Though they are small in appearance, canister filters are designed to provide complete filtration in aquariums. The filters have a complete filtration process that involves mechanical, chemical and biological filtration. The canister filters come in various designs, some can be placed along-side the aquarium, others can be hung on the rim of the aquarium and better yet, others can be placed under the cabinet.

Marineland C220 canister filter comes with a patented self-priming bottom-mounted motor design. The filter is primed by pumping the button on top of the motor a few times. For those who have primed other types of filter, they know that priming a filter is not always this easy.

Installing of the filter is quite easy and it comes with an instructional Video that explains the set up and maintenance process very clearly. The inclusion of this video is very insightful especially for first time installers. This is a major plus as some brands come with very poor installation guides.

The casing or media of the marineland C220 canister filter is very well built and solid. It is mounted on rubber which helps in cutting down on the sound. The filter comes with four media baskets; this makes the filtration system much better.

The valve assembly is properly put together. The screw-down hose clamps used on the valve assembly are very secure as opposed to the clamp-down clamps used on other filters. The motor is bottom-mounted, with an easy lift off design for canister separation.

To hold the motor onto the case with baskets the motor assembly comes with a two way snap down system. There are two clamps on both sides with two release clamps on the other two opposite sides. This makes the assembly more secure.

The intake and output of the marineland C220 canister filter is made of flexible plastic. The hose clamps are of good quality with the intake ribbed to prevent the pipe from coming out. The output of the filter is of a funnel type and it directs the flow of water very well.

To make observation of the inside of the canister much easier it is made up of clear plastic. Proper care should be taken not to misalign the lid of the canister to avoid air intake problems. The Marineland C220 canister filter [http://marinelandfilters.com/marineland-c220-canister-filter.html] come with a three year warranty. For those who want to buy an aquarium filter it is important to check its review before buying.