Max Rodes
Founder & reef-build methodology lead
Max Rodes is the reefer behind ReefCrafter. He built the planner after watching new (and not-so-new) reefers lose livestock and money to gear that did not fit the tank, and he maintains the documented rule set that powers every compatibility and sizing check on the site.
How the rules get written
ReefCrafter is not a list of opinions. Every compatibility and sizing check is a documented rule with a stated threshold, severity, and limit — skimmer rating against bioload, light coverage and PAR against footprint, heater wattage against system volume, flow turnover against the coral goal. The full rule set and its assumptions live on the methodology page and the sizing methodology, so you can check the math instead of trusting a brand.
What I work on
- Reef aquarium setup
- Saltwater aquarium equipment
- Protein skimmer sizing
- Reef lighting and PAR
- Aquarium water chemistry
- Coral compatibility
- Reef tank stocking and bioload
Honesty standard
ReefCrafter holds no inventory and sells nothing. Buying guides and comparisons are fit guidance from rule math and catalog specs, not hands-on lab tests, and they say so. Some outbound vendor links may be affiliate links when a program is active; that is disclosed on the affiliate disclosure and governed by the editorial policy.
Corrections and contact
If a rule should change, or a threshold does not match your experience, tell me — corrections are how the methodology improves. Email rules@reefcrafter.com for the rule set, or hello@reefcrafter.com for anything else.