Avast Marine Works equipment.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

I'm interested in purchasing some equipment from Avast Marine Works but I have never heard any reviews regarding the build quality of their equipment or functionality & efficiency of their devices. Can anyone chime in with their reviews.

[mojo~]

Great stuff I highly suggest there products.good people too.

[psteeleb]

good stuff (at least the protein skimmer)
I had great customer service as I had several questions getting the skimmer to fit and considerations of an alternate pump

I did a summary and review of my skimmer build here
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2032662

I'm considering a Ozone reactor next

[Adam_T]

Amazing customer service and a very well built product. I have left reviews for them in the review section of this forum....

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2053296


They are sponsors on here, and have their own forum section..with MULTIPLE reviews in it. Never heard a bad word about these guys.

[jayg4u]

I agree. I recently purchased a kalk stirrer and media reactor. I did the YOU BUild, saved on cost and it was easy. Total happy with my purchases:celeb1:

[solitude127]

Another vote for great stuff and great customer service. You can save a few buck if you do the DIY stuff they have. I built one of their reactors and it's very simple project.

[d0ughb0y]

they used to be called grey seas aquatics

[chamjack]

I have two of their MR10 tall reactors. I love them. The acrylic is thick, the lid seals well, and the hose connections are union barb fittings. The fittings allow me to disconnect the reactor and change the media without messing with hose clamps. They are well made IMHO.

[advancebc29]

I just got 2 MR5 reactors. They look great but I haven't water tested them yet

[RTMA]

Great stuff from Avast.

I have a Swabbie, Locker and a K1 Kalk Stirrer (DIY). Everything works great and makes my life much easier.

Here the link to my build thread with some pics. (towards the bottom).

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1792021&page=4

[Reefoholicc]

GREAT QUALITY, GREAT MATERIALS and GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!

In a nutshell, they are AWESOME!

I have their CS1 Cone Skimmer (which pulls out the best skim mate to date on my system) and MR5 Media Reactor and I did "You Build" which saved some money to spend on frags :)

There are instructional videos on their website and believe me the videos makes it so much easier to build anything by them!

You won't regret your purchase!

[Reefnut2010]

Agreed, great customer service and awesome products. I think they are a fairly small co at this time and know how to treat their customers. When they get to big we all know what happens...sometimes !! I'm ready for a new bio-pellet reactor. I think I'll call um up.

[dublo8]

Yes! Great company. Their ATO sensor is absolutely amazing. Wish i had known about them before all my other purchases or I would have bought everything from them. Highly suggest them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Thank you everyone! I just ordered the MR5 Media Reactor "You Build" version. I will let everyone know how I like it.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Okay so I have to say that I am so far seriously impressed with Avast Marine Works. I just placed my an order for the Avast "You Build" MR5 Media Reactor Kit and it's due for delivery tomorrow! How freaking sweet is that!


http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Capture.jpg

[jpatrician]

I've owned one of their Swabbies. Definitely great equipment & customer service. I wouldn't hesitate buying from them again!

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

So I received my Avast Marine Works "You Build" MR5 Media Reactor. I am so impressed with the kit that I am going to buy about 3 more reactors and their Kalkwasser Stirrer! Construction was amazingly simple (the instructional video on the website was great). After about 15 minutes of construction the unit was completely assembled and is now sitting for the final curing stage. Ample tubing was included with the reactor as well as a valve for controlling the water flow. I honestly say that Avast Marine Works definitely has my business from this point forward. It is always nice to see the small things a company does to make the customer feel special. In my instructions was a small post it not which was hand written with a thank you from Justin regarding the purchase of the item. I wish all companies had that intimate touch with their clients.


http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-1.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-2.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-3.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-4.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-5.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-6.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-7.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-8.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-10.jpg

[billwill]

I've got the media reactor. Had to mod mine a bit for use with biopellets after talking with Avast customer service. I cut the bottom off the tube below the lower bubble plate because it caused uneven flow. Build quality and materials of construction are way above what their price point is. Great product.

[TheFishTeen]

They seem to have some hard-to-find DIY equipment, at a very good price. Good people. :)

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

They seem to have some hard-to-find DIY equipment, at a very good price. Good people. :)

That I can definitely agree to. Plus there turn around time is amazing. I personally have been waiting to responses from other Acrylic Manufacturing Companies for over two weeks and I got my equipment from them in less then 24 hours!

[ultraxr]

Im expecting my MR5 to arrive today. Planning on using it for biopellets. Anyone use the MR5 for carbon or GFO?

[shifty51008]

i use the mr5 for carbon and GFO, I also have an MR10 that i was gonna use for BP's but never got around to hooking it up yet.

[ultraxr]

Did you have to alter anything to run carbon or GFO? May I ask why you're planning on running a MR10 for biopellets? Just wondering. Im planning on running all three too but just ordered one MR5 too check it out first.

[shifty51008]

never had to alter anything on the MR5's they work great the way they are.

I only got the MR10 because they were out of the MR5's at that time and figured it may have better tumbling in a bigger reactor but can't say for sure.

[ultraxr]

Thx Shifty. I'm anxious to get my MR5 either today or tomorrow. I'll probably get two more soon.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

I couldn't contain myself so I just order another MR5 Media Reactor and the K1 Kali Stirrer with ATB BioPellets.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

So I took a little trip to PetSmart to pick up some CaribSea Ocean Direct Live Sand for my Media Reactor. I had enough to fill the media reactor and also fill my Quarantine Aquariums sand bed. Unfortunately I cannot connect it to the system yet because I am still waiting on the delivery of the pump as well as items to plumb my sump. :banghead:


http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-11.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-12.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-13.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-14.jpg

[Fishbulb2]

I have their largest mutiny reactor. Just a solid awesome piece of equipment. Great materials, great product, and great support. My only complaint (if forced to make one) was that the instructions on the Mutiny could be improved. Otherwise, everything about the build went smoothly. I also love how they include the glue and literally everything you could possibly need to assemble these things. I would definitely buy from them again. They need to offer a larger skimmer size though and I'd buy it for sure.

FB

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

I have their largest mutiny reactor. Just a solid awesome piece of equipment. Great materials, great product, and great support. My only complaint (if forced to make one) was that the instructions on the Mutiny could be improved. Otherwise, everything about the build went smoothly. I also love how they include the glue and literally everything you could possibly need to assemble these things. I would definitely buy from them again. They need to offer a larger skimmer size though and I'd buy it for sure.

FB

I was also impressed with that. I didn't even expect to find tubing or the valve for flow control. I was expecting to buy those separately.

[Fishbulb2]

Yeah, the ozone reactors come with a lot of silicone tubing. Which at 1/2" is typically not cheap. Also love the air flow meter.

[shifty51008]

Can i ask what the purpose is putting sand in the reactor

[ultraxr]

I agreed with Fishbulb2, I wished they offered a larger skimmer. Their only skimmer wouldn't cut it for my 120gal.

I'm also, curious as to why you put stand in the reactor?

[Want2BS8ed]

Late to the love fest (LOL), but have had nothing but positive experiences with Avast.

Well designed and executed products and the customer service is bar non the best I have ever dealt with anywhere anytime no matter the product, service or industry...

Where else would you get an e-mail a week after asking a question, out of the blue, that starts with "I was helping a customer today with a similar problem and thought you might want to try..."

I've also enjoyed building my own equipment - there is an extra little bit of pride knowing you assembled something yourself. More importantly, I have a better understanding of what I have and have not been afraid to modify to suit my needs.

So far here is what I have installed in order: K1 Kalk Reactor, CS1 w/ Swabbie & Davy Jones Locker, Mutiny I Ozone Reactor, MR5 18" Media Reactor and 3 Digital ATO's.

Highly recommend and have no affiliation other than being a very satisfied customer.

[shifty51008]

They have a new skimmer called the black pearl that i think is bigger, looks sweet

[AcroporAddict]

Can i ask what the purpose is putting sand in the reactor

I was wondering the same thing. What is the sand in the reactor for? Are you trying a fluidised biofilter or something?

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Can i ask what the purpose is putting sand in the reactor

I'm using it as a Fluidized Sand Bed Filter. Basically the sand it kept in suspension which allows the bacteria to grow over the entire grain of sand. I see them all the time in public aquariums and wanted one for myself. I will post a video when everything is up and running.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

If anyone was interested here is a link to my thread on the Avast Marine Works K1 " You Build" Kalkwasser Stirrer: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2074301

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Late to the love fest (LOL), but have had nothing but positive experiences with Avast.

Well designed and executed products and the customer service is bar non the best I have ever dealt with anywhere anytime no matter the product, service or industry...

Where else would you get an e-mail a week after asking a question, out of the blue, that starts with "I was helping a customer today with a similar problem and thought you might want to try..."

I've also enjoyed building my own equipment - there is an extra little bit of pride knowing you assembled something yourself. More importantly, I have a better understanding of what I have and have not been afraid to modify to suit my needs.

So far here is what I have installed in order: K1 Kalk Reactor, CS1 w/ Swabbie & Davy Jones Locker, Mutiny I Ozone Reactor, MR5 18" Media Reactor and 3 Digital ATO's.

Highly recommend and have no affiliation other than being a very satisfied customer.

I can definitely give this a +1

[Jay4Robin]

small problem with swabby.

looks like they will handle. I was nervous but just received an email advising me about sending a fedex label

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

small problem with swabby.

looks like they will handle. I was nervous but just received an email advising me about sending a fedex label

See great customer service! I don't think you have a thing to worry about.

[RoachF4]

Jay4Robin,

If you don't mind, what was the problem with your swabby? I've had one running for about 2 months on a BK mini 160 with no issues until the other night. It was making some kind of different motor noise then usual...extra vibrations as well. The strange thing was that the wiper wasn't turning because it wasn't on at the time. I have it programmed via Apex for 1 minute in the AM and PM. This was some time after midnight (long after the programmed time). The only way to kill the noise was to unplug from the DC8. Anyways...long ramble...just wondering what your issue was.
Oh, and aside from this little incident, I have been very impressed with Avast products.

Matt

[ctenophore]

Thanks all for the feedback and compliments!

Jay, we figured out what was wrong with your Swabbie- Dan accidentally made a few 8" models with 5" lid rings, where the normal size is 6" lid ring. As soon as I have some of the correct 8" models I will have it out to you.

Matt, send me an email with any additional details and we'll figure out what's up with yours. Making motor noise with the power off is a new one for me :)

Fishbulb, any comments re: ozone assembly are welcome, just email me what wasn't clear in the instructions and I'll be happy to update them.

Justin

[Jay4Robin]

Justin I sent you everything back including my lid to use for comparison.
I also advised you about the cover on the motor how it was not sitting on it correctly.
Please check the set screw for me. It would not tighten all the way for me.
When do you think I will have the unit back with my lid?

I really was not expecting to have to wait long when I sent my lid to you.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

So I have been very happy with my Bubble Magus NAC-5E Protein Skimmer since I bought it a few months back but as with everything in this aquarium build I have decided that I need to make some slight upgrades and adjustments in order to suite the overall goal of this aquarium. So I have noticed that my Nitrates have been slowly creeping up over the past few weeks (they are currently 20ppm as of this post). I have a tendency to over feed and my display is stocked quite heavily with various types of fish. So with those two factors in hand, I decided to do some research and investigation as to why my Nitrates are going up.


I have taken the time to reduce the amount of food I feed on a daily basis. I have moved from introducing 4 to 5 cubes of various frozen foods to 1 cube per day.
I have increased the aquarium water turnover by opening the ball valve controlling the amount of water return to the aquarium from the feed pump.
I am conducting a 2 gallon water change weekly.


I also have a BioPellet Reactor that has been running for about 1 week now and still has on average about 3 to 4 weeks left in order to culture enough bacteria to start seeing a difference. Also my Fluidized Sand Bed Filter doesn't seem to be assisting in the reduction of Nitrates but in its defense it is also only 1 week old. So my next obvious choice would be to upgrade my current Protein Skimmer in order to address the issue. In the interim I stumbled across and article regarding the output of a BioPellet Reactor and that they recommended that it be placed as near to the Protein Skimmer water intake as possible or plumbed to feed it. So I figured this would be a better time then ever to upgrade.

I contacted Justin at Avast Marine Works and after a brief Q/A decided to order a recent addition to their equipment lineup, the Avast Marine Works "You Build" CS-1 Black Pearl Recirculating Protein Skimmer. It is currently in route and should be delivered by tomorrow. All I can say it that I am excited to see recieve it. I have been very pleased with all the products I have purchased from Avast Marine Works. I was only saddened that I did not have enough available cash at the time to purchase the Swabbie and the Davey Jones Skimmate Locker (they are next on my list). I am hoping that bad boy assist with my high Nitrate issues. Below is a photograph that Justin sent me of the unit and I can say this is definitely looks beautiful!


http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/cs1-blackpearl_lg.png

View My Aquarium Journal
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2074357

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Well I am finally done building the Avast Marine Works "You Build" CS-1 Black Pearl Recirculating Protein Skimmer. First let me say that this is not a difficult build but it is rather time consuming. So if anyone wonders why the you build version is about 63% percent more expense well the simple answer is: time is money! It took me about 1 hour just to unpack all the pieces and get everything sorted out and at various stages in the process you have to allow adequate time for the solvent to dry so pieces don't come apart. It's just a simple fact of engineering that if you attempt to rush this build project you are going to run into issues with the seems holding. With that being said it freaking looks awesome! Mine came with the standard oval Avast Marine Works decals and no the cool looking circular ones which just looks better from a aesthetic stand point in my opinion but maybe I can get Justin to send me on. Other then that there is no much that I can really complain about. I am running on 4 hours of sleep from building this but it was worth all the time! I'm hoping to have it setup in the aquarium sump after work this evening! I have included some photographs of the recirculating feature for those that asked. Also because of the smoked cone you cannot see the bubble plate inside but it is removable for cleaning. Also my apologies if some on the photographs are a bit blurry. I was putting this together until 2:00am last night.


http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-1.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-2.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-3.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-4.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-5.jpg
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http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-7.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-8.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-9.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-10.jpg

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-11.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-12.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-13.jpg
http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/AvastMarineWorks-14.jpg


View My Aquarium Journal
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...8#post19389168

[ctenophore]

Looks great! Time is money, but so is education. You now know a whole lot more about skimmers in general I'll bet, and if something ever goes wrong, you'll know exactly what to do in a pinch.

I'll send you a grey sticker :)

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Looks great! Time is money, but so is education. You now know a whole lot more about skimmers in general I'll bet, and if something ever goes wrong, you'll know exactly what to do in a pinch.

I'll send you a grey sticker :)

I will give a +1 to that! Thank you for the sticker! I definitely appreciate it!

[smcwhirt]

Great pictures! According to UPS mine is currently sitting on my porch. I can't wait to get home and start putting it together.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Great pictures! According to UPS mine is currently sitting on my porch. I can't wait to get home and start putting it together.

Thank you. I think their a bit blurry but I am jacked up on caffiene currently. Just take your time building it and everything will go smoothly. Did you get the Recirculating model? If so and you need any help or guidance let me know.

[smcwhirt]

No, I debated for a few days about recirculating or not and how to plumb it with the setup I have started. I still may add it later. I did splurge for the smoked cone, the swabbie and a davey jones locker however. It will be a fun project.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

No, I debated for a few days about recirculating or not and how to plumb it with the setup I have started. I still may add it later. I did splurge for the smoked cone, the swabbie and a davey jones locker however. It will be a fun project.

Oh I am jealous! I will be ordering my swabbie and skimmate locker this coming Wednesday. Let me know how you like it. Did you get the float switch for the locker to turn off the Skimmer when full?

[smcwhirt]

Avast doesn't use a float switch, it's pressure switch instead. I didn't ask for one, but I thought it was included with all of their lockers. I'll find out for sure tonight.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Avast doesn't use a float switch, it's pressure switch instead. I didn't ask for one, but I thought it was included with all of their lockers. I'll find out for sure tonight.

Cool didn't do my research on it yet but when I do I think I will get the switch. Nothing worse them having to cleanup stinky skimmate from a rug.

[smcwhirt]

It even has an area to put carbon so the air is filtered coming out of the top. They shouldn't be any smell until you break the "seal". I'll try and get some pictures to share of the locker as well.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

It even has an area to put carbon so the air is filtered coming out of the top. They shouldn't be any smell until you break the "seal". I'll try and get some pictures to share of the locker as well.

That would be awesome. Can't wait to see them.

[AZReefJunkie]

Cool thread. I ordered the CS-1 with the recirc kit and smoked cone yesterday so I'm going to be going crazy until it gets here. I love anything diy so this was right up my alley. I just hope it will keep up with my 110 reef tank.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Cool thread. I ordered the CS-1 with the recirc kit and smoked cone yesterday so I'm going to be going crazy until it gets here. I love anything diy so this was right up my alley. I just hope it will keep up with my 110 reef tank.

It should I actually have to empty the collection cup after two days!

[AZReefJunkie]

Cool, what size tank are you running it on?

[Brando457]

I'm thinking about getting this for my 75g tank I'll be building.

Is the recirc mod worth the extra $35? Not sure how it works.

Plan is to initially get the skimmer then upgrade to the swabbie and locker then do a few media reactors :)

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

Cool, what size tank are you running it on?

I am currently running it on a 40 gallon breeder with a 10 gallon sump. I have an extremely high bioload so it was an obvious choice for me and so far I am happy. It has been running for approximately 3 days and I already have to empty the collection cup once.

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

I'm thinking about getting this for my 75g tank I'll be building.

Is the recirc mod worth the extra $35? Not sure how it works.

Plan is to initially get the skimmer then upgrade to the swabbie and locker then do a few media reactors :)

Honestly the recirculating feature is definitely worth the extra $35.00 in my honest opinion. It make the skimmer more efficient in its filtration process because the pump which mixes the saltwater and air recirculating water within the chamber (both the pump input and output is located within the chamber which means multiple passes for the saltwater in the chamber) There is another input that pulls water from your sump for example that provides the skimmer the water to filter. then it exits through the drain pipe back into the aquarium. I would get it from the start and save yourself the hassle of having to modify the Protein Skimmer later. If you read my thread regarding the Protein Skimmer you can see what I am talking about.


Avast Marine Works "You Build" CS-1 Black Pearl Recirculating Protein Skimmer Thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2081558

[TH3C1SC0K1D]

The new protein Skimmer has been in operation since Friday evening and I honestly couldn't be more happier. This is a photograph of the skimmate production from over the weekend. I think this is enough to show that the recirculating model is more then doing it's job. I'm going to need a skimmate locker before my swabbie!

http://i1196.photobucket.com/albums/aa404/TH3C1SC0K1D/40%20gallon%20Breeder%20Aquarium/Avast-1-1.jpg


View My Aquarium Journal Thread
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2074357