Replying in the forums

Replies are how the forums work: someone asks, someone answers. You can comment on the thread itself or reply directly to one comment. You need to be signed in to post either.

How do I comment on a thread?

1. Open the thread.
2. Under the opening post, find the Add a comment… box. It sits just above the list of comments.
3. Type your comment. The note Markdown supported under the box means you can use formatting (see Formatting your posts).
4. Tap Comment.

The page refreshes and your comment appears in the thread. The comment count at the top of the comments goes up by one.

How do I reply to a specific comment?

1. Tap Reply under the comment you want to answer.
2. A small box opens under that comment. Type your reply.
3. Tap Reply to post it, or Cancel to close the box (Cancel also clears what you typed).

Your reply appears indented under the comment, with a line down the left side showing it belongs to that conversation. You can reply to replies too, so conversations can nest several levels deep.

In what order do comments and replies appear?

• Top-level comments (direct answers to the opening post) are sorted by vote score, highest first. If scores are tied, the older comment comes first. A new comment with no votes usually lands below comments that already have upvotes.
• Replies under a comment always stay in the order they were posted, oldest first, so a conversation reads naturally.

To help the best answers rise, tap Float up on comments that helped you. See Forum voting.

Who gets notified when I reply?

The site sends one New reply notification, to the person you answered:

• If you commented on the thread (using Add a comment…), the thread's author is notified.
• If you replied to a comment (using Reply), that comment's author is notified. The thread's author is not notified separately in this case.
• Nobody is ever notified about their own replies.

The notification reads "New reply on" followed by the thread title. Tapping it opens the thread and scrolls straight to the new comment, which glows briefly so you can spot it.

How do I know when someone replies to me?

You get a New reply notification in your bell whenever someone comments on your thread or replies to one of your comments. You can turn these off under Forum replies in your notification settings (the gear in the bell, or Notifications). See Notifications.

There's no way to follow or subscribe to someone else's thread. To keep track of a thread you're interested in, bookmark it, or leave a comment so replies to your comment reach you.

Can I add photos to a reply?

Not as an upload. Only the opening post of a thread can have uploaded photos (up to 4, added when the thread is started). In a comment you can show an image that's already online by using Markdown image syntax: ![short description](image address). See Formatting your posts.

How long can a reply be?

Replies can be very long, but anything past 10,000 characters is cut off when you post. An empty reply can't be posted.

Why can't I reply to a thread?

• You see "This thread is locked." Our team has closed the thread. The comment box and all Reply links are removed. You can still read and vote.
• You're signed out. Tapping Comment or Reply takes you to sign in. What you typed is saved and put back in the box when you come back to the thread in the same browser tab.
• Posting fails with an error. See the error messages below. If it keeps failing, email support@undergroundaquarium.com with a link to the thread.

What do the reply error messages mean?

• Write something first. The box is empty. Type your reply and try again.
• This thread is locked. The thread was locked while you were writing. Your reply can't be posted there.
• Thread not found. The thread was removed or hidden while you had it open. Go back to the section.
• Couldn't post. A connection problem or a problem on our end. Your text stays in the box; wait a moment and tap the button again.

Can I edit or delete a reply?

Not at the moment. Forum comments and replies can't be edited or deleted once they're posted. If you got something wrong, post a follow-up reply with the correction. If a comment needs to be removed (for example you shared personal details by mistake), email support@undergroundaquarium.com with a link to the thread and say which comment.

How do I link someone to a specific comment?

Every comment has its own anchor in the page, which is what reply notifications use to scroll to it. There's no Copy link button for a single comment, so the simplest way is to share the thread link and say whose comment you mean.

Do replies earn bubbles?

Your first forum post of any kind earns bubbles, and so does reaching 10, 50 and 100 forum posts (your thread openers and replies both count). Upvotes other members give your comments also count toward your bubbles. See Bubbles.

Common problems

My reply disappeared after I signed in. Saved replies only come back in the same browser tab you started in. If you signed in in a new tab or a different browser, the draft stays behind in the old tab.

I replied but the person didn't get notified. Only the person you directly answered is notified: the thread author for a top-level comment, or the comment author for a nested reply. If they've switched off Forum replies in their settings, they won't see a notification.

My comment is lower than newer comments. Top-level comments are ordered by votes, so comments with upvotes sit above yours until yours gets some.

My formatting looks wrong. A single line break doesn't start a new line in Markdown. Leave a blank line between paragraphs. See Formatting your posts.

Someone replied with something rude or spammy. Tap Report under their comment and pick a reason. You can also block them from their profile. See Reporting content and Blocking people.