# Marineland C160 leaking



## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

I have a Marineland C160 that started leaking. Its been in service not quite 1 year. It appears to be leaking where the outlet tube swivels in the quick-connect head. This does not look repairable other than getting a new quick connect assembly as the swivel seal is internal.

I have two questions:

1. Is this typical of marienland filters? Are other people having this problem?

2. Is there a consensus about what brand is the best canister filter? I can figure out what size to get but it seems there is about equal positive vibration here for Eheim and Rena.

The tank in question is 26G, 3 fairly big fancy goldfish, and I am trying to grow some plants (just some anacharis now), and I have CO2 injection.


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

rhodesengr said:


> I have two questions:
> 
> 1. Is this typical of marienland filters? Are other people having this problem?
> 
> 2. Is there a consensus about what brand is the best canister filter? I can figure out what size to get but it seems there is about equal positive vibration here for Eheim and Rena.


Not sure if that is typical of marineland,(I didn't capitalize marineland on purpose), canisters,but the reviews have not been too favorable.I would contact the Marineland warranty division.GL!

The best canister filter for those of us who are reluctant to spend the $750.00 for an ADA Superjet is the Eheim Classic series.I am speaking in terms of reliability,efficiency,and service life.Nobody can argue about that.It is also the quietest.(Incidentally,all Eheims are definitely not created equal).


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## AquaVu (Jan 11, 2008)

I have the exact same Marineland filter for over a year with no problems. I've recently bought 3 Filstar XP3 and couldn't have been happier with both choices. They're both around the same price range.


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## robbob2112 (Oct 7, 2007)

call or email marineland with your problem and they should ship you out a new valve block without a problem.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

they are in fact sending me a new valve block so I can't complain about their CS just their design or manufacturing quality.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

Lescarpentier: could you expand on "not all Ehiem are created equal?"


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## lescarpentier (Feb 2, 2008)

rhodesengr said:


> Lescarpentier: could you expand on "not all Ehiem are created equal?"


Sure.

The Classics are more reliable and they have absolutely no bypass.Any filter equipped with media baskets will experience bypass.This is just a fact of life,a trade off for the dubious claim of the added convenience of having media baskets.Filters with baskets cannot be back flushed either.

Although fine filters,the Pro II series have their problems.Reports of leaking priming mechanisms are abundant.These filters also rely on clamping force to seal the pump head to the canister so leaks in this area are common too.The Classics merely use the retaining clips to hold the pump head in place so leaks in this area are to my knowledge non existent.

I have to admit that the ecco series have some nice features but the one that I have been evaluating for a few months is noticeably louder than my Classics and I had to remove the priming check valve because it was rattling.The camming mechanism for securing the pump head and priming is delicate too.In short,I don't completely trust either of these filters.

I've never owned one,but the Pro III filters share too many of the Pro II's design features and shortcomings so I don't trust those either and the gimmicks of the electronic aquarium filters do not impress me.

Gunther Eheim began selling the first aquarium filters in the early sixties which was the same basic design as the current Classics.All subsequent designs were developed in response to competitors who offered media baskets.The fact that this design has remained basically unchanged for 45 years should tell us volumes..


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

Thank you for that cohesive review of the Eheim's. Since the failure of my C160 is at the rotating joint, I am very suspicious of any filter with rotating joints. I can't see the seal design and that area is not designed to be field replaceable. Now that I am getting a new one, I will probably take the old one apart. I see that the Rena filters and some of the newer Eheim also have rotating inlet/outlet which seems like a potential weak spot. I also do not like the design of the C160 plastic hose attachment. I would call it a "backwards compression fitting" Normally in a compression fitting the nut sildes over the plastics tubing and tightens toward the fitting. In the C160 the nut tends to push the tubing back off the fitting and and tightens away from the fitting. This seems like a bad design although it requires no seperate comrpession ferrule under the nut. Another C160 problem is that the plastic tube fittings have little molding ridges on them which are also potential places for leaks to start.

Thanks again for your information.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

Just as a followup: I took the valve head apart to inspect the rotating seals. The orings and the seats looked ok. There was some algae gunk in there so i cleaned it out. Maybe I tightened the four screws a little extra on re-assembly. Seems to be leak-tight now so perhaps the problem is temporarily averted. If the inside of the valve head needs to be cleaned, they should use better screws to put it together. Like I said above, it is not described in the manual as being something that the end user is supposed to take apart.


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## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

Rhodesengr, I was hoping to catch you before you did the valve disassembly but it would be nice to have some photos of the disassembly process or parts for future references. This would enable us to see actual parts so as to help other members in a similar situation. Just a thought if you want to do this.


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

ahhh a good idea but sadly too late. I can describe though as it is pretty simple. The valve head is the black plastic thing that attaches to the hoses and then inserts into the main filter head (top section). If you turn it upside down, you will see four Phillips head screws. Just unscrew them. I would disconnect the hoses also. The valve assembly comes apart in two pieces. You have to finagle the lock levers down through the slot and then the two sections will seperate. There are two rubber o-rings on the inside. One for the inlet and one for the outlet. Take the orings out and rinse them off. You can also clean out the ball-style shutoff valve and the o-ring seat. Work the lever back and forth while flushing. Then just put it back together. I put a little silicone o-ring grease on the o-rings. Presto! leak fixed.


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## mikewulkan (Jan 5, 2009)

Hi, just thought I'd add support to this. I too disassembled as described above and it seems to have done the trick. I was about to give up on this filter and buy something else. I think the silicone o-ring grease is a key part of the fix.

Mike


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## rhodesengr (Nov 23, 2008)

>mikewulkan. Good job. Mine is still leak-tight since my last post, which was several weeks now. I know from years of work on high-vacuum systems that o-rings always seal better when greased. Dow Corning makes special forms of silicone grease for vacuum work but I don't have that stuff at home. I just used drugstore type liquid silicone which is thinner but was probably better than nothing.


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## JDowns (Mar 6, 2008)

rhodesengr said:


> they are in fact sending me a new valve block so I can't complain about their CS just their design or manufacturing quality.


Their CS is indeed great. I cant complain about the design, but I too can complain about the manufacturing quality. But in reality not very many products now have a high rating in that department, XBOX 360 being the absolute lowest in that department.

Another spot that is prone to failure.

If you notice a slight leak coming from the sides its due to the priming assembly screws.

If you remove the six screws that hold the top housing to the motor housing. Four screws on the bottom, two screws in the grooves for the latch assembly. Remove the grey housing. Inside you'll see four screws holding the priming assembly, and a good deal of moisture. Unscrew the primary assembly, quarter turn c-clockwise, it will spring up so hold on to it. Then remove the four screws. The inside of that plate is a gasket. There are two rectangular plastic shims that hold the priming gates in place (don't loose those if they are sticking to the gasket, they go back in flat face up). Clean the gasket. Apply a bead of silicone gasket grease around the edge of the housing and replace. Tighten the screws in an alternating x pattern until tight. If you have blue loctite for plastics I would recommend using it (which should be done during manufacturing to stop the screws from vibrating loose). Re-assembly in reverse order. That will seal the priming unit. 

Silicone grease on the o-rings each time during maintenance is always a good thing too.


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