Fluval Vs Marineland

[Gunngee]

I'm looking at picking up a canister filter. I have no experience with them. Which one is better and which one is quieter? It's for a 45 gallon which will be sitting in my living room right next to my head when I'm watching tv. I was thinking about the Fluval 205 but I wasn't sure about the Marineland. Any input?

 

[OldMan47]

I have a C series Marineland filter that works fine and is very quiet when the tank is full. The return nozzle on it makes it get noisy when the water level is a bit low in the tank because it is hard to change the level where the water returns. My Rena XP series are just as quiet and have a return that is several inches under water. That means they stay quiet unless you remove a lot of water from the tank. I have never used a Fluval canister but have seen mixed reviews on their reliability.

 

[Gunngee]

I have a C series Marineland filter that works fine and is very quiet when the tank is full. The return nozzle on it makes it get noisy when the water level is a bit low in the tank because it is hard to change the level where the water returns. My Rena XP series are just as quiet and have a return that is several inches under water. That means they stay quiet unless you remove a lot of water from the tank. I have never used a Fluval canister but have seen mixed reviews on their reliability.

I was also looking at the Rena but had never heard of it. So it's a pretty good filter? How do you find the access to the filter media, is it easy to get at?

 

[OldMan47]

Access to the Rena is a breeze. It has 4 snaps that you release and the top lifts off. Once you are inside, the media is in baskets that just sit one above the other. Inlet flow goes down around the outside of the baskets and comes back up through the baskets.

This is a picture of the Rena XP3 with the top off.

and with the top in place

a basket with some filter sponges in it

The Marineland also uses baskets and also has 4 snaps, a different shaped snap, to hold the top on. Instead of inlet flow going around the outside, the Marineland has sections of tube that fit to each other to form a pipe from the top to the bottom. Again, once the water gets to the bottom of the canister it flows back up through the baskets.

I don't have similar pictures of the Marineland C series but just imagine a single tube about 1/2 inch in diameter going down through each of those baskets and you won't be far off. The tube is not centered so basket orientation is important on the Marineland. It doesn't matter at all on the Rena since all dimensions on the basket are identical. That thing is as square as they can make it.

 

[Gunngee]

Ever had any problems with leaking??? I have hardwood floors that I put in and I would FREAK if it ever leaked.

 

[IAmATeaf]

NO idea which filter is better but wouldn't the 205 be too low on the flow rate side for a 45G tank?

 

[OldMan47]

If I recall correctly, I was looking at the 305 when I bought the C series for my 45 gallon. The Rena filters have never leaked a drop onto my floors. With that said, it is a good idea to put the filter in a shallow plastic tray like you would use under a plant pot. Why take chances? You always seem to spill a few drops while doing routine maintenance, at least I do. You want to think through the location of the filter. I have one that I decided would be best out of sight behind the tank. That does indeed make the tank more attractive than it would be with the filter more easily seen, but it makes it a real pain to get to when it comes time for a cleaning.