Creative Container Pico Contest - Official Announcement

[seabass]

On 12/18/2017 at 2:44 PM, Farmboyreef said:

Hey all! I’m catching up on everyone’s entries. I took an unanticipated break and didn’t get my tank wet until this weekend so I’m pretty sure I missed all the deadlines since I missed the November FTS  

 

but I’ll still doing the build! And I can’t wait to follow up on everyone’s ideas 

I think there may be some leniency on the deadlines (especially if it's a one off situation).  Submit your FTS to @Felicia and hope for the best.  I was wondering why we haven't seen any updates from you after such a good start.

[Christopher Marks]

@Farmboyreef update your pico journal with the latest details and FTS so there's no more delay!  

 

The hosts need a little time to convene, but I don't think it will be an issue. The delay presents a disadvantage for you, but you're not too far behind. We'll need two FTS's in December to make up the difference. 

 

I think it's fair to give everyone 1 pass on a missed deadline, if it's within 30 days. Life gets in the way sometimes, I think we all can sympathize with that. How does everyone feel about that?

[cnseekatz]

54 minutes ago, Christopher Marks said:

@Farmboyreef update your pico journal with the latest details and FTS so there's no more delay!  

 

The hosts need a little time to convene, but I don't think it will be an issue. The delay presents a disadvantage for you, but you're not too far behind. We'll need two FTS's in December to make up the difference. 

 

I think it's fair to give everyone 1 pass on a missed deadline, if it's within 30 days. Life gets in the way sometimes, I think we all can sympathize with that. How does everyone feel about that?

No free passes! Hippie...

 

 

[Mariaface]

40 minutes ago, cnseekatz said:

No free passes! Hippie...

 

 

 

Come on! I want to see people's reactions when they have to judge based on 50+ entries; we can't have any attrition!  

[Droy008]

33 minutes ago, Mariaface said:

 

Come on! I want to see people's reactions when they have to judge based on 50+ entries; we can't have any attrition!  

Lol that's likely to be an interesting thread.

 

But, I agree that people should be given 1 free pass on being late. As long as it's with a 30 days of it being due. Otherwise it's likely to become more work for the hosts to back date all of the posts from all of the slackers on this forum.

 

[Boggers]

2 hours ago, Christopher Marks said:

@Farmboyreef update your pico journal with the latest details and FTS so there's no more delay!  

 

The hosts need a little time to convene, but I don't think it will be an issue. The delay presents a disadvantage for you, but you're not too far behind. We'll need two FTS's in December to make up the difference. 

 

I think it's fair to give everyone 1 pass on a missed deadline, if it's within 30 days. Life gets in the way sometimes, I think we all can sympathize with that. How does everyone feel about that?

I am cool with the one pass until the final 2.

[natalia_la_loca]

Being a slacker myself, I fully support the idea of a free pass  

[dmw913]

Hey, just in case anyone missed it, the newest issue of Coral Magazine is about PICO REEFS with articles by @brandon429 and detail on Maritza, the vase reef!!!! 

 

Also, a page dedicated to all things pico for reference.  

 

https://www.reef2rainforest.com/pico-reef-resources/  (with a shout-out to nano-reef.com!)

 

Well done on a great issue, friends!!!!!

 

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

 

D

[brandon429]

 

 

thank you DMW for the mention brother yay for pico reefs out front in print, heckuva start for new year.

 

this thread will reach a bazillion views due to collected works

 

we all right here have a massive responsibility to show large tankers via your posts that pico reefers have fully addressed many of the challenges large tankers face, and they'd benefit from upscaling some of the work you all show here on:

 

 *How to manage tank invasions when they're small, not as a reaction to an entire tank invasion. How to post pics of a healthy, uninvaded reef tank. 

 

 

Make salinity do what you want it to do

 

 

Reduce fail points from mechanical devices (while ironically death via nerf ball/light elbow bump increases for pico reefers)

 

Keep these fine works and updates of uninvaded reefs coming right here

 

 

 

[seabass]

I notice that we are a bit behind on our FTS thread.  I have a suggestion (not a criticism).  Maybe we should just open up the monthly FTS thread to let contestants post directly into it (maybe starting with the January FTS).

 

It's a lot of work for @Felicia to gather a few dozen pics and links, then post them into that thread.  We can ask our members to limit their comments (or refrain from making comments altogether); and a few random comments wouldn't ruin the thread.

 

It doesn't really matter that much to me, but it might be easier on Felicia, while allowing members to see the FTS updates real-time.

[Felicia]

On 12/19/2017 at 8:32 AM, Christopher Marks said:

@Farmboyreef update your pico journal with the latest details and FTS so there's no more delay!  

 

The hosts need a little time to convene, but I don't think it will be an issue. The delay presents a disadvantage for you, but you're not too far behind. We'll need two FTS's in December to make up the difference. 

 

I think it's fair to give everyone 1 pass on a missed deadline, if it's within 30 days. Life gets in the way sometimes, I think we all can sympathize with that. How does everyone feel about that?

Rule Update!

Hi everyone!  I'm with Christopher on this one.  I think we can allow one missed FTS in order to account for any unforeseen life issues and what not.  However, in order to make up for the missed FTS, you must provide 2 FTS's by the following months deadline.  So for example, if you missed November's FTS, I will need two FTS's from December before the deadline for the December FTS's.  Once you miss one month, you will not be allowed another free pass.  Also, the final FTS at the end of the contest will be due for everyone by a hard deadline and there will be no free passes for that one.

[Felicia]

FTS Updates

First off, sorry for being such a slacker everyone!  Where did the month of December go?!  Work travel, getting sick (gotta love airplanes for transmitting colds), and then holiday travel kept me from being a good contest host.  I'm getting caught up now and will try not to get so behind again!  The November FTS's post is ready and I will hopefully get that up tomorrow as soon as Christopher unlocks the thread for me.  For November, I did not receive FTS's from the following contestants:

@schgr.cube

@Sharbuckle

@Farmboyreef

@GunslingerGirl

@Nickmcg

@skibum513

@lobster876

@Friendly

@alprejean

@MrNanoReef

@sofrinat

@Allaboutcorals

@boyscoutrickybobby

 

If you either sent me a November FTS and I missed it, or you updated your thread but did not send me the photo, please pm me ASAP.  For any of the above contestants who missed the November FTS, you can stay in the contest by submitting two December FTS's by January 5th.

 

For the December FTS's, thank you to everyone who has already pm'ed me with those!  For everyone else, please pm my your December FTS and a link to your thread by this Friday January 5th.  I will post the December FTS's next weekend.  I will post a reminder regarding the December FTS in each of your contest threads.

[teenyreef]

@Felicia, thank you for all your hard work hosting this contest! 

[Felicia]

2 hours ago, teenyreef said:

@Felicia, thank you for all your hard work hosting this contest! 

You're very welcome!  

 

 

 

 

[Felicia]

The November FTS's are now posted!  You can check them out here:

 

Remember that each photo is also a link, so you can go to each build thread to follow along in more detail and see more photos.

[Felicia]

Thank you everyone for your December FTS's!  I have gathered up all the ones I've received and will get those added to the FTS thread asap.  In the meantime, here is a list of the contestants who have not yet sent their December FTS's.  In order to not miss your December FTS update, I need these from everyone ASAP!  I know December was busy with the holidays, so I'll give you another week to get these to me.  Please send me your December FTS by Friday 1/12 if you don't want to miss the December update.

 

I'm missing December FTS's from the following contestants:

@schgr.cube

@Tamberav

@Farmboyreef

@GunslingerGirl

@OldManSea

@Coral_chef

@Nickmcg

@cnseekatz

@Droy008

@metrokat

@Mariaface

@skibum513

@lobster876

@TFish77'

@aio.tankhero

@Friendly

@alprejean

@spec33

@New_Here

@MedievalITGuy

@damianita

@MrNanoReef

@sofrinat

@Allaboutcorals

@boyscoutrickybobby

[seabass]

Wow, that's about half of everybody.  There are some good picos in that list too.  I hope that we see many of these stay in.

 

Even if you don't feel like your pico is making much progress, or if you don't feel like you could win, please stay in.  It's rare to have so many picos coming together all at about the same time.  Seeing everyone's progress at different speeds, livestock choices, different philosophies, artistic visions, and ways to implement them, make this contest pretty unique.  It'd be a shame to lose anybody.

[gone_PHiSHin]

wow yeah let's hope everyone was just busy with the holidaze and such!  i'm looking forward to seeing how this contest finishes out and really hope everyone can see it through to the end!

 

such a cool idea for a contest.  i've been a little regretful i didn't participate but i'll set up a pico one day.  good job everyone, regardless of the outcome.  cheers 

[MainelyReefer]

Where's the competitive spirit?  I've already received flak on my own thread for being opinionated on the topic, but it feels like we are following suit of colleges and making a "safe space".  I also get that the sponsors made this competition and it behooves them to have as many contestants as possible for exposure, but the deadline was already extended to the 5th.  It just feels like a little league game where even if the kid doesn't hit the ball they still advance to first base. I get it I'm the grinch, but he turns out to be nice anyways.

[seabass]

17 minutes ago, GraniteReefer said:

Where's the competitive spirit?

I get you.  I'm totally with you in regards to things like sports.  And I'd be with you on this if I were actually trying to win this thing.  So I like the fact that people want to win and they hope that more people get eliminated (improving their odds).  It's the people who are trying hard to win that will probably push the limits and demonstrate the impressive capabilities of picos.  However, I'm acting more as an observer that is also participating for fun, and to add to the diversity of the contest.  Good luck!

[Clown79]

I'd like to see everyone still participate in the contest as it is exciting to see everyone come together, to see the different methods, and the creativity each person has put into their pico's.

 

But I don't believe in "safe spaces".

 

It's a competition.

There are rules and guidelines for a reason.

 

I agree with allowing ppl 1 pass as things do happen in life but it's still a competition.

 

I don't expect to win, I never win but a lot of Ppl are working really hard to win a prize and it's 

not fair in competition to be lenient on some while others follow all restrictions. 

 

 

 

[MainelyReefer]

I personally read each contestants thread by cycling through all the new comments, but find myself being deterred by the fact that half of them are only a Felicia comment reminding them to update their FTS and I waste 20-30 mins just weeding out the real ones. I find myself reading all the threads less due to this, just doesn't seem conducive to ease of navigation to actually active threads.  Is there an easier way to tell if the comments are actual content? My method now is to sift through the threads with bold titles.  Reading the active threads is really enjoyable and helps me learn.

[Clown79]

I noticed the same thing so now I only go through the active threads because there are so many inactive ones.

 

It's also very time consuming for Felicia, having to remind all the contestants every month, go through it all, then set up a thread for the update.

 

IMO the extension to Jan 5th was fair and thoughtful but a new list of remaining contestants should be forth coming.

 

 

 

 

 

[JoeR]

To be fair, my thread isn’t very active either and I get little feedback for what I do post. But I feel like I’ve done a lot even though my FTS is really crappy and doesn’t do it justice. But I posted how I did everything, from a yankee Candle heater to concrete continents. I’ve got more coming too. But nonetheless my thread isn’t very active.

 

 

How did almost half of the contestants not post their December FTS?? We had a full month...

[duderubble]

I'm going to guess a variety of issues, lack of time, loss of interest, catastrophic equipment failures, disheartening outbreaks of algae, and the difficulty of keeping clean some these small containers with tight curves.