Dan Lichens

Avast Labs is now on Printables! 
Our new verified Printables account expands our offerings for the reefing community, featuring official replacement parts, useful accessories, experimental projects, and creative tools that make aquarium systems easier...

Kalkwasser is often viewed as a legacy method, but it remains one of the cleanest and most effective ways to power a modern reef. Rather than just "chasing numbers," Kalkwasser supports the carbonate engine (the linked chemistry of calcium, alkalinity,...

Introducing The Avast Marine Porthole Mark II Modular (MIIM). For nearly twenty years, the Avast Porthole has had one simple job: to give reefkeepers a clear, top-down view of their aquariums. The new Porthole is designed to take reef photography and...

Kalkwasser does not broadly “strip” trace elements from reef aquarium water. The more useful reframing is this: in a kalk reactor, high-pH limewater can help certain metals, phosphate compounds, and insoluble impurities settle in the slurry rather than...

A simple guide to reliable, repeatable micro-feeding on your schedule.

Controlling a Plank feeder with an Apex controller doesn’t need to feel like deciphering an ancient tablet. The OSC (Oscillate) command looks mysterious at first glance, but in practice,...

Since the beginning, Avast Marine has stood for smart tools, built with purpose, and backed by people who live and breathe the hobby. But behind every polished release was a messier journey: napkin sketches, failed prototypes, waterlogged test rigs, and...