# Marineland C-530 review and FX5 comparison



## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

So this is my first review of a product on here. I did extensive research on the Marineland C-530 before I bought it, and I didn't find much in the way of a direct comparison to the Fluval FX5, so my review will be mostly of the C-530 with some FX5 comparisons. I feel like these 2 are similar enough that people could be looking at them both, and I hope this is helpful.

*About my setup*: 75G overstocked Malawi Cichlid tank. We overfeed a little bit, so our bioload is high. It's possible we'll be upgrading to a 120 gallon in the next year or so so I wanted to get a filter that could handle this.

*First impressions/quality/"feel"* - When I opened it up, it is clear that the C-530 is a beast. It was a snug fit under my 75G tank, but it fit no problem. The amount of media it holds is impressive, and I think it has a slight edge on the FX5 here. Not by much, but I think by a small margin. I like that it came with all the media you need. After spending close to two hundred dollars on a filter, it's a bummer when you have to purchase additional media on top of that. The way that the excess water drains back into the filter after shutting the flow off and disconnecting the hoses was awesome, and made servicing it a much cleaner job. Sadly, this is where I stopped being impressed. I felt it had a "cheap" feel to it. I could just imagine the plastic handles snapping under the weight of it, and the levers you use to pop the top off when there is suction felt cheap as well, like they'd break in time. The tubes that run water to and from the tank were really, really stiff. In fact, I believe this is where my leak was stemming from (more on that later). The little "key" that you turn to shut the water flow off was a really good design, but it felt cheap as well, I kept imagining it snapping after a while of use. The method you use to attach the tubes to the inlet/output in the tank I thought was tough to hook up, and really tough to adjust once it's on. The inlet/outlet pieces that go in to the tank were also made of very cheap plastic, I almost broke them while attaching the tubes. Once you get the pieces attached, making fine adjustments was almost impossible. I tried to adjust it to take the pressure off of the manifold, but the intake piece was in serious danger of breaking if I kept trying so I just left it. Is it possible that I'm being picky, and these "cheap" parts will actually work very well for a good 10 years? Absolutely. This was just my impression after using it for about 3 weeks.

*Performance* - This thing moves some water, no doubt about it. After only using an emperor 400 and a 350 previously, I was very impressed with how clean this kept my tank. Debris has to get within like 1/4" of my 400 to get sucked in, while this thing pulls in from a much larger radius. I used the included polishing pad, and the flow was noticeably lower a week later. At like $5 or so a pad, this would get pricey to replace them every week. After the first week, I cut out a filter from some quilt batting I bought from wal-mart and put it where the polishing pad would go. This seemed to work well, and 2 weeks later when I took the filter apart to send it back, this had clearly pulled a lot of debris out of the tank and wasn't affecting flow as much. At the price of quilt batting you could replace it every week and not break the bank. This thing wasn't as quiet as I would have liked. If it's in your main room near the TV like our tank is, you might find it too loud (at least mine was). Marineland kept saying this wasn't normal, so it's possible my unit was just defective.

*Why I returned it*: I don't know if I'm being paranoid or not, but when it comes to a canister filter, I need to feel pretty certain it isn't going to leak. Anything that pulls water out of the tank like this has the potential to make an enormous mess. The C-530 was always making a swishing sound and then blowing mircro bubbles a second or so later. Air was clearly getting into the filter, but I don't know from where exactly. I called marineland, and they told me to put sealant around the seals and lubricate the impeller. I did both of these but neither helped the air or noise issue. It was really loud at first, and then it quieted down to a somewhat tolerable level after a week or so, but still not great. I suspect the leak was near the hose manifold on the actual canister. The tubes were so heavy/stiff, I couldn't position them so that they weren't putting pressure on this area, and I suspect it was causing a seal to leak a little and let air in. All of these issues, coupled with the "Cheap" feel of it just made me think I should spend the extra cash and get the FX5. In all fairness, Marineland was helpful, and I think had I kept pushing the issue they would have continued to work with me and send me a new one even, if needed. I just didn't feel like dealing with it. Even if they could have sent me one without these issues, I still just didn't like the feel/quality of it.
After only 1 day of the FX5, I can say a few things about it. The feel is MUCH better, this thing feels solid and I am confident it will last. It's MUCH quieter, I have to put my ear to it to really hear it. It could easily be in your TV room. Even with the cabinet door open, you still can't hear it. The tubes are much easier to work with. The intake part that goes in the tank still doesn't feel like the sturdiest thing ever, but it's better than the C-530.

So, in conclusion, if you are needing a large canister filter, i would go with the FX5 over the C-530. It's an extra ninety bucks or so (plus media costs) on amazon at the time of this writing, but you're going to be using it 24/7 for the next 5-10 years. Your situation may be different than mine, however, and this is only my 2 cents.


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

I have basically the same filter in the Aquatop CF500UV. I have two of them as well as a FX5. The Aquatop does hold a ton of media. Mine also makes that whooshing noise but only after I do water changes but it goes away after about an hour. My FX5 does the same thing. I like both filters for the most part. I also have the same fears about leaking. I constantly check mine for leaks. No leaks so far but better safe than sorry.

I think when it comes to canister filters there are always some complaints about a filter that one person may see or another may not. I have yet to find a perfect filter for me. I just kind of suffer in silence!


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## mclaren880 (May 20, 2012)

How do you find the C-530 noise compared to the FX5? My C-530 made a bit of a humming noise, it was something you could probably get used to, but definitely pretty noticeable from anywhere in the room.

Have you ever had leaking issues?


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

mclaren880 said:


> How do you find the C-530 noise compared to the FX5? My C-530 made a bit of a humming noise, it was something you could probably get used to, but definitely pretty noticeable from anywhere in the room.
> 
> Have you ever had leaking issues?


Knock on wood no leaking from either filter. The noise level about the same maybe the FX5 a bit quieter but to be honest I hear more of a splash from my spray bars than the filters. I really only hear the filters when I open the cabinet doors or the first few hours after a water change where the water level drops below the intake strainers of the filters.


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