Built by reef keepers,
for reef keepers.
MasterLids is a family-owned business built on a single idea: ordering a custom aquarium lid should be simple, fast, and something you can do entirely online — without the back-and-forth of traditional custom ordering.
Our overgrown IM 20 long mixed nano reef :-)
How It Started
MasterLids started with a simple question: why is ordering a custom aquarium lid so complicated? Phone calls, back-and-forth emails, vague lead times, and no way to see what you're getting until it shows up at your door. There had to be a better way.
We build out of Dayton, Ohio — a rustbelt city with a deep history of American innovation, from the Wright Brothers right through to today's advanced manufacturing and aerospace. It's a fitting home for what we're doing: combining real-world craftsmanship with modern, customer-first technology.
Brad set out to build a first-to-market online configurator that puts the customer in the driver's seat — add cutouts, preview your design in real time, approve a digital proof, and have your lid in hand within a week. No calls, no guessing, no surprises.
Meet The Founders
Two reef keepers who believed the process of ordering a custom lid could be a whole lot simpler.
Brad Churby
Brad leads the tech and production side — building the online configurator, refining the CNC workflow, and obsessing over fit and finish. Tech background, lifelong builder, and car enthusiast at heart — he loves turning ideas into precise, well-made things, from first sketch to final delivery.
Renee Dabbas
Renee brings the balance, organization, and well-timed reality checks every growing company needs. She keeps the customer experience clear, friendly, and professional — and makes sure MasterLids feels personal, approachable, and built with care.
Wrasseputin (RIP)
Wrasseputin — six-line wrasse, escape artist, posthumous co-founder. One morning we found him on the floor, stiff and dignified, after a successful "carpet surf" out of a lidless tank. MasterLids exists entirely because of his sacrifice. Survived by his former tankmates and one very guilty owner.
The principles behind every lid we make
These aren't buzzwords — they're the commitments we hold ourselves to every single day.
Made in the USA — and we mean it
From the materials we source to the machines we run, everything happens right here in America. That means tighter quality control, faster shipping, and jobs that stay in our community.
Ready to experience the difference?
Design your custom lid online and we'll have it on your doorstep within a week.
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