Monthly Reef Profile (TOTM) Nominations

[seabass]

7 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

I didn't want to let everyone down, like I have now.

You're way too hard on yourself.  It's a much bigger task than most people realize.

 

7 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

I really like your template idea too @seabass, you nearly have it already. Simplifying things some is wise

It could benefit from your knowledge of past articles.  I just skimmed through the last featured tank, and based the template loosely on that.  I typically don't read the featured tank articles, so there are probably key elements which I have missed. 

 

7 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

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.

From what I've seen, your work showed.  I feel like having someone else do this would lessen the end product.  But maybe something is better than nothing in this case.

 

If we go ahead with another editor, maybe we could use one of your messages which invites a member to share their story as a featured tank, and the basic instructions on what to include.

 

That said, if we could have you, Chris, make some changes to make it easier on yourself (like quarterly features, a more turnkey method, and maybe with a little less hand holding), you are still the perfect person for the job.

 

However, I realize that's still a big ask.  Maybe you could still select the tanks to be featured quarterly, and jservedio edits the pics and the text provided.  I'd be willing to step up in a pinch (as an editor) as well; although I'm not much of a hand holder.

 

7 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

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...

This is a prime example of why I couldn't do this.  I don't read most of the tank journals.  And the ones that I follow are primarily threads that I've made a previous comment in for whatever reason.  It normally involves some rough skimming (not reading).

 

Plus, there are still a couple of reef articles that I said I'd do, which I haven't done yet (but still plan on writing).  I personally can't imagine myself committing to featured tank articles on a regular basis; but I respect the efforts which have been made to bring them to our community in the past (and the desire to keep the tradition alive going forward).

[Snow_Phoenix]

I truly hope TOTM returns. It's one of the main things on this site that I used to look forward to every month. The work behind the scenes is a *lot though, and understandably strenuous. If there is a way for this feature to make a comeback, I wouldn't mind it being a quarterly/seasonal thing. 

 

Take care, @Christopher Marks - regardless of whether you choose to bring or not bring TOTM back again, you still have my deepest respect for your effort, dedication and grit to manage such an incredible site packed with knowledge. 🌺

[Ratvan]

How much work was the POTM? Might be easier taking smaller steps if someone wants to step in and help? 

 

Those were fun too with different themes 

[ECLS Reefer]

8 hours ago, Ratvan said:

How much work was the POTM? Might be easier taking smaller steps if someone wants to step in and help? 

 

Those were fun too with different themes 

I think he gave that contest up because Marine Depot got bought out, and BRS isn’t so giving with the free stuff.

[Nixperience]

I haven’t visited the site very often at all since TOTM went away. I feel like it was the main draw to the site and helps with motivation, as we all go on autopilot slumps with reef tanks. It’s definitely helpful and inspiring to have TOTM. I hope we can figure out a way to get it back. 

[seabass]

I'm still thinking about how to retain this popular feature without all of the editing work, or worrying about article quality and standardization.  While full articles provide great insight and information, along with a standardized format (providing key details without having to search through someone's journal), we can all agree that it is a lot of work to make this happen.

 

On 5/17/2022 at 1:07 PM, Ratvan said:

How much work was the POTM?

That's not a bad idea.  It might be possible to still nominate and pick a featured tank each month.  But instead of an article, maybe we could just feature a tank shot on the home page (with a brief congratulatory note and a link to the journal thread). 

[Nano sapiens]

On 8/27/2022 at 8:00 AM, seabass said:

That's not a bad idea.  It might be possible to still nominate and pick a featured tank each month.  But instead of an article, maybe we could just feature a tank shot on the home page (with a brief congratulatory note and a link to the journal thread). 

 

Agreed, as I see it that would maintain the original intent of TOTM, namely giving recognition to the best/most unique pico/nano reef aquaria on the site.

[Christopher Marks]

On 8/27/2022 at 8:00 AM, seabass said:

It might be possible to still nominate and pick a featured tank each month.  But instead of an article, maybe we could just feature a tank shot on the home page (with a brief congratulatory note and a link to the journal thread). 

This could be a nice thing, seems very manageable.

[Nano sapiens]

7 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

This could be a nice thing, seems very manageable.

 

Anticipating the 'TOTM is back!!!' notification 🤞

[schgr.cube]

I wonder if there is a way to offer more structure to the build journals, allowing for more of the information needed to just inherently be available to showcase for a TOTM / TOTQ. I admit I am a bit obsessive with the details on my build journals, but I feel like having the details available at the beginning of a topic are something that would be great to see on many peoples journals.

 

Either way, can't wait to see some form of this come back!

[seabass]

On 9/1/2022 at 8:57 AM, schg said:

I wonder if there is a way to offer more structure to the build journals

I suppose that we could create a sticky post in the journal forums, which provides an example or examples (or even a template) of what can be included in a tank journal.  This could be an Index of Links to Critical Posts, or editing the initial post to include significant details like:

• Tank Specifications
• Livestock
• Feeding, Dosing, and Maintenance Routines
• System Summary and/or History
• Lessons Learned and/or Advice to Others

But in the end, it's up to the thread owner to provide whatever kind of content they want to include.

[Tamberav]

I think if you have a copy paste outline people might use it more m. They could edit from there. Makes it fairly quick and simple then. 

[seabass]

On 9/3/2022 at 7:59 AM, Tamberav said:

I think if you have a copy paste outline people might use it more.  They could edit from there.  Makes it fairly quick and simple then. 

I agree, it would be nice if there was more standardization in our initial journal posts, especially for future TOTM winners.  Then it would be easier to browse through all of the journals and get more (or at least more consistent) information.

 

The following template is loosely based on a past TOTM article.  I tried to keep the formatting fairly basic to make it easier to cut and paste.  Of course you could add additional text, hyperlinks, and formatting, or even add and delete sections (like adding a list of Links to Significant Posts, while deleting the Macroalgae, NPS, and other unused sections).  A template can provide suggestions, but members would basically be free to do whatever they want.

__________________________

 

 

Title

[PIC or PICs - including a current Full Tank Shot]

 

Equipment and Specifications

• Tank: (for example: brand, model, volume, and dimensions)
• Lighting: (brand, model, and wattage - plus schedule and/or settings if applicable)
• Display Pump(s), Powerhead(s), or Wavemaker(s): (brand, model, and GPH - settings if applicable)
• Sump and Return Pump: (model of sump, and model of return pump) note: delete sections that aren't applicable
• Heater: (brand, model, and wattage - and set temperature)
• Chiller: (brand and model - and set temperature) note: delete sections that aren't applicable
• Aquarium Power (or Temperature) Controller: (brand and model)
• Skimmer: (brand and model)
• Filtration: (brand and model of filter or reactor)
• Filter Media: (type of chemical, mechanical, or biological filter media)
• Lid: (screen mesh, glass, or open top)

 

Rock and Sand

• Amount and Type of Rock: (for example: if started from dry, a mixture of dry and ocean live rock, or ocean live rock)
• Amount and Type of Sand: (dry sand, bagged live sand, or actual ocean live sand)

 

Fish

(species and pics - and number of each species, if more than one)

 

Coral

Soft Coral

(species and pics)

 

LPS Coral

(species and pics)

 

SPS Coral

(species and pics)

 

NPS Coral

(species and pics)

 

Other Inverts

(for example: Anemones, Snails, Crabs, etc. - including pics)

 

Macroalgae

(species and pics)

 

Water, Parameters, and Dosing

• Water Type Used: (RO/DI, RO, or filtered tap)
• Salt Mix: (brand and the specific gravity that you mix it to)
• Target Parameters: (for example: Phosphate, Nitrate, Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium)
• Dosing: (nutrients and/or elements dosed - frequency and amounts)
• Top Off Method: (for example: manual top offs, or model of automatic top off unit)

 

Feeding and Maintenance

(type of food, amount, how often you feed - as well as maintenance activities, like water change amounts and frequencies)

 

History and Tank Summary

[Early PIC or PICs - like the picture that you used to announce your tank]

(including things like when the tank was established, as well as its history and evolution - including a summary of notable events)

Struggles and Lessons Learned

(struggles like leaks, algae blooms, dinos, and other pests, along with what you learned, and advice that you'd give to beginning hobbyists)

 

Future Plans

(for example: if you have plans to upgrade equipment, add livestock, re-aquascape, etc.)

 

[Murphs_Reef]

56 minutes ago, seabass said:

I agree, it would be nice if there was more standardization to our initial journal posts (specially for TOTM winners), so that other people could browse through an initial journal thread post to get more (or at least more consistent) information.  The following template is loosely based on a past TOTM article.  I tried to keep the formatting fairly basic to make it easier to cut and paste.  Of course, people could add or delete sections (like adding a list of links to Significant Thread Posts), hyperlinks, and formatting as they wished.  And while a template provides suggestions, members could ultimately do anything they want.

__________________________

 

 

Title

[PIC or PICs - including a current Full Tank Shot]

 

Equipment Specifications

• Tank: (like brand, model, volume, and dimensions)
• Lighting: (like brand, model, and wattage - plus schedule and/or settings if applicable)
• Display Pump(s), Powerhead(s), or Wavemaker(s): (like brand, model, and GPH - settings if applicable)
• Sump and Return Pump: (like model of sump, and model of return pump - if applicable)
• Heater: (like brand, model, and wattage - and set temperature)
• Chiller: (like brand and model - and set temperature)
• Aquarium Power (or Temperature) Controller: (like brand and model)
• Skimmer: (like brand and model)
• Filtration: (like brand and model of filter or reactor)
• Filter Media: (like type of chemical, mechanical, or biological filter media)
• Lid: (like screen mesh, glass, or open top)

 

Rock and Sand

• Amount and Type of Rock: (like if started from dry, a mixture of dry and ocean live rock, or ocean live rock)
• Amount and Type of Sand: (like dry sand, bagged live sand, or actual ocean live sand)

 

Fish

(like species and pics - and number of each species)

 

Coral

Soft Coral

(like species and pics)

 

LPS Coral

(like species and pics)

 

SPS Coral

(like species and pics)

 

NPS Coral

(like species and pics)

 

Macroalgae

(like species and pics)

 

Other Inverts

(like Anemones, Snails, Crabs, etc. - including pics)

 

Water, Parameters, and Dosing

• Water Type Used: (like RO/DI, RO, or filtered tap)
• Salt Mix: (brand and the specific gravity that you mix it to)
• Target Parameters: (like Phosphate, Nitrate, Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium))
• Dosing: (like nutrients and/or elements dosed - frequency and amounts)
• Top Off Method: (like manual top offs, or model of automatic top off unit)

 

Feeding and Maintenance

(like type of food, amount, how often you feed - as well as maintenance activities, water change amounts and frequencies)

 

History and System Summary

[Early PIC or PICs]

(including things like the Established Date when the tank was initially setup, as well as the history/evolution of the system - including a summary of notable events)

Struggles, Lessons Learned, and Advice to New Hobbyists

(struggles like leaks, algae blooms, dinos, other pests)

 

Future Plans

(like if you have plans to upgrade equipment, add livestock, re-aquascape, etc)

 

Oh I'm going to steal this and update my own build thread I think...👍🏼

[schgr.cube]

4 hours ago, seabass said:

I agree, it would be nice if there was more standardization to our initial journal posts (specially for TOTM winners), so that other people could browse through an initial journal thread post to get more (or at least more consistent) information.  The following template is loosely based on a past TOTM article.  I tried to keep the formatting fairly basic to make it easier to cut and paste.  Of course, people could add or delete sections (like adding a list of links to Significant Thread Posts), hyperlinks, and formatting as they wished.  And while a template provides suggestions, members could ultimately do anything they want.

 

I do like this as well. Definitely has more information than my setup that I think would be helpful. I wish there was a way to collapse fields like spoilers, but slightly better than the spoiler tag allows. There is something kind of annoying with how the spoiler tag is set up that doesn't make it ideal, but I struggle with having this become too long once you have a ton of different inhabitants in the tank and want to collapse it down for people to click through.

[seabass]

17 hours ago, schg said:

I wish there was a way to collapse fields like spoilers, but slightly better than the spoiler tag allows.

Instead of spoilers, you could potentially use links to direct readers to additional information.  These could be:

• the URL itself:

  https://www.nano-reef.com/

• text:

  Nano-Reef

• a pic:ture:

  

• or combination of text and picture(s):

  Click for additional information

  

 

A link could take you to another post in the same thread, another thread, or even another site (like a blog).  So maybe you'd want to have a separate post about your crabs in your tank journal.  You could format and post the content in a new post (or edit an existing post), then create a link to it on your initial journal post.

 

To create a link to a specific post in a thread:

• find the post

• click the three dots in the upper right hand of that post, then click Share

  

• finally, copy and paste the URL provided to define your new link

You can also use the above to create a section with a list of Links to Significant Posts.

[schgr.cube]

3 hours ago, seabass said:

Instead of spoilers, you could potentially use links to direct readers to additional information.  These could be as simple or fancy as you'd like them to be.

 

Links can be

• the URL itself:

  https://www.nano-reef.com/

• text:

  Nano-Reef

• a pic:ture:

  

• or combination of text and picture(s):

  Click for additional information

  

 

A link could take you to another post in the same thread, another thread, or even another site (like a blog).  So maybe you'd want to have a separate post about your crabs in your tank journal.  You could format and post the content in a new post (or edit an existing post), then create a link to it on your initial journal post.

 

To create a link to specific post in a thread:

• find the post

• click the three dots in the upper right hand of that post, then click Share

  

• finally, copy and paste the URL provided to define your new link

You can use the above to create a list of significant posts.

Yeah I’ve done that for an index, I didn’t really think about it for my inhabitants! Smart idea, I’ll have to rearrange my thread a bit tomorrow. 

[Aqua Splendor]

Just going to say, I do miss TOTM also, like many others it was probably the main draw to bring me to the website, really enjoy reading/watching other people tanks.

Most of the job should be handle by the "winner" and Chris simply do the grammar correction.

 

Its been a little bit suggested but, having a template where people have to fill X photo here and there, Text of 200 word here, list of hardware here... etc... It's already a bit the case but having it directly on the website where people just fill the application than a moderator review it make correction, publish. Something a bit more automatic if its too intensive to do it individually manually. Obviously it takes time to develop the first iteration but after it would save time.

 

When I wrote mine I felt I had to expand a little bit, create "section" But if a section can't be filled by the winner, having something like "Skip the section" when it doesn't apply.

 

Anyways, many ideas, not enough time, would love if TOTM comes back one day.

 

 

[Sharbuckle]

Whatever I can do to help bring back and manage TOTM, please let me know. I LOVE and miss it so darn much.

[Snow_Phoenix]

On 1/22/2023 at 4:02 AM, Sharbuckle said:

Whatever I can do to help bring back and manage TOTM, please let me know. I LOVE and miss it so darn much.

I miss it too! 😞 

[BioReefed]

I nominate 

 

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