These are a pretty popular option for a canister, but I won’t use them or suggest them to my clients.
When they first came out the rep came to the store I was working at and gave us the whole presentation. What stood out the most was the handle. This is a great feature. I asked about the biomedia because it didn’t look porous. He said it was just that the pores were small and tried to break a piece to show me the inside. It wouldn’t break.
Pros
Handle. That’s really the only pro for this filter.
Cons
Leaks. I have had multiple clients with these and had them leak. I am not sure what the exact problem is, but it is not an isolated defect in a couple, it is a bigger issue.
Weak Flow. These are pathetically weak. It is just sad how little flow these put out.
Bad Media. The ceramic biomedia seems very dense and not very porous. In addition, they have bioballs. Bioballs are not designed for submerged use. They are designed to work in trickle filters which became obsolete in the 90’s. Bioballs aren’t going to be a thing Marineland, stop trying to make it happen. Why have two biomedias? They can’t both be the best. Why would you fill space in your canister with the best and second best biomedia? Why not fill all the space with the best? (Best is a loose term here, neither of their biomedias is the best out there.)
Shallow Trays. This seems to be a common problem in canisters these days. This makes it very hard to pack in filter floss and get the exceptional mechanical filtration that is the biggest benefit of canisters.
Summary
Don’t buy this filter. It isn’t worth it. If someone gives you one for free sell it on eBay or CraigsList and put the money toward a Fluval.