Disappointed with Coralife products....

jblackwell0488 · #1 02/25/2007, 04:02 PM

is there anyone else out there that is having problems with thier products from coralife..ie. energysavers? i have not had good luck with thier products at all...their chemicals do not work well at all, i also purchased 2, 10 k 250 watt single ended m/h bulbs..they are so blue in color they were unusable..they are worse than my friends 20k's..and last but not least, i purchased a coralife super skimmer 220 . after 2 months of use , the impeller has broken and the nipple on the venturi also broke off while i was pulling the air tubing off for cleaning....i have written the company 4 times about replacement parts and have yet to recieve one single reply.......i did find replacement parts on line so if i want the impellor i have to purchase the whole pump assy at $48.00..plus shipping..that is very poor...i have to spend around 60-65 dollors to get a $3.00 part....i recommend to you that before you waste your money on inferior products with deceptive marketing tactics , look around and find a product that is durable and reliable......

onehundred20 · #2 02/25/2007, 04:36 PM

most of their stuff is "sub-par"...If you need to save a few bucks using their stuff isnt bad, i Use them for my actinics etc. nothing else though.

jblackwell0488 · #3 02/25/2007, 06:20 PM

I have used thier actinics and must say, they burn out fast also..i switched to those because they where available.. the first one burned out at 3 months and the second at 6 months .both time there where big burn mark rings in the edge of the tube. only used URI but couldnt find them locally at the time....figured id give them a try....i found out fast.......anyone else have problems with thier products???

Goodwood · #4 02/25/2007, 06:40 PM

Everything I have ever purchased with their name on it never lasts very long. To solve your problem for the future dont waste your money on their stuff. I always try to buy high end equipment, but I did not in the begining. You pay for what you get most of the time.

Good luck getting your skimmer going again

MrPike · #5 02/25/2007, 06:41 PM

Its all junk

DarthBaiter · #6 02/25/2007, 06:51 PM

I just got a Corallife float valve for my RO/DI and ugh...the first broke as I was installing it, the pin holding the float was so flimsy. Second one was installed ok, but Now I noticed that both are not air tight. What happens if the "float" fills with water? I think I'm gonna have to disasemble it and maybe caulk it with silicone.

98riv · #7 02/25/2007, 07:13 PM

My collection cup on my CSS-65 formed a bunch of micro cracks in it. I sent them an email and the next day they said they would send me out a new cup. That was around when they first came out with them. I guess it depends on who you talk to.

benray4fun · #8 02/25/2007, 07:26 PM

I had a coralife 65x4 aqualight, when I tried to remove the plexiglass for cleaning it shattered, then the chinsey legs broke.

I will not buy their stuff anymore, it might be low end, but they charge like it's high end...

jblackwell0488 · #9 02/25/2007, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by benray4fun
it might be low end, but they charge like it's high end...

you got that right brother.....i read good things about thier skimmer as did many others. just to find out it isnt true....

SgJsg35 · #10 02/25/2007, 08:45 PM

Thanks for saving me the trouble of finding out about corallife products the hard way. Ive luckily never used any of their stuff.

josh holt · #11 02/25/2007, 08:47 PM

the only thing from esu that i ever had problems with is their dual timer power center. luckily my lfs took care of it for me.

Fishfreak218 · #12 02/25/2007, 08:57 PM

I have a ton of Coralife Products and never had any problems and I have had some of it for over 2 years..
48" Aqualight Pro
24" Aqualigh Pro
Coralife Aquachill 1/10 HP chiller (although I did have to send it back but Big Als replaced it)
and alot of misc. PC lights that all work fine..

SgJsg35 · #13 02/25/2007, 09:07 PM

I was wrong, I have a digital thermometer from ESU that seems to work fine. Im hopeing my tank is really 80.9 not 98.0.

Peter Eichler · #14 02/25/2007, 09:09 PM

Their stuff used to be great, but it seems with larger production and greater popularity their quality has gone downhill a great deal. I have a 15+ year old MH hood from them that still works perfectly.

fancyfish · #15 02/25/2007, 09:27 PM

I use the 72 inch aqualight retro fit with 3x150 DE lights and 4x96 watt actinics. No problem. I have used for over a year with reeflux bulbs. I use their actinics and again no problem. I also run my tank with one of their high pressure pumps. I have been using them for 16months.

armagedon48 · #16 02/25/2007, 09:38 PM

i have the super skimmer 65, it works fine but coudnt keep up with a 20 gal tank... i have it on my 65 but only as a suplemental filtration. my main filtration is done through my refuge.

chaseracing · #17 02/25/2007, 10:05 PM

I have had no problems with anything Lighting related.

I have had less than ideal luck with everything else. I have a couple of timers for sale right now for $2 that I bought 2 months ago for $40.

b.branscombe · #18 02/25/2007, 10:46 PM

I'm currently using a lot of Coralife stuff. I've had great success with everything except one of their dual power center timers which has crapped out on me. My one complaint thought would be that their technical reps. can be hard to get a hold of at times.

A.T.T.R · #19 02/25/2007, 10:53 PM

apparently they dont have a good opinon of people of reefcentral.

cant say much more then that

A.T.T.R · #20 02/25/2007, 10:59 PM

apparently they dont have a good opinon of people of reefcentral.

cant say much more then that

marmonduke · #21 02/25/2007, 11:22 PM

I have had luck with their lighting fixtures. i have a 24" Aqualight, a 24" HQI Aqualight Pro, and 48" Aqualight and have absolutely flawless performance. The PC bulbs I replace every 9 months though.

I did have issues with their timer (only the none digital ones though).

archie1709 · #22 02/26/2007, 12:40 AM

Although the product I bought (CSS 125) for my 55G is working pretty well, I do see where you guys are coming from.

When I buy a product, I expect that I don't have to feel the need to tell them about microbubbles spewing out of the intake housing. I mean, this is a brand new product. Quality control is definitely not something that coralife values. I mean, I've heard from others that their customer service is great, their warranty programs are great. However, why put the money on troubleshooting products when you could've put more money on the actual quality of the product.

....with that said....I love my CSS 125...it is huge. What an upgrade from another crappy product called Prizm by Red Sea

Goodwood · #23 02/26/2007, 02:49 AM

Oh yeah I had one of their PC bubls catch on fire years ago and it was pretty new. Their skimmers are a great deal for the money but they do have lots of problems with them overflowing.

motopsycho · #24 02/26/2007, 12:02 PM

I'm actually very happy with the customer service for my CSS220. I accidently tossed my venturi (or maybe the wife did

), a cracked collection cup and without a receipt they are replacing it. It did take a little while to find the right number to contact them. In the end it was central-aquatics that is handling the shipment of the part for me. The number I contacted them at is 310-851-8999

HTH's
Chris

DSMpunk · #25 02/26/2007, 01:00 PM

I have two of the 24" PC lights. On both units the same ballast (on the rear bulb) burned out at almost the same time, almost exactly a year after purchase. It may just be coincidence, who knows.