Browsing the classifieds

The classifieds are free to browse, with or without an account. Ads are organized by state and then by metro area, so you can see what keepers near you have up right now, or look at every live ad nationwide in one list.

How are the classifieds organized?

Every ad belongs to one metro area inside one state. When someone posts, they pick their state, then the closest metro area, and can add their town. That's how buyers find them.

You can browse at three levels:

• Classifieds home at Classifieds: categories, the busiest areas, the newest ads and a list of every state.
• A state page such as /marketplace/ca: every metro area in that state, with how many live ads each one has.
• An area page such as /marketplace/ca/sacramento: every live ad in that metro area, with search, category filters and sorting.

There's also Every listing, which shows every live ad in every area in one place.

Browsing is open to everyone. You only need an account to message a seller, report an ad or post your own. See Creating an account.

What's on the Classifieds home page?

Classifieds is the front door. From top to bottom:

• Free Classifieds with a count of how many ads are live across the site.
• Near me: jumps to the metro area closest to you using your browser's location. See Finding listings near you.
• Browse all: opens Every listing, the nationwide list.
• Categories: all twelve categories. Tapping one opens the nationwide list already filtered to that category.
• Active areas: up to 12 metro areas that have the most live ads right now, each with its state and a count. This row only appears when at least one area has an ad.
• Just posted: the 8 newest ads anywhere on the site, each with its photo, price (or Free or Wanted), title and town. See all opens the nationwide list. If nothing is live, you'll see "Nothing up right now. Post the first ad, it's free."
• Pick your state: every state, in alphabetical order. A green number next to a state is how many ads are live there right now. No number means nothing is live there yet.

On a phone, the category and area rows scroll sideways. Swipe them to see more.

Browsing by state and metro area

1. Go to Classifieds.
2. Under Pick your state, tap your state.
3. On the state page, tap the metro area closest to you.

The state page shows the state name, how many areas it has and how many live listings are in it. Each area tile shows a green count when it has live ads. A small star marks the state's main area. Tap All states to go back.

The area page lists every live ad in that area. Tap All of followed by the state name to go back to the state page.

What's on an area page?

An area page (for example /marketplace/tx/austin) shows:

• The state name and the area name at the top, with a Post free ad button.
• A search box, a sort menu and category pills. See Searching and filtering listings.
• A count, like "14 listings", or "3 listings in Aquatic Plants" when a category is picked.
• The ads themselves, as cards.
• Other areas in the state: up to 8 other metro areas in the same state, so you can check nearby areas.

If nobody has posted in that area yet, you'll see "Nothing posted in" followed by the area name, and a nudge to be the first. The Other areas in links still appear below so you're not stuck.

Browsing every listing nationwide

Every listing shows every live ad in every area in one list. Get there from Browse all or See all on the Classifieds page, or from the Browse all link on the home page.

The page has the same search box, sort menu and category pills as an area page. Tapping a category on the Classifieds page or on the home page opens this list with that category already picked.

Most sellers want local pickup, so check the town on each card before you get attached to something. Tap Classifieds by area to go back.

What does a listing card show?

Each ad in a list appears as a card with:

• The cover photo (the first photo the seller added). Ads without a photo show a fish icon.
• The category in the top left corner, like "Freshwater Fish" or "Tanks & Stands".
• A Wanted or Free tag in the top right corner, when the ad is a wanted ad or a free giveaway.
• The title.
• The price: a dollar amount, "Free", or "Contact for price" when the seller left the price blank. Wanted ads don't show a price.
• The first couple of lines of the description.
• The town, when the seller added one, and the condition for gear (New, Like new, Good, Fair or For parts), when they chose one.
• Views, with an eye icon, once the ad has been viewed at least once.
• How long ago it was posted or last renewed, like "3 hours ago" or "2 days ago".

Tap anywhere on the card to open the full listing.

How are listings sorted?

On area pages and the nationwide list, the default sort is Newest first. "Newest" means the most recently posted or renewed. When a seller renews an ad, it moves back to the top, and the time on the card resets to when it was renewed.

You can switch to Price: low to high or Price: high to low with the sort menu. See Searching and filtering listings for how free, wanted and "Contact for price" ads sort.

The Just posted row on the Classifieds home page is different: it always shows the 8 ads posted most recently, and renewing doesn't move an ad into it.

Is there a next page? How many ads can I see?

There are no page numbers. An area page or the nationwide list loads up to 500 live ads at once, the 500 most recently posted or renewed, and you scroll through them. Search, category pills and sorting work within those ads.

In practice, area pages hold far fewer than that. If the nationwide list ever reaches that size, the easiest way to see older ads is to go to a specific area page, where only that area's ads are counted.

What's on a listing page?

Open any ad to see the full listing:

• Photos. The main photo is shown large. If there's more than one, tap a thumbnail underneath to switch.
• Category, plus a Wanted or Free tag when it applies.
• Title and price (wanted ads don't show a price).
• Location: the town (if given) and metro area. Tap it to open that area's page.
• Posted: how long ago the ad was first posted.
• Views: how many times it's been viewed, once there's at least one.
• Condition, for gear. Condition isn't shown on fish, inverts, coral or plants.
• Posted by, with the seller's name linked to their public profile. A small seal next to the name means they're an Underground Aquarium Society member.
• How to contact them: a Message button, and a phone number or email address if the seller chose to show one. See Contacting a seller.
• A short safety note and a link to the listing rules.
• Report, to flag the ad to our team.
• Details: the seller's full description.
• More (category) near (area): up to 6 similar ads, with See all in (area) to open the area page. Ads in the same category nearby come first, then anything else nearby, then the same category elsewhere in the state.

At the top, a breadcrumb trail (Marketplace, state, area) takes you back up. On a phone, it's a single back link to the area.

How are views counted?

A view is counted when someone opens the listing page. Each browser counts once per visit, so refreshing or coming back to the page in the same session doesn't add more. The seller's own visits to their listing never count. Only live ads collect views.

What does the seal next to a seller's name mean?

The small seal after a name under Posted by means that person is a member of the Underground Aquarium Society. Hover over it (or long-press on some phones) to see "Underground Aquarium Society member". It's about the person, not a check of the listing itself. See The Society.

Do I need an account to browse?

No. Anyone can browse the classifieds, open listings and see photos, prices and locations. You need a free account to:

• message a seller,
• report a listing,
• post your own ad.

If the seller chose to show a phone number or email on their ad, anyone can see it without signing in.

Common problems

A listing link says the page can't be found. The ad is no longer live. It may have been marked sold, expired, been deleted by the seller or been removed by our team. Only live ads are visible to buyers. Try the area page for similar ads.

A state or area shows a count, but the list looks different. Counts on the Classifieds home and state pages refresh every few minutes, and area and nationwide lists refresh about every minute. A just-posted, sold or expired ad can take a few minutes to be reflected everywhere.

I can't find my area in the list. Areas are metro areas, not every town. Pick the closest one. Your area may be named after a nearby city or grouped with neighboring cities (for example two city names joined with a slash). The seller's own town appears on each card when they added one.

The Near me button isn't there. It only appears when the site can match locations to areas. Use Pick your state instead. See Finding listings near you.

I see a price of "Contact for price". The seller left the price blank. Message them to ask. See Contacting a seller.