Avast Marine Davy Jones Skimmate Locker Review: Less Dumping, Less Smell

Introduction

Protein skimmers remain a staple form of filtration in reef aquariums. They do excellent work on waste removal and gas exchange, but the collection cup fills with dark, strong-smelling skimmate surprisingly quickly, which means frequent emptying and a lingering odor around the tank.

The Avast Marine Davy Jones Skimmate Locker is an external waste container designed for exactly that problem. Instead of carrying the skimmer cup to the sink, your cup drains into this locker. It handles three jobs at once: it extends the time between cleanings, filters the air leaving the container through carbon so the smell does not escape, and shuts the skimmer down when the container fills. The shutoff is triggered by a pressure sensor tube rather than a mechanical float, so there are no moving parts inside the container to gum up.

Who the Skimmate Locker Is For

This is a piece of equipment for reef keepers who already run a protein skimmer and would rather spend their time enjoying the tank than emptying a cup. If you have invested in automating your aquarium for stability and convenience, a larger external waste container is a natural next step, because it directly reduces how often you have to intervene.

It is also relevant if the smell of skimmate is a real annoyance in the room where the tank lives, since the built-in carbon filter addresses odor at the container itself rather than in the air around it.

Two sizes are available. The medium uses a 5.5 inch acrylic cylinder with a capacity of 0.85 gallons, while the large uses a 7 inch acrylic cylinder with a capacity of 1.5 gallons. Both share an 18 inch height and a 15.5 inch drain fitting height with a half inch barb.

Both versions are aimed at the same job, and the choice between them comes down to how much skimmate your system produces between maintenance sessions. If you already use an aquarium controller and want alerts as well as a shutdown, the switch box you choose matters just as much as the size.

Main Strengths and Design Details

The Skimmate Locker is a straightforward product on paper, but a few design decisions make it more appealing than the basic concept suggests. The shutoff mechanism, the odor control, and the wiring options are what separate it from simply adding a bigger bucket.

Pressure Sensing Without Moving Parts

As the locker fills, liquid causes air pressure inside the pressure sensor tube to build until it triggers the switch inside the switch box and shuts off the skimmer. This prevents the overflowing skimmer problems that a full collection cup can cause.

The important detail is that there are no moving parts in the container where the waste collects. A traditional float switch sits directly in the mess it is monitoring, and the mechanism can become gummed up and fail to do its job. With a pressure tube, there is nothing in the container to foul.

Carbon Filtration in the Lid

The lid contains carbon sandwiched between a pair of foam pads, which filters the air leaving the container so you do not have to smell the skimmate. The carbon is a consumable and will need to be replaced eventually.

Replacing it is a manual but simple job. You undo the nylon nut that holds the perforated cap in place, lift off the top piece of foam, dump out the old carbon, and refill with new carbon. No tools beyond that are required, and there is no need to disassemble the container itself.

Because the filter sits in the lid, the rest of the container stays simple. That keeps the inner walls smooth and easy to rinse, and it means the only part you need to think about over time is the relatively inexpensive carbon charge.

Switch Box Options for Different Setups

Avast Marine offers a few different options so the locker can match the way your tank is wired. The 110 volt version is the plug and play choice that most keepers will likely use, and it comes with the shutoff switch box included.

For controller based systems, there is a mini-DIN 8 connector version that can connect directly to an Apex controller, or a bare wire version for a controller breakout box. With either of those, you can program the controller to shut off your skimmer and also set up notifications, so you know when the locker is full instead of discovering it later.

Setup and Daily Use

Setup is simple and does not require plumbing experience. When you first unbox the locker, the lid will be inverted, so remove it and flip it around. Next, push the pressure sensor tube through the rubber bushing on top of the lid and connect the quarter inch push connector to the switch box.

From there, attach your skimmer cup drain port to the barbed fitting on top of the locker using half inch tubing. Finally, plug the switch box into an outlet and plug your skimmer into the switch box. The system is then running in line between your skimmer and its power source.

Draining and Changing Carbon

Avast Marine includes a union at the barb, which is a small detail with real day to day value. Rather than pulling tubing off a barbed fitting or buying a quick disconnect separately, you can simply unscrew the barb from the Skimmate Locker when it is time to dump it out.

Emptying the container is the moment where the union and the half inch barb pay off, because the container can be lifted away without disturbing the tubing run behind your sump. Once it is emptied, the locker goes straight back on and the skimmer continues as before.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The fit and finish is not quite as polished as some competing products, so buyers who care about a flawless appearance inside the cabinet should weigh that against the feature set.

The carbon inside the lid is a consumable, which means periodic refills are part of ownership. Budget for that over time rather than treating it as a one-off purchase.

You should also size the locker against your own system. The medium and large options differ in capacity, and choosing the smaller cylinder for a heavily stocked tank will simply bring you back to more frequent emptying.

Finally, check your switch box choice before ordering. If you want controller notifications rather than just a simple power cut, you will need the mini-DIN 8 or bare wire version instead of the 110 volt plug.

Buying Advice

On price, Avast Marine has done a good job. The Skimmate Locker comes in at a good chunk less than other brands while offering similar features, which makes it a sensible option for anyone who wants the functionality without paying a premium for the label.

The trade-off is cosmetic rather than functional. The locker looks good and does its job, and the two features that matter most, the pressure switch with no moving parts to gum up and the carbon cup in the lid, are the reasons it stands out.

If your reefing routine has room for one more convenience upgrade and your skimmer cup is the thing you empty most often, this is a well reasoned place to spend. Match the cylinder size to your system, pick the switch box that fits your controller setup, and the locker will quietly reduce both the chore and the smell.

Conclusion

The Avast Marine Davy Jones Skimmate Locker solves a familiar reef keeping annoyance with three practical answers: more capacity between cleanings, carbon filtered air so skimmate odor stays contained, and a pressure based shutoff that keeps the skimmer from overflowing without introducing moving parts that can clog. Add the threaded union at the barb for easy emptying, the choice of 110 volt or controller friendly switch boxes, and a price that undercuts comparable options, and it makes a strong case for anyone running a protein skimmer who wants to spend less time on maintenance.