Avast Labs is Live: Inside-Out Innovation for the Reefkeeping Community

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 the occasional stroke of pirate brilliance.

Now, we're opening the door to that process.

Welcome to Avast Labs.

What is Avast Labs? Our Innovation Engine

Avast Labs is our in-house R&D engine where concepts are sketched, tested, reworked, and proven before they ever hit the storefront. It’s a commitment to building better gear through better understanding. More than just a section of our website, Labs is a dedicated space where we publish our research, share the results, and invite you to follow along as we turn bold ideas into real tools for real tanks.

Some Labs projects graduate to become full Avast Marine products, earning proper inventory, warranty, and support. Some stay small-batch. Some are free. But all are designed to challenge convention and improve the way aquarists interact with their gear.

Image: Matey clicker and dispenser drive mechanism concept

Why Avast Labs Exists: Our Purpose and Commitment

We don’t just build new equipment. We ask the hard questions first, and keep asking until we get answers.

Labs gives us a space to:

Share Research Openly: From ozone dosing to feeder mechanics to system chemistry, we'll share what we learn.
Co-create with Community: We want to collaborate with hobbyists, engineers, and curious minds who want to contribute. We'll listen to feedback and course-correct in public.
Document the Process: We'll share the journey, not just the outcome, turning support questions into published how-tos.
Iterate Quickly: Prototype and test new ideas without disrupting core operations, allowing us to launch small, gauge interest, and get real feedback before investing big.

Image: Performing phosphate test on various macro algae for Reef Jerky

What Makes Avast Labs Different? Proven Impact

You might already be familiar with some of our work that exemplifies the Labs approach. Here are a few examples of what that looks like:

Safer, Smarter Ozone Use

Most reefkeepers rely on ORP readings without understanding what they're really measuring. We’ve spent years studying ozone behavior in reef tanks - not just theorizing, but actually running controlled trials, tracking side effects, and refining our reactor and abatement systems. When existing tools didn’t cut it, we built better ones. We even developed new techniques to visually verify ozone activity - allowing safe dosing without a $500 meter. You’ll see all of this work continue to be documented in the Labs blog.

The Kalkulator Wasn’t a Guess

We didn’t just make a calculator - we ran dosing trials, measured precipitation curves, and tested everything from saturation stability to pH rebound across tank types. The result? A real-world tool that lets hobbyists make informed dosing decisions based on actual system behavior, not just chemistry theory. And the experiments that led to it? You’ll soon find them here.

Feeding, Quantified

Auto feeders are everywhere - but we wanted to know what actually worked. What auger design delivers consistent output across pellet sizes? How often do reef fish eat in the wild, and how does that translate to nutrient load in a closed system? The Plank, the MINI, and the Matey weren’t just built, they were measured, dialed, and iterated. The research behind them is what made them work. And now we’re documenting those insights for others to build on.

Image: Testing ambient ozone levels post abatement

What to Expect from the Avast Labs Blog: Our Content Categories

The Avast Labs blog is the heart of this system. It’s how we connect R&D, product launches, customer feedback, and long-term support in one place. Here’s how it breaks down:

Lab Notes: Sketches, test results, build logs, and design tradeoffs. You’ll see what we’re working on before it ships - and sometimes before it even works.
Now Shipping: Launches, limited-run drops, packaging updates, and final specs. These are the “graduate and scale” moments when concepts become gear.
In the Wild: Real-world installs, creative customer setups, and performance snapshots. From frag systems to commercial integrations, this is where we spotlight you.
Feedback Loop: We ask. You weigh in. We build smarter. Polls, prototype votes, support trends, and roadmap pivots all live here.
Tips & Techniques: How-to guides, maintenance walkthroughs, and system-wide insights. From feeder programming to pH tuning, this is where we go deep on application.

Image: Prototype v2 Skimmate Locker magnetic latching shut off valve

Radical Transparency & What It Means For You

Every experiment, adjustment, and decision in Labs is shared - not just the polished stuff. You’ll see charts, logs, time-lapses, controller code, and even the failures. Why? Because the story behind the product is part of the product. We believe that kind of transparency builds trust. It also makes us better engineers.

We’re not trying to crank out trendy gear. We’re trying to make tools that work, and prove it. This means for you:

First access to new tools.
A behind-the-scenes look at how they're made and tested.
The chance to shape features before launch.
Confidence that the best gear will graduate to full Avast Marine support.
A permanent place to find deep technical content backed by real data.
If we release something, you’ll know why. If we change something, you’ll see how. If you have a better idea, we’ll test it.

The Labs Ethos

We approach everything here with:

Scientific curiosity
Measured decisions
A willingness to challenge norms
Respect for the hobbyist’s time, tank, and brainpower
The pirate mindset - bold, hands on, and a little disruptive

Whether you’re a DIY reefer, chemistry nerd, an automation geek, or just someone who wants to know what’s really going on behind the equipment - Avast Labs is open.

Follow along. Ask questions. Tell us when we’re wrong. That’s how we all get better.

Welcome Aboard!