Monthly Reef Profile (TOTM) Nominations

[steely185]

Just curious about what happened to a January TOTM?  May have missed this somewhere.

[M. Tournesol]

On 1/14/2022 at 4:52 PM, steely185 said:

Just curious about what happened to a January TOTM?  May have missed this somewhere.

I just noticed 😕. Maybe @Christopher Marks was really busy in December?

[Christopher Marks]

Hi friends. Unfortunately, after 15 years of monthly featured reef profiles, I just don’t have the time or energy to keep up anymore. 😔
 

This has been weighing heavily on me this month, I hate to end the tradition, and I know how much everyone enjoys them.

 

The monthly benchmark has been a challenge to maintain for all these years, between the time invested in selecting an eligible member feature, reaching out, and ultimately editing photos and formatting the entire article. I have frequently found myself stressed for deadlines, month after month, particularly in recent years as my day job has gotten busier. I haven’t wanted to let anyone down, but after all these years I just don’t have it in me anymore.

 

I’m sorry everyone.

[Nixperience]

19 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

Hi friends. Unfortunately, after 15 years of monthly featured reef profiles, I just don’t have the time or energy to keep up anymore. 😔
 

This has been weighing heavily on me this month, I hate to end the tradition, and I know how much everyone enjoys them.

 

The monthly benchmark has been a challenge to maintain for all these years, between the time invested in selecting an eligible member feature, reaching out, and ultimately editing photos and formatting the entire article. I have frequently found myself stressed for deadlines, month after month, particularly in recent years as my day job has gotten busier. I haven’t wanted to let anyone down, but after all these years I just don’t have it in me anymore.

 

I’m sorry everyone.

Maybe you can nominate someone to take over those duties so it can continue? It’s a source of inspiration and motivation every month to improve on what we’re doing and one of the best parts of this forum. So how about you take submissions for who would want to take it over and then narrow down to nominations, and then vote for who will ultimately take over this duty?

[Christopher Marks]

I would definitely be open to having another community member take on this project. It seems simple on the surface, but it’s no small task to keep up with long term. 

 

Breaking away from the rigid monthly cycle is another possibility, although the monthly change is perhaps part of the appeal…

 

The task involves photo editing for color balance and sharpness, text formatting, checking grammar and spelling, plus some html/css layout skills. Good communication skills are needed to work with featured members as well, to help guide them in writing their article and telling their story.

[Nixperience]

3 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

I would definitely be open to having another community member take on this project. It seems simple on the surface, but it’s no small task to keep up with long term. 

 

Breaking away from the rigid monthly cycle is another possibility, although the monthly change is perhaps part of the appeal…

 

The task involves photo editing for color balance and sharpness, text formatting, checking grammar and spelling, plus some html/css layout skills. Good communication skills are needed to work with featured members as well, to help guide them in writing their article and telling their story.

I know I’m definitely not up to the task, but I know there are definitely some heavily invested members on here that I think would be into it. I really hope we can get someone to take this on. 

[FISHnChix]

1 hour ago, Christopher Marks said:

This has been weighing heavily on me this month, I hate to end the tradition, and I know how much everyone enjoys them.

Dang this sucks. Totally get it though.. also glad to hear its just bc you are busy with work and weren't out with the rona or abducted by aliens or something ...🤨

[M. Tournesol]

53 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

Breaking away from the rigid monthly cycle is another possibility, although the monthly change is perhaps part of the appeal…

It could be seasonal (every 3 months) 🤷‍♂️.

The Winter/Spring/Summer/Autumn reef ...

1 hour ago, Christopher Marks said:

Hi friends. Unfortunately, after 15 years of monthly featured reef profiles, I just don’t have the time or energy to keep up anymore. 😔
 

This has been weighing heavily on me this month, I hate to end the tradition, and I know how much everyone enjoys them.

 

The monthly benchmark has been a challenge to maintain for all these years, between the time invested in selecting an eligible member feature, reaching out, and ultimately editing photos and formatting the entire article. I have frequently found myself stressed for deadlines, month after month, particularly in recent years as my day job has gotten busier. I haven’t wanted to let anyone down, but after all these years I just don’t have it in me anymore.

 

I’m sorry everyone.

The most important is for you to not burn yourself with work.

[Snow_Phoenix]

29 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

It could be seasonal (every 3 months) 🤷‍♂️.

The Winter/Spring/Summer/Autumn reef ...

The most important is for you to not burn yourself with work.

This actually sounds like a good idea - a quarterly TOTM, as opposed to a monthly one. More time = longer deadline = less stress. 

 

Really sorry to hear about this TOTM issue though - it does take a lot of work to manage something on this scale. Hopefully there's someone out there on NR that can help. 🌺

[banasophia]

14 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

I would definitely be open to having another community member take on this project. It seems simple on the surface, but it’s no small task to keep up with long term. 

 

Breaking away from the rigid monthly cycle is another possibility, although the monthly change is perhaps part of the appeal…

 

The task involves photo editing for color balance and sharpness, text formatting, checking grammar and spelling, plus some html/css layout skills. Good communication skills are needed to work with featured members as well, to help guide them in writing their article and telling their story.

I’d vote for just making it quarterly instead. 💛
 

One of the reasons I really enjoy nano-reef is your leadership and admin style… I think it would really change the vibe if someone else took on that task. 

[burtbollinger]

QUARTERLY sounds like a great idea if you can pull it off vs. handing it off to someone else.  i've always marveled that you pulled it off for so long.  could tell it was a lot of work.

[ninjamyst]

I support any ways to keep this going.  This is definitely soemthing that differentiates this forum from other forums.  I really hope this isn't a sign of things slowing down in general for NR.  My heart is still with NR even though I dont post as often...mostly because my tanks are in neglect as I start my new build....

[Squid_reef]

Hear hear.

Fairly new here but always enjoyed watching the content the NR community has built, theses monthly 'hand picked' TOTM have been inspirational and definitely something that's adding value to this forum. 

I can't imagine how much time and stress this must have been, but I want to say thank you for what you've done 🙌🙏. 

 

Although I'm as small by gallon than by longevity in NR 😂 I doubled the 'quarterly TOTM' idea to relief whoever might take the project back on track. 

 

[seabass]

On 1/21/2022 at 8:19 AM, Christopher Marks said:

The task involves photo editing for color balance and sharpness, text formatting, checking grammar and spelling, plus some html/css layout skills. Good communication skills are needed to work with featured members as well, to help guide them in writing their article and telling their story.

I knew that the featured tank articles were a few months behind, but this is the first I heard they have been suspended indefinitely.  I get it, and I can't say that I'd be willing to take it on each month, in its current format.

 

I really like the format, and featuring a new tank each month is nice, but wonder if it couldn't be simplified to make it less work.  Certainly, like the others have suggested, making it quarterly is one option keep it going (continuing to add content) while making it a little less demanding to provide.

 

My tanks have never been featured, but I'm pretty sure that a basic template is provided to the tank's owner, like:

• Current FTS and link to tank thread
• Tank Specifications and Livestock List (including pics)
• History (including pics) and Summary
• Maintenance, Filtration, and Feeding
• Struggles and/or What You've Learned
• Future Plans

Knowing the diverse writing styles of our members, I imagine that maintaining the consistency and quality of the articles might a challenge.  But IDK, streamlining the articles might make them a little easier to deal with.

[NatureGuy]

I’ve had a bit of  experience writing informative stuff. I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but I’d be willing to edit and format the TOTMs. It probably wouldn’t be up to par with @Christopher Marks though. I don’t, however, have any experience editing pictures so that task would have to fall to another. I don’t have a reef and I never have, so I’m not sure if I would be eligible to do it on that front. It may be more then I can handle, but I’d be willing to try for a while, if you guys and CM want. Though I’ve only been here for a short while, I understand why many of you wouldn’t want to lose the way CM does it, but I’d try to replicate it as much as possible. 

[LazyFish]

Seasonal or quarterly totm would be a great idea and give plenty of time to edit and do the articles in between.

[jservedio]

@Christopher Marks @seabass

 

While I'm a terrible writer, I am awesome at HTML/CSS and Photoshop (I do these professionally) and not too shabby behind the lens - if we switched to something like a ToTQ, I'd be happy to do any photo editing, layout, and styling so long as there was a few weeks notice.

 

Doing this together as a community to the point where all Chris needed to do is sign off and schedule publication might change the equation a bit.

[NatureGuy]

2 hours ago, NatureGuy said:

I’ve had a bit of  experience writing informative stuff. I’ve only been here for a few weeks, but I’d be willing to edit and format the TOTMs. It probably wouldn’t be up to par with @Christopher Marks though. I don’t, however, have any experience editing pictures so that task would have to fall to another. I don’t have a reef and I never have, so I’m not sure if I would be eligible to do it on that front. It may be more then I can handle, but I’d be willing to try for a while, if you guys and CM want. Though I’ve only been here for a short while, I understand why many of you wouldn’t want to lose the way CM does it, but I’d try to replicate it as much as possible. 

I just reread this, and realized how rude it sounded. I didn't mean for it to come out like it did, sorry about that! I was just trying to be nice. I suck at sounding natural in text lol

[seabass]

3 hours ago, jservedio said:

I am awesome at HTML/CSS and Photoshop (I do these professionally) and not too shabby behind the lens - if we switched to something like a ToTQ, I'd be happy to do any photo editing, layout, and styling so long as there was a few weeks notice.

You know, if we (as a community) would be alright with some grammar errors and such, we could let the writer's text pretty much stand as is (maybe just fixing obvious errors).

 

We could provide a basic template and the writer could provide the text and pics for each section.  Then the editor could enhance and size the pics and make sure everything is formatted properly; maybe something like this:

________________________________________

 

Username's X Gallon Tank Title

Specifications

Tank: brand/model, volume, dimensions

Water: type (like RO/DI, RO, filtered tap)

Rock: amount and type (like started from dry, mixture of dry and ocean live rock, ocean live rock)

Sand: amount and type (like dry sand, bagged live sand [and grain size if known])

Lighting: brand/model and wattage (settings if applicable)

Heater and/or Chiller: brand/model and wattage

Circulation: brand/model and GPH (settings if applicable)

Skimmer: brand/model

Filtration: brand/model

Filter Media: type (like chemical [activated carbon] and/or mechanical [filter floss] media)

Lid: type (like screen mesh, glass, or open top)

Dosing or Target Parameters: elements dosed, frequency and amounts

Top Off: method

Salt Mix: brand

Controller: brand/model

Livestock

Fish: brand/model, volume, dimensions

Soft Corals:

• species

LPS Corals:

• species

SPS Corals:

• species

NPS Corals:

• species

Macro-algae: species

Snails: species

Crabs: species

Anemones: species

Other Inverts: species

 

Favia   Reef Chromis

Duncan

History and System Summary

Established: Date

 

Summary and Tank History: Evolution of this system

Feeding, Maintenance, and Dosing

Feeding: Food, amount, frequency

Maintenance: Activity, frequency

Dosing: Element, amount, frequency

Target Parameters:

• Specific Gravity: x
• Temperature: x° F
• Phosphate: x ppm
• Nitrate: x ppm
• Alalinity: x dKH
• Calcium: x ppm
• Magnesium: x ppm

Struggles and Lessons Learned

Algae Bloom

 

Problems encountered and what you've learned

Advice to New Hobbyists and Future Plans

Advice to New Hobbyists: Given what you know now, what words of wisdom can you share.

 

Future Plans: What are your future plans for this tank.

 

[seabass]

2 hours ago, NatureGuy said:

I just reread this, and realized how rude it sounded. I didn't mean for it to come out like it did, sorry about that! I was just trying to be nice. I suck at sounding natural in text lol

Didn't sound rude to me.

[FISHnChix]

22 minutes ago, seabass said:

You know, if we (as a community) would be alright with some grammar errors and such, we could let the writer's text pretty much stand as is (maybe just fixing obvious errors).

 

We could provide a basic template and the writer could provide the text and pics for each section.  Then the editor could enhance and size the pics and make sure everything is formatted properly; maybe something like this:

________________________________________

 

Username's X Gallon Tank Title

Specifications

Tank: brand/model, volume, dimensions

Water: type (like RO/DI, RO, filtered tap)

Rock: amount and type (like started from dry, mixture of dry and ocean live rock, ocean live rock)

Sand: amount and type (like dry sand, bagged live sand [and grain size if known])

Lighting: brand/model and wattage (settings if applicable)

Heater and/or Chiller: brand/model and wattage

Circulation: brand/model and GPH (settings if applicable)

Skimmer: brand/model

Filtration: brand/model

Filter Media: type (like chemical [activated carbon] and/or mechanical [filter floss] media)

Lid: type (like screen mesh, glass, or open top)

Dosing or Target Parameters: elements dosed, frequency and amounts

Top Off: method

Salt Mix: brand

Controller: brand/model

Livestock

Fish: brand/model, volume, dimensions

Soft Corals:

• species

LPS Corals:

• species

SPS Corals:

• species

NPS Corals:

• species

Macro-algae: species

Snails: species

Crabs: species

Anemones: species

Other Inverts: species

 

Favia   Reef Chromis

Duncan

History and System Summary

Established: Date

 

Summary and Tank History: Evolution of this system

Feeding, Maintenance, and Dosing

Feeding: Food, amount, frequency

Maintenance: Activity, frequency

Dosing: Element, amount, frequency

Target Parameters:

• Specific Gravity: x
• Temperature: x° F
• Phosphate: x ppm
• Nitrate: x ppm
• Alalinity: x dKH
• Calcium: x ppm
• Magnesium: x ppm

Struggles and Lessons Learned

Algae Bloom

 

Problems encountered and what you've learned

Advice to New Hobbyists and Future Plans

Advice to New Hobbyists: Given what you know now, what words of wisdom can you share.

 

Future Plans: What are your future plans for this tank.

 

You could even take this format and start a thread call it "the unofficial TOTM"😄.. might even get a sticky at some point

[seabass]

1 hour ago, FISHnChix said:

You could even take this format and start a thread call it "the unofficial TOTM"

There might still be a few things to work out, like picking the tank to be featured and further simplifying the template to make it more foolproof.   IDK, an editor might help avoid some of the challenges, and make it less of a free for all.

[FISHnChix]

17 minutes ago, seabass said:

There might still be a few things to work out, like picking the tank to be featured and further simplifying the template to make it more foolproof.   IDK, an editor might help avoid some of the challenges, and make it less of a free for all.

Oh yeah it's definitely a project. I would still say have the one person run the thread and that dedicated person select the TOTM by themselves.  Would have to be someone who actively enjoys searching through journals.  Of course people could still help and bring recognition to journals via the nomination thread. I was just thinking, in my personal option ,CM is probably not for the time being going to want to put in the effort/ time of making the TOTM the way it was with essentially a moderator running it.(and I totally understand that).but if a thread was started unofficially and it ran well maybe he would jump back in if time allowed him too

[kimdawg]

I would love to have these tank features again.  I try to look at everyone's tank thread, but these featured tanks give us a template for our own tanks.  I am always checking them for coral positions, fish groupings, and just to see what all can get along in a tank.  I can't even link my tank in my signature without help from Seabass, so I am no help in publishing them.

[Christopher Marks]

I really have missed the featured reef articles too, honestly. I know how many people read them all, it's quite a collection of inspiration and insight. I keep thinking of how we might fill the gaps, or do something new, but time keeps marching on. It's on my mind every month, it was such a big part of my life.

 

At the same time, it's been a huge relief to not be on the hook for producing them every month. I used to get so anxious as the end of the month approached, the last few years in particular. To be honest, I should have asked for help sooner, but it just felt like it would take more time I didn't have. I didn't want to let everyone down, like I have now.

 

7 hours ago, jservedio said:

@Christopher Marks @seabass

 

While I'm a terrible writer, I am awesome at HTML/CSS and Photoshop (I do these professionally) and not too shabby behind the lens - if we switched to something like a ToTQ, I'd be happy to do any photo editing, layout, and styling so long as there was a few weeks notice.

 

Doing this together as a community to the point where all Chris needed to do is sign off and schedule publication might change the equation a bit.

That's a very generous offer @jservedio! This definitely could work out well.

 

I really like your template idea too @seabass, you nearly have it already. Simplifying things some is wise, I was customizing in HTML a little too much. Having a standard layout is key, and being willing to adjust and adapt from time to time as well, as all tanks and stories are different.

 

Sometimes being asked to be featured can be intimidating for members, not everyone likes the spotlight, so I've always tried to coach everyone through the process as best I can. I would try to request and encourage certain photos, and sometimes ask for extra photos or clarifying details to add to their writeup, to help tell a whole story about their tank as it progressed along. One common concern was that someones photos were not good enough, but we've featured tons of tanks with cell phone photos alone, and even early digital cameras before smartphones. I had some photo editing tricks up my sleeve to help.  Getting assigned "homework" isn't always fun for everyone either 😄. A few times my featured tank member disappeared on me, but someone else always came to the rescue (and got featured a month or two earlier).

 

2 hours ago, FISHnChix said:

Would have to be someone who actively enjoys searching through journals.  Of course people could still help and bring recognition to journals via the nomination thread.

You have it exactly right! It can take considerable time to catch up on dozens of different journals, to see who might be a good candidate for being featured. Looking for semi-recent journal updates with good photos, as well as making sure they've logged in lately too. I tried to always keep a short list of potential tanks, and nominated tanks, or ones I'd stumble upon while reviewing the tank journals forums. Sometimes tanks I had queued up on my list would get shut down, or upgraded, or get a pest, all while waiting for a month to be featured. I really liked to capture tanks 'in the moment' and request fresh photos... but it doesn't necessarily have to be that way moving forward, as long as it's still honest.