Coralife cs 220 customer service is good news!

mistermikev · 08/22/2008, 04:36 PM

so, I've had a css220 for quite some time on my 75gal reef...
recently I'd been playing around with it and had done some reading up on mods...

having visited the manufacturers site I saw the manual suggests the use of a flow adjustment at the input stage... and I thought this could help me out quite a bit since it was hard to get a ball valve that wouldn't require me to move my pump lower in the tank than I wanted it...

contacted coralife and not only were they helpfull... they sent me the part free of charge.

now, some ppul say this skimmer is crap, some say it's fair, some say it's great (count me in this category)... but at the very least the customer support that comes with the product is second to none.

thanks coralife!

NOTE: I think this is a great skimmer, but it is a bit fussy... like all skimmers it requires a constant water level... the pump MUST be set up as close as possible to the waterline... the impeller shaft should be checked often as they tend to break and if broken the skimmer will hardly work (eheim shaft is a good replacement but needs to be cut down to length). FISH LINE MOD IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!!

jkdsr78 · 08/22/2008, 05:00 PM

i have a CSS as well. It's a budget skimmer but it has worked well for me. Had to make several modifications. I agree with your comments mistermikev. Best used for in-sump use.

mistermikev · 08/22/2008, 05:32 PM

what mods have you done?

mistermikev · 08/22/2008, 05:34 PM

I've tried the outflo mod, the air pump mod, the fish line mod, the airflow adjustment on the venturi in mod...
found that stock with the fish line mod is best, oh, and no cover on collection cup.

Octoberfest · 08/22/2008, 05:38 PM

I had the coralif SS 125 a couple years ago on a 75 gallon tank. One night I was working in the sump and got lit up...aka shocked. So after some investigating I narrowed it down to the pump.

I was ****ed to say the least. I contacted Coralife and they said to stop using the pump right away. They sent me a new pump in the mail, free of charge, I didn't even have to pay for shipping. When I got the pump I called them to find out about sending the failed pump back and they said not to worry about it, but to discard it.

A couple months later I had lost the o-ring that goes between the collection cup and the skimmer body. When I contacted them to find out about how to order a new one they again sent me a new one free of charge.

Hard to beat that.

mistermikev · 08/22/2008, 05:42 PM

I've heard those pumps for the cs65/125 are rio and they aren't so good...
again tho... great customer service... really outstanding!
thanks for posting!

08/22/2008, 04:36 PM	#1
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	Coralife cs 220 customer service is good news! so, I've had a css220 for quite some time on my 75gal reef... recently I'd been playing around with it and had done some reading up on mods... having visited the manufacturers site I saw the manual suggests the use of a flow adjustment at the input stage... and I thought this could help me out quite a bit since it was hard to get a ball valve that wouldn't require me to move my pump lower in the tank than I wanted it... contacted coralife and not only were they helpfull... they sent me the part free of charge. now, some ppul say this skimmer is crap, some say it's fair, some say it's great (count me in this category)... but at the very least the customer support that comes with the product is second to none. thanks coralife! NOTE: I think this is a great skimmer, but it is a bit fussy... like all skimmers it requires a constant water level... the pump MUST be set up as close as possible to the waterline... the impeller shaft should be checked often as they tend to break and if broken the skimmer will hardly work (eheim shaft is a good replacement but needs to be cut down to length). FISH LINE MOD IS AN ABSOLUTE MUST!!!!! __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

08/22/2008, 05:32 PM	#3
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	what mods have you done? __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

08/22/2008, 05:34 PM	#4
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	I've tried the outflo mod, the air pump mod, the fish line mod, the airflow adjustment on the venturi in mod... found that stock with the fish line mod is best, oh, and no cover on collection cup. __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

08/22/2008, 05:38 PM	#5
Octoberfest Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NC Posts: 1,350	I had the coralif SS 125 a couple years ago on a 75 gallon tank. One night I was working in the sump and got lit up...aka shocked. So after some investigating I narrowed it down to the pump. I was ****ed to say the least. I contacted Coralife and they said to stop using the pump right away. They sent me a new pump in the mail, free of charge, I didn't even have to pay for shipping. When I got the pump I called them to find out about sending the failed pump back and they said not to worry about it, but to discard it. A couple months later I had lost the o-ring that goes between the collection cup and the skimmer body. When I contacted them to find out about how to order a new one they again sent me a new one free of charge. Hard to beat that. __________________ 29 gallon bio-cube with 150w metal halide sunpod fixture, stock 14 gallon bio-cube

08/22/2008, 05:42 PM	#6
mistermikev Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Glendale, AZ Posts: 790	I've heard those pumps for the cs65/125 are rio and they aren't so good... again tho... great customer service... really outstanding! thanks for posting! __________________ "There he goes. One of God's own prototypes. Some kind of high powered mutant never even considered for mass production... Too weird to live, and too rare to die." "A drink... for all my friends!" Current Tank Info: 75gal mixed reef + 20gal sump w/ 2 * 175w halides, 2 * 95w vhos, 1* 50w no, led moonlighting, cs220, maxijet 1200s/sureflos, hang on refuge, deep sand bed...

08/22/2008, 05:00 PM	#2
jkdsr78 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gulf Coast Posts: 128	i have a CSS as well. It's a budget skimmer but it has worked well for me. Had to make several modifications. I agree with your comments mistermikev. Best used for in-sump use.