Starting a conversation

There are three ways to start a conversation: the Message button on a classified ad, the Message button on someone's profile, and New message in your inbox. All three need you to be signed in.

Messaging someone about a listing

1. Open the listing.
2. Tap Message followed by the seller's name, under Posted by.
3. Write your message. The box suggests "Hi, is this still available?" to start.
4. Tap Send message.

The page shows the listing's photo, title and price above the box so you know what you're asking about. Back to the listing takes you back without sending.

This starts a listing conversation. You get one conversation per listing: if you've already messaged about that ad, you go straight back to the existing conversation. See Contacting a seller.

Messaging someone from their profile

1. Open the person's profile (tap their name anywhere on the site).
2. Tap Message, next to Follow, near the top.
3. Write your message. The box says "Say hi to" followed by their name.
4. Tap Send message.

This starts a direct message, not tied to any listing. If you're signed out when you tap Message, you'll be asked to sign in first and then brought back to the message page.

You won't see a Message button on your own profile. You'll see Edit profile instead.

Using New message in your inbox

1. Go to Messages and tap New message.
2. A search box opens. Under People you know here, you'll see up to 12 people you're connected with.
3. Tap a person, or type in Find a member by name to search.
4. On the next page, write your message and tap Send message.

Tap the X to close the search box without choosing anyone.

Who shows up under "People you know here"?

When you open New message, the site lists people you're already connected with, alphabetically, each with a small label saying how you know them:

• Talked before: you've had a conversation with them.
• You follow: you follow them.
• Follows you: they follow you.

With nothing typed, up to 12 are shown. Start typing and the list narrows to matching people, under the heading Your people. See Following people and shops.

How do I find someone I've never talked to?

Type at least two letters of their name or username in Find a member by name. Matching members appear under Everyone else, up to 10 at a time. Keep typing to narrow it down.

• Search matches both display names and usernames, and any part of them.
• You can type a username with or without the @ at the start.
• If nobody matches, you'll see "No members match that."
• With nothing typed and nobody in your people list, you'll see "Type a name to find anyone on Underground Aquarium."

Members who haven't picked a username yet, and deleted accounts, don't appear in search.

Who can I message?

Any signed-in member can message any other member, with a few exceptions:

• You can't message yourself. Choosing yourself just takes you back to your inbox.
• You can't message someone who has blocked you, or someone you've blocked. See Blocking and safety in messages.
• Deleted accounts can't receive messages. You'll see "That member isn't available."
• Listing conversations can only start while the ad is live. Once an ad is sold, expired or deleted, you can't start a new conversation about it, though existing conversations carry on.

You don't need to follow someone, or be followed by them, to message them.

What if I already have a conversation with this person?

• Direct messages: you and another member share one direct conversation, no matter who started it. Tapping Message on their profile, or choosing them in New message, takes you straight to that existing conversation.
• Listing conversations: one per listing. Tapping Message on an ad you've already asked about takes you back to that conversation.

A direct conversation and a listing conversation with the same person are kept separate.

What does the other person see?

The message page says it plainly: your email stays private, and the other person sees your username and gets a notification with your message. That notification is an email with a preview of what you wrote and a Read and reply button. Your new conversation also shows up in their inbox marked New, with an unread count on their chat bubble. See Message notifications.

Is there a limit on how many messages I can send?

To stop spam, each account can send up to 25 messages in any 10 minutes, counting all your conversations together. If you hit that, you'll see "You're sending messages very quickly. Take a short break and try again." Wait a few minutes and try again. Each message can be up to 4,000 characters.

Tips for a first message

• Say who you are and why you're writing ("Saw your planted tank build and had a question about your CO2").
• Keep it short and specific.
• For classifieds, include what you want, how many and when you could pick up.
• Keep personal contact details out of the first message. You can share them later if you choose.

Common problems

I tapped Message on a profile and ended up in my inbox. Either it was your own profile, or that member couldn't be found (for example the username changed or the account was removed).

I tapped Message on a listing and ended up on the Classifieds page. The ad isn't live anymore, or the seller isn't taking messages on it. See Contacting a seller.

The person I'm looking for doesn't show up in search. Type at least two letters, and try their username instead of their display name, or the other way around. Members without a username don't appear. If you know their profile, open it and tap Message there.

It says "That member isn't available." That account has been deleted. You can't message it.

My message won't send. See Messages troubleshooting.