Starting a forum thread

A thread is a new topic in the Forums: a question, a build journal, a photo share or anything else worth talking about. You need to be signed in to start one.

How do I start a new thread?

1. Sign in.
2. Tap Ask the forums on the Forums page, or open the section you want and tap New post. On a phone you can also tap the + in the bottom bar and choose Ask the forums.
3. If you came from Ask the forums, pick a Section by tapping one of the section buttons. If you came from New post inside a section, the thread goes in that section and the page says "New post in" followed by the section name.
4. Type a Title.
5. Write the details in Body.
6. Optionally add up to 4 Photos.
7. Tap Post.

You land on your new thread straight away, and it appears in its section and in the feed as "started a discussion".

What's the difference between Ask the forums and New post?

Both open the same form. Ask the forums (at /forums/new) lets you choose the section in the form, so you can start from anywhere on the site. New post inside a section already knows the section, so there's no section picker. Either way the finished thread is identical.

Which section should I post in?

Pick the section that best matches your topic: beginner questions in the getting started section, sick fish in fish health, plant questions in plants and aquascaping, and so on. Each section's description on the Forums page explains what belongs there. If you pick the wrong one it's not a big problem, but you can't move the thread yourself. Email support@undergroundaquarium.com if it really needs moving.

What goes in the Title field?

The Title is the headline people see in the thread list, search results and Hot in the forums. The placeholder asks "What's your question or topic?"

• It's required.
• It must be at least 3 characters.
• It can be up to 160 characters (the box stops you typing past that).
• It can't be changed after you post, so make it specific. "Cloudy water 3 days after water change in 20 gal" gets far better answers than "Help!!"

The thread's web address is made from the title, so a clear title also makes a clearer link.

What goes in the Body field?

Body is the opening post. The placeholder says "Share the details. Markdown supported." Useful things to include for a question: tank size, how long it's been set up, filter, water test numbers, livestock, what changed recently and what you've tried.

• The body is optional if you add at least one photo. Otherwise you need some text.
• You can format it with Markdown (bold, lists, headings, links and more). See Formatting your posts.
• Very long posts are cut off at 20,000 characters, so split an enormous write-up into a thread plus follow-up comments.

How do I add photos to a thread?

Under Photos (optional, up to 4):

1. Tap the Add tile.
2. Choose one or more images. You can pick several at once.
3. Wait for the thumbnails to appear (the tile shows a spinner while uploading).
4. To remove one, tap the X on its thumbnail.

Each photo can be up to 10 MB before upload. Photos are resized in your browser (to at most 1920 pixels on the longest side) and saved as JPEGs, so big phone photos upload quickly. The Post button waits until uploads finish.

Photos appear under the opening post, in a grid when there's more than one, and the first photo is used on the thread's Hot in the forums card and when the link is shared. Photos can only be added when you start a thread. Comments are text only (see Replying in the forums).

What do the photo messages mean?

• Up to 4 photos per post. You tried to add more than 4. The extras were skipped.
• Images only, please. One of the files wasn't an image, so it was skipped.
• That photo is too large (max 10 MB). Pick a smaller photo, or take a screenshot of it and upload that.
• A photo failed to upload, try again. The upload didn't go through, usually a connection hiccup. Tap Add and pick it again.

What do the error messages mean when I tap Post?

• Give your post a title (at least 3 characters). The title is empty or too short.
• Pick a section for your post. You started from Ask the forums and haven't tapped a section button.
• Write something, or add a photo. The body is empty and there are no photos.
• A title of at least 3 characters is required. Same as the first message, caught by our server.
• Add some text or a photo. Same as "Write something, or add a photo.", caught by our server.
• Title is too long. The title is over 160 characters.
• Category not found. The section you picked no longer exists or isn't public. Reload the page and choose another.
• Couldn't post. Something went wrong on our end or with your connection. Your text is still in the form, so wait a moment and tap Post again.

What if I'm not signed in?

The new thread pages send you to sign in first and bring you back to the form afterwards. If your session runs out while you're writing, tapping Post takes you to sign in and your Title and Body are put back in the form when you return (in the same browser tab). Photos aren't saved this way, so you'll need to add them again.

What happens after I post?

• You're taken to your new thread.
• It shows at the top of the section's New tab and near the top of Active (pinned threads always stay above it).
• It appears in the Feed as "started a discussion", where people can like it or tap Reply to go to the thread.
• It shows on Unanswered topics until someone replies.
• If it's your first thread (or first forum post of any kind), you earn bubbles. See Bubbles.

When someone comments on your thread you get a New reply notification. See Replying in the forums.

Can I edit, move or delete my thread?

No. Once posted, a thread's title, body and photos can't be edited, moved to another section or deleted by you. If you made a mistake, add a comment to your own thread with the correction. For anything that needs to be changed or removed (for example personal information you posted by accident), email support@undergroundaquarium.com with the link.

Tips for getting a good answer

• Put the key facts in the title: species, tank size, the symptom.
• Include water test numbers (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature) for any health or cloudy-water question. The Water Check tool can help you read them.
• Add a clear photo for anything visual: disease spots, algae, plants, fish ID.
• Search first. Your question may already have a great answer (see Searching the forums).

Common problems

The Post button does nothing. Look for a red message at the top of the form. It tells you what's missing (title, section, or text/photo). If photos are still uploading, the button waits until they finish.

My iPhone photo won't upload or shows up blank. Some browsers can't read iPhone HEIC photos. On your iPhone, Settings › Camera › Formats › Most Compatible makes new photos save as JPEG, or share the photo to yourself first so it comes through as a JPEG, then add it again.

I picked the wrong section. You can't move a thread yourself. Email support@undergroundaquarium.com with the link and the section it should be in.

I posted a typo in the title. Titles can't be edited. If it matters, email support@undergroundaquarium.com.

I lost what I typed. Drafts are only saved when a sign-in interrupts your post. Before writing something long, make sure you're signed in, or write it somewhere else first and paste it in.