not at all. they are, if anything, easier to set up and clean than HOB's... all my canister requires is a twice a month rinse. no cartridges to buy, just squeeze out the sponges in a bucket of tank water, swish the bio-rings around in the bucket, rinse out the can in the sink, and hook it back up. They are a bit more expensive, but HOB's dont even compare to the filtration of a canister imo