the 2000s. New internal and external filters with more efficient performance were introduced. This included the EHEIM aquaball internal filter, which was honoured with the "Red Dot" design award in 2002. And the aforementioned professionel external filter, created in 2006. Over the years, many new products were added, such as air and flow pumps, UV clarifiers, protein skimmers, etc. This was also the time where new avart-garde aquarium sets were created (including incpiria and incpiria marine 2012/13).
From 2014 onwards, new LED lighting concepts for freshwater and marine aquariums were developed in EHEIM’s in-house lighting laboratory. And recently, EHEIM launched the LEDcontrol+, which included wireless WiFi lighting control, a great example of the increasing digitalisation in the marketplace. The "EHEIM Digital Family" now includes a variety of smart products that can be programmed, controlled and networked via smartphone, tablet or PC. The spectrum ranges from aquarium filters, aquarium lighting and atmospheric cabinet lighting and heating to automatic feeders, air conditioners, UV clarifiers and CO2 supply systems.
Today, the EHEIM range includes aquarium sets for freshwater and marine as well as aquarium lighting and control, internal and external filters, aquarium heaters, UV clarifiers, automatic feeders, air pumps, flow pumps, skimmers, CO2 fertilisation systems, mechanical, biological, adsorptive and chemical filter media, pond products and many accessories for cleaning, maintenance and installation.
EHEIM has received numerous awards including the aforementioned Red Dot Design Award and other prizes. In recent years, for example, EHEIM has received the "Animal Challenge Award" as "Best Supplier of the Year". EHEIM’s new LEDcontrol electronic lighting control system has won the gold medal. And the WBF honoured EHEIM with the prestigious "World Branding Award" as "Brand of the Year". In 2021, EHEIM was included in the "Brands of the Century" almanac and honoured with the "German Standards" brand award. Most recently, in 2023, EHEIM added the "Specialist Retail Brand of the Year" award to its collection.
The spirit of invention is deeply rooted at EHEIM. New ideas, new products, innovative developments and optimisations are constantly being created. On one hand, the aim is to offer aquarium enthusiasts the best products and solutions, with sophisticated innovations which set new trends using pioneering technologies. On the other hand, high quality and safety standards must always be met. That is why EHEIM’s production is mainly in Germany. EHEIM and its slogan "Made in Germany" are synonymous. It allows EHEIM the ability to control production and design in a way that allows them to meet the high standards our customers expect.
In that regard, convenient handling, good design and high performance are always on the agenda. And EHEIM is at the forefront when it comes to energy efficiency, environmental friendliness and sustainability - including in production.
This production take place at their headquarters in Deizisau near Stuttgart. It also has other sites in Germany and subsidiaries in Europe and Asia and exports to around 70 countries.
Gunther Eheim, who died in 2013 at the age of 93, was one of the pioneers of the twentieth century. An ingenious engineer and a typical tinkerer and inventor. From humble beginnings 75 years ago, he built the world's leading manufacturer of external aquarium filters. The EHEIM Group is probably the best-known brand in aquatics today and is an international symbol for high quality products and service. Throughout his life, Gunther Eheim's aim was for EHEIM to be better and more reliable than other brands. Since, 2016, and following in this manner of this maxim, the company has been managed by Cameroon-born business economist and marketing specialist Ibrahim Mefire Kouotou. He was recognised as a talent by Gunther Eheim while he was still alive and initially taken on as the Head of Marketing.
Managing Director Ibrahim Mefire Kouotou explains: "EHEIM's 75-year history is a testament to our continuous innovation and commitment to the highest quality products and services. We are proud to have not only shaped the aquarium industry, but to continue to be at the forefront of its technological advancement."