Listing photos

Photos are optional, but ads with a clear photo get far more replies. You add them in the Photos section of the post form or the edit form.

How many photos can I add?

Up to 8 photos per ad. The section label shows how many you've used, for example Photos (3/8). When you reach 8, the Add more box disappears.

If you pick more photos than you have room for, only the first ones up to the limit are added and the rest are skipped. For example, with 6 photos already on an ad, picking 4 adds 2. Count your photos before you pick them.

How do I add photos?

1. In the Photos section, tap the dashed box that says Add photos (or Add more once you have one).
2. Choose one or several pictures from your phone or computer.
3. Wait while the box shows Processing photos…. Each picture gets a small preview.
4. Finish the rest of the form and tap Post it, free (or Save changes when editing).

Photos are only uploaded when you tap the post or save button. If you leave the page before that, the photos you picked are not kept.

Which photo formats work?

You can pick any image your device offers. In practice:

• JPEG/JPG and PNG work everywhere.
• iPhone HEIC/HEIF photos are converted to JPEG for you (see the next section).
• Other common web image types your browser can show (like WebP) generally work too.

Every photo that's larger than about 1.2 MB, and every HEIC photo, is converted to a JPEG and resized so its longest side is at most 2000 pixels. Smaller JPEG or PNG files are uploaded as they are. This keeps pages fast without making photos look worse.

Can I upload iPhone HEIC photos?

Yes. iPhones save photos as HEIC by default, and the site converts them automatically. The note under the photo box says "iPhone HEIC photos are converted automatically."

• On an iPhone, iPad or Mac using Safari, HEIC photos convert instantly on your device.
• In Chrome or Firefox (which can't read HEIC themselves), the photo is sent to our server to be converted, then comes back as a JPEG. This can take a few seconds per photo.

You must be signed in for the server conversion to work.

What if an iPhone photo still won't upload?

If every conversion method fails, you'll see a message like: "(photo name) is an iPhone HEIC photo this browser can't read. On your iPhone, Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible makes new photos upload anywhere, or share the photo to yourself first and it'll come through as a JPEG."

Two fixes:

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings › Camera › Formats and choose Most Compatible. New photos are then saved as JPEG.
2. For photos you already took, share or email the photo to yourself so it arrives as a JPEG, or post from Safari on the iPhone itself.

Is there a size limit on photos?

Most photos straight off a phone are fine, because they're shrunk before upload. The one limit you might hit: when a HEIC photo has to be converted on our server (in Chrome or Firefox), it must be under 4 MB. A bigger one shows "That photo is too large to convert here. Email it to yourself first and it'll arrive as a JPEG." A normal 12 megapixel iPhone HEIC is well under that.

Which photo is the cover?

The first photo is the cover. It's marked with a small Cover label on the form, and it's the photo shown on listing cards, in My listings, on your profile, in search results and when your ad is shared as a link. Photos appear on your listing page in the order you added them.

Can I reorder photos or change the cover?

There's no drag-to-reorder. The order is the order you added them. To change the cover:

• While posting: tap the X on the photos in front of the one you want as cover, then add them again. They go to the back of the line.
• When editing: photos already on the ad stay first, and new ones are added after them. To make a new photo the cover, remove all existing photos with the X, add your new cover first, then add the others back. Tap Save changes.

Tip: pick your best photo first, then the rest.

How do I remove a photo?

Tap the X in the top corner of the photo on the post or edit form.

• On a new ad, the photo is simply dropped.
• On an existing ad, the photo disappears from the form right away, but the ad only changes when you tap Save changes. Tap Cancel instead and the ad keeps all its photos.

If you remove every photo, your ad shows a fish placeholder image instead.

How do buyers see my photos?

On your listing page, the cover shows large, and if you have more than one photo, thumbnails appear underneath. Tapping a thumbnail swaps the big photo. The big photo is shown whole (not cropped), while cards and thumbnails are cropped to fit, so keep the item near the middle of the frame.

Will my photos show up sideways?

They shouldn't. When photos are converted or resized, the site applies the rotation your phone recorded, so portrait shots stay upright. If a photo still looks sideways, rotate it in your phone's photo app, save, then remove and re-add it.

Tips for good aquarium photos

These are general hobby tips, not site rules:

• Turn off the room lights and use the tank light to cut glare.
• Shoot straight at the glass, not at an angle, and wipe the glass first.
• For fish, add a photo that shows the whole fish clearly. For colonies or groups, one shot of the group and one close-up.
• For tanks and gear, show any scratches, chips or damage honestly.
• Use your own photos. Stolen photos are against the listing rules.

Common problems

"Processing photos…" seems stuck. HEIC conversion in Chrome or Firefox can take a few seconds per photo. If it's been over a minute, reload the page and try fewer photos at once, or switch to Safari on your iPhone.

"Please sign in before uploading photos." Your session ended. Sign in again, then add the photos.

"That photo was too large to upload for conversion." or "That photo is too large to convert here..." The HEIC file is over the 4 MB conversion limit. Email or share the photo to yourself so it arrives as a JPEG, or post from Safari on your iPhone.

"That photo couldn't be converted. Try a JPG or PNG instead." The HEIC file couldn't be read. Take a screenshot of it, or export it as JPEG, and upload that.

"(photo name) couldn't be processed." The file isn't an image the site could read. Try a JPEG or PNG.

"Photo upload failed: ..." The upload broke when you tapped post or save. Check your connection and try again. Your other form fields are still filled in. If it keeps happening, email support@undergroundaquarium.com with the exact message.

Some of the photos I picked didn't get added. You hit the 8-photo limit. Only the first photos up to 8 are added.

The Add more box disappeared. You have 8 photos. Remove one with the X to add another.