My review of the Marineland C-530 canister filter

[Sploke]

I picked up two of these to filter my 210gal natives tank. I bought them in early 2021. Setup was pretty decent, they were not as quiet as I had hoped but they weren't terrible. There is a ton of room in these big canisters for filter media and they move a lot of water.

Cleaning them is not a great process. The quick-disconnect valve block works well. The tops are EXTREMELY difficult to get off. The filter top has two "wings" that you're supposed to lift to help pry the top off and break the seal. However, there is so much flex in the plastic wings that they hit their stops before actually lifting the top enough to get it off. Eventually, this started cracking them. I always end up resorting to prying the top off with a screwdriver to get the filter open.

Over the past two months, one of them has been getting louder and louder. I took it apart to investigate, and the impeller shaft (which is made of ceramic in these models) has worn very badly down one side, causing a lot of rattling and buzzing in operation. After some internet research, it sounds like this problem with the impeller shaft is not uncommon. There are quite a few reviews showing worn or outright broken impeller shafts.

Ok, no problem, things wear out. I can replace the impeller assembly and be good, right? Nope. The impeller for this model has been discontinued and is no longer available, according to Marineland. Despite the fact that they're still producing the filter itself. So, the whole filter is basically junked over the impeller shaft.

The first three years or so of operation were fine (other than the difficulty of the disassembly and cleaning process), but the lack of support makes this a big non-starter for me. I'll be keeping the second one going until it eventually will likely succumb to the same problem. The bad one is getting replaced with an FX4. If the Fluval performs as well and is as quiet or quieter, that will likely be the replacement for the second one as well when the time comes.

 

[fishorama]

Maybe look on ebay or other secondary market for impellers? Ken's Fish?

I was given an old Fluval FX4 & it was a PITA to open too. I used a small screwdriver to pry it open like you had to do. I eventually gave up on it, it was just too hard to deal with even twice/year at most. Maybe the newer Fluvals are easier to work on? I was used to Rena 3 canisters, not without some quirks, but what I was used to. I was also given a FX 6, the size of a shop vac. Even empty it was almost more than I could handle. Full of water I knew I couldn't cope. I gave it away to a younger, stronger club friend soon after realizing that, lol.

 

[jake72]

I picked up two of these to filter my 210gal natives tank. I bought them in early 2021. Setup was pretty decent, they were not as quiet as I had hoped but they weren't terrible. There is a ton of room in these big canisters for filter media and they move a lot of water.

Cleaning them is not a great process. The quick-disconnect valve block works well. The tops are EXTREMELY difficult to get off. The filter top has two "wings" that you're supposed to lift to help pry the top off and break the seal. However, there is so much flex in the plastic wings that they hit their stops before actually lifting the top enough to get it off. Eventually, this started cracking them. I always end up resorting to prying the top off with a screwdriver to get the filter open.

Over the past two months, one of them has been getting louder and louder. I took it apart to investigate, and the impeller shaft (which is made of ceramic in these models) has worn very badly down one side, causing a lot of rattling and buzzing in operation. After some internet research, it sounds like this problem with the impeller shaft is not uncommon. There are quite a few reviews showing worn or outright broken impeller shafts.

Ok, no problem, things wear out. I can replace the impeller assembly and be good, right? Nope. The impeller for this model has been discontinued and is no longer available, according to Marineland. Despite the fact that they're still producing the filter itself. So, the whole filter is basically junked over the impeller shaft.

The first three years or so of operation were fine (other than the difficulty of the disassembly and cleaning process), but the lack of support makes this a big non-starter for me. I'll be keeping the second one going until it eventually will likely succumb to the same problem. The bad one is getting replaced with an FX4. If the Fluval performs as well and is as quiet or quieter, that will likely be the replacement for the second one as well when the time comes.

Probably old stock. In recent years it seems marineland has new models frequently which likely cause cease of production of the older models. Some parts might be reused others not so much. I will say of the various vendors hygger and fluval support has been pretty decent. Also zoo med the one time i contacted them was decent.

I don't love the fx6 but it has some pluses include support. I have one. Some people give high regards on oases line of canister filters but i never used on. Inland has a very interesting model but it is super expensive but looks very efficient. The base is only $200 but then you have to add a pump and plumbing.
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For my 65s and smaller i use matten filters and zoo med.
For my 120 i have an fx6 and eheim 2227 - truth be told i hate them both.
for my 180, 180, 180, 100, 500 and 600 i have sumps. The 600 has a sump with sponges that i like the others use sock - only the 500 is a pia as i have to clean the socks once a week - the 3 180, 100 i have to clean about once every 6 weeks and the 600 i have to clean one or two sponges every 3 months (these are large sponges so a pia but not very frequent).

The matten filters require cleaning about once a year - 29,29,65,65, 29,29. The two 20s have zoo med and the 40 has a matten filter and a zoo med. The zoo med have to be cleaned about once every 18 months

Of course this all dpeends on stocking et all. My little 20 has mom, dad and around 80 frys of 3 different generations so eventually it will be a problem.

 

[Sploke]

Update - I really like the FX4. I hadn't realized how LOUD the Marineland can is until I had them both running next to each other and shut each one off individually.

I thought seriously about doing a sump for this tank. The tank is an in-wall installation so the face of it looks out into the basement rec room and that's all you see, and the tank itself is in our guest room which is now turning into a home office as well, so I really need it as quiet as possible. I've had a lot of different sump/wed-dry/overflow configurations and while I love them for their efficiency and ease of cleaning, NONE of them have been particularly quiet. And, I don't want a bunch of handware hanging off the back of the tank because it's viewable from both sides, so the canisters are the best compromise for quiet and low visual impact.

I need to go through a cycle of breaking down and cleaning the FX4 to get used to it, but as long as that goes well I'll likely be replacing the other C-530 with an FX6.

 

[FreshyFresh]

Thanks for sharing the info.

My Marineland C-360 canister has been going on my 75g since 2013. Every part, even all seals are original. It gets shut off and turned back on every two weeks during water changes. I clean it once or twice a year now that there's only my green sev in this tank.

If I remember right, I purchased it new from DrsFosterandSmith on some special they were offering at the time. $79 maybe?