TOTM

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
Can we bring back TOTM? I felt like I got to know the tanks (and thus the people behind the tanks) more with the TOTMs then I do now.

TOTM doesn't have to always be about the best tank, it is about getting to know one another, or hearing about struggles and successes.

By having a 10 day period of nominations before the announcement of TOTM mid-month, is a way to showcase why someone else's tank is worth a nomination and thus a win!

Suggest that on the 1st of each month a post is created for nominations for that month's TOTM; nominations open for a week. Then a poll is provided which is also open for a week or so. After that poll results will show the winner, who is then announced around mid-month for that month's TOTM.

Open to other suggestions on how to run it.

Thoughts?
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Can we bring back TOTM? I felt like I got to know the tanks (and thus the people behind the tanks) more with the TOTMs then I do now.

TOTM doesn't have to always be about the best tank, it is about getting to know one another, or hearing about struggles and successes.

By having a 10 day period of nominations before the announcement of TOTM mid-month, is a way to showcase why someone else's tank is worth a nomination and thus a win!

Suggest that on the 1st of each month a post is created for nominations for that month's TOTM; nominations open for a week. Then a poll is provided which is also open for a week or so. After that poll results will show the winner, who is then announced around mid-month for that month's TOTM.

Open to other suggestions on how to run it.

Thoughts?

I missed this post @Oxylebius but there haven’t been any other replies either!

I agree 100% with this, we need to get some more activity/excitement going. We could also do POTM as well maybe.

In other forums it’s a great honour and they do full write ups and it’s very interesting to read. You also spot threads you have missed as well.
 

saintsreturn

Well-Known Member
I would like to see more of the tanks front and center for sure! Navigating this forum has been fun and scrolling through the thousands of pages have made me excited about things in my future, that said, a TOTM would be great as it would show current status's all in one location monthly :D
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Actually I am a only a lowly Mod our Admins are MIA

Want a badge? Travis is always looking for new volunteers
if the admins are MIA is that why the TOTM died off in the first place?

I would have though it would be a great idea to attract more sponsors and develop more interest, and get more new members.

It’s a great place to hang out here but sometimes it’s a bit quiet and I don’t see many new members, but maybe that me! Lol

Oh and the badge sounds like ‘responsibility’
 

Pancho75

Well-Known Member
I think this is a good idea and should be up to you guys as ones of our must trust worthy reefers to be the judges!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: SPR

Squatch XXL

Well-Known Member
This is a situation with my local reef club. I have been following this thread since there was no replies, and didn't know how to respond....(Actually, I have obtuse opinions, and wanted to choose my words carefully). Our local reef club did do TOTM and 2 years ago, it stopped.

I think that the TOTM needs participation from as many people as possible with some sort of follow-up interview with the "winner". Simple q & a about methods and process. "How long/feeding/cleaning" types of questions to make the winner feel like a rock star. It would be nice if we could work with our sponsors to get a small gift cert to winners, but I don't see where that would be necessary. Perhaps even a link on the main page to the "Tank of the Month" & the interview w/more detailed photos.

I think that submissions can and should come from the owner of the tank as well as others who see tank photos through out the week. If I see a great looking tank, I should be able to post its picture here with a link back to it's post on the forums. Full-tank-friday threads died off as well, but that would be a great place to see great photos. IF I see a great shot, I would certainly submit it to a TOTM nomination thread.

I think just having a nice looking tank is too limiting. Perhaps other concepts like "vastly improved" and /or long term success should be considered as well. The idea in my mind is that anyone can have a great looking tank. The methods we use to attain that are usually vastly different. Sometimes it is as much about the corals as the process we use to get there. There are plenty of great tanks that don't look like they belong in a magazine either.

Perhaps have a "nomination" period followed by 2 weeks of voting.....In my mind mid month to the next mid month gives 4 weeks of "nominations" followed by 2 weeks for a sitewide vote. It may need to be 1 week of voting of ALL submissions to narrow it down to 3-5, and 1 week of votes for the winners.... I don't think there is a correct answer

Part of the dynamics is that this hobby is SLOW. Regular posts seem to happen only during setup and/or disasters. I know as my tank matures, I get less and less prone to post photos....but when I do major changes, I will post photos of my process and end results. I strive to make at least 1 post a month, but depending on schedule It may be less frequent.

Success is totally limited to the drive of the user base. There are plenty of users, but how many are regulars? How many use this as their only outlet for "tank talk"? We all know there are other sites out there that have fish discussions, and I have said before with the same conviction that I say it now....this is the best multi-national fish tank site on the web. Period. But the flip side of the coin is that I am as active here as I am for a local fish club as well. Most of what I post here is mirrored there, but it is a much smaller user base, as it really is just a smaller sampling of a region.

Just some thoughts I had on the topic.
 

SPR

Well-Known Member
Without wishing to be negative, at the time of writing, out of the entire site there have been 112 views of this thread and now 10 posts including 4 of mine!

There just doesn’t appear to be much interest in this other than from us few who have made posts or ‘likes’.

It seems very sad that people don’t seem to be bothered on a reef tank site and one of the most friendly on the web. I would love to see pictures of the best tanks on here every month, with interesting write ups/articles from the owners. Oh well......
 
Would love to have a tank of the month! My kid is trying to talk mom into a bigger tank for Xmas this year. Her bday and Xmas is the same day and she’s even the trying is if you get me a bigger tank then that can be all of my gifts for both Xmas and bday. Gotta love her for trying. Had to promise the wife under $1000 otherwise she gets a puppy.

We travel to much for a puppy but now when we travel I have to find someone to take care of the fish. Lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: SPR

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
Im not sure we need to re>invent the contest. There are already existing rules around that worked well. If i remember correctly, we just had a POLL thread that, once started, TOTM is selected by our members. Sponsored prizes would definately draw more attention, but bragging rights have a good bit of value too !
I personally dont have a tank worthy any major awards, and since photobucket decided to eliminate 3rd party sharing, i havent been very inclined to share/transfer photos in my thread. Im basically starting over with picture hosting, and nothing is quite as simple... but i digress, i do love seeing the great tanks on display and having a say in whose i like best. Wish i had time to volunteer toward making this happen, but dont like my odds of success.
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
I've got to say that I have some reservations about trying to bring back TOTM (Tank Of The Month). After the first few months we got very few tanks proposed, and most of the well know, regular members had already won.

The other factor is that a lot of the tanks by the well know, regular members, are really fantastic setups. New people in the hobby can really be intimidated by some of these systems. It's very easy to think "I could never reach that level".

I have to admit that like @StirCrayzy, my own tank isn't worthy of any awards. Especially in it's current state. I had a several day power failure back in Feb, and the tank is still not recovered. Over the years, I've said that if I start a tank thread, I'm going to call it "DaveK's Algae Farm". Right now the system is close to that state, but things are slowly getting better.
 

StirCrayzy

Well-Known Member
Well Dave, Theres always the "Ugly Tank Contest which i am proud to say i won last year.

Thanks to @johnmaloney & Reefcleaners.org !

Nothing against the beautiful tanks that are all around, but a revamped TOTM may be better suited if themed to target classifications that a variety of members could identify with.
Maybe the months winner would earn choice of criteria for the next round, like use or not of...
Controllers, skimmer, refugium, turf scrubber, Canister, Carbon,
chemical additives - dosing
Specific lighting, Full LED, MH, T5, hybrid

Or even livestock variations, SPS, LPS, FO, Predator, seahorse, Macroalgae,

Or by Tank style/size pico-1000g
Bare Bottom, Sand, even refugium or QT.

Participation is not always my strong suit, but i would love to see the new criteria every month to see if there is something i might like to follow, or enter..
 
  • Like
Reactions: SPR

SPR

Well-Known Member
I’ve always been a person that if I see something nice, I think I would like this or I would like that and I feel inspired to try.

I know there are some stunning tanks around and I know some struggle, but we are all here to watch and learn from each other

If the owners can’t be bothered to try and boost anything to bring for example more advertising, members etc then.......

This is a great and friendly place to hang out anyway
 
Top