Coralife Super Skimmer 125 and 220

[PSH]

Well today the wife and I went on a search locally for a new skimmer. My wife suggested we go to the higher end LFS. Now I have been to this store a few times. It is mostly fish and hard to find fish. This store is a model LFS. Tanks are not over crowded with fish very clean and marine only. They have very little in the way of supplies but they can order anything you would want. After a few minutes of drooling over the fish I asked if they had any skimmers. He showed me what they had which happened to be CSS's. He said he has sold quite a few and only had one returned. The return was a CSS 220 because it wouldn't fit under the customers stand. So he said he figured the 125 was much smaller since the box was smaller. He wanted to be sure so he opened the 125 assembled it set it next to the 220 and they were the exact same size. Now on Dr. F&S the sizes state: 125 Gallon 5" x 7-1/4" x 24-1/2" high, 220 Gallon 6" x 8" x 25-1/2" high. Now to prove his point he went and got one 125 and one 220 new in the box opened them and showed me. I could see no visible difference. Ok one difference was the knob for the water level. Now I didn't break out a tape measure but I could go back and do so. My thing is most stores charge $40-50 more for the 220. I would like to know if anyone else noticed this. Could it be they are getting switched at the factory?

Well to make an already long story longer. I bought a CSS 125 from him and saved $20 compared to the other stores. He will be getting much more of my business.

Another note is that after about 2 hours I am already starting to skim nasty stuff from the tank.

[dadonoflaw]

i just got a css 125 from alfs in Md. that overcharged me so i returned and got the 220 for 30 more dollars assuming that it would be better for my 125. is the pump at least stronger? well the 125 had some nasty stinky stuff coming out so it works once u figure out that u have to cut the tube in the bubble diffuser to get it to work well. dont know about the 225 but i will respond when it gets here supposedly on wednesday

[PSH]

Nope both pumps are rated for 500 GPH. I didn't use the bubble diffuser.

[PSH]

I have to say I am pretty happy with the CSS 125. Honestly I think it worked much better than the AquaC Remora I had on the tank. The remora I would maybe empty the cup 2 times a week. Here's what I got from the CSS after just 7 days.

[dadonoflaw]

i just got the 220 which is a little bigger but has the same size pump. this may effect how well it collects but i will have to see since its only been up a few days and i am just cycling so not alot in there