Submitting species photos

You can add a photo of your own fish to its species page. Our team reviews every photo by hand, and if yours is used you earn 50 bubbles, your name goes under the photo and it counts toward the Species Photographer trophies.

How do I submit a photo of my fish?

1. Sign in.
2. Open your fish's page from Fish Species.
3. Scroll to Keep [species]? Share yours. The photo box says Submit a photo of your [species], or Be the first to add a photo of your [species] if there are none yet.
4. Tap Submit a photo. The form opens with the quality checklist.
5. Tap Choose a photo and pick the original file from your camera or phone. While it checks the file you'll see "Checking your photo…".
6. Check the preview. Its pixel size is shown under it. Tap Choose a different photo to swap it.
7. Add a caption if you like (optional, up to 140 characters). Example: "male in breeding colour, 40 gallon planted".
8. Tick the box: "I took this photo of my own fish. I agree to the Terms, including that if it's used, Underground Aquarium owns it and can use it anywhere, with my name credited on the site."
9. Tap Send for review.

The form closes and you'll see "Sent for review. You'll get a notification either way." The box also shows "You have 1 photo of this fish waiting for review."

To close the form without sending, tap the X in its top corner.

What makes a photo get approved?

Only high quality photos are used. The form lists exactly what we look for:

• Your own fish, in your own tank. No photos from the internet, a store or someone else.
• Sharp and well lit, with the fish in focus and filling a good part of the frame.
• The original from your camera or phone, at least 1600 pixels on the long side.
• No watermarks, text, borders, collages, heavy filters or screenshots.
• The right species. Every photo is checked by hand before it goes live.

What size does my photo need to be?

The photo must be at least 1600 pixels on its long side and at least 900 pixels on its short side. The form checks this as soon as you pick a file.

Very large photos are fine. The site automatically shrinks photos to 2000 pixels on the long side and saves them as JPEG, so you never need to resize before uploading.

Because of that automatic shrinking, very wide or very tall photos (roughly more than twice as long as they are high, like panoramas or thin strip crops) can end up under 900 pixels on the short side and get turned away. A normal photo in your phone's standard shape passes easily.

What file types can I upload?

Any normal photo format your device offers, including JPEG, PNG and WebP, and iPhone HEIC/HEIF photos. HEIC photos are converted automatically, even in browsers that can't normally open them. The site also fixes sideways photos so they appear the right way up.

How many photos can a species have?

• Up to 5 member photos per species. When all 5 spots are filled, the photo box is replaced with "All 5 photo spots for this fish are filled by members." and you can't submit more for that species.
• Up to 2 photos of the same species waiting for review at once, per member. If you already have 2 waiting, the button reads 2 waiting already and is grayed out until our team reviews one.

There's no limit on how many different species you can submit photos for.

What happens after I send a photo?

Our team reviews it by hand. You'll get a notification (the bell) either way:

• If it's used: the notification names the fish, links to its page and mentions your bubbles. The photo goes live on the species page with Photo by and your name (linked to your profile), plus your caption. It may also become the main photo shown on the species page and on its card in the Fish Species directory.
• If it isn't used: the notification tells you the reason. The photo is deleted from our storage.

These notifications appear under the Trophies filter on your notifications page. See Notifications.

What do I get if my photo is used?

• 50 bubbles, added once per approved photo. See Bubbles.
• Your name credited under the photo on the species page, linked to your profile.
• Progress toward the Species Photographer trophies (in the Library & Glossary section of your trophy cabinet). See Trophies.

If the bubbles push you into a new bubble tier, you'll also get a tier-up notification and email.

Who owns my species photo?

If your photo is accepted for the library, you're assigning it to Underground Aquarium, as explained in the Terms:

• It then belongs to Underground Aquarium, which can use, change, license or remove it anywhere without paying you or asking again.
• You keep a personal right to keep your own original file and share it on your own personal accounts.
• You can't license or sell that photo to anyone else after it's accepted.
• We may credit you by name where we show it.
• Once it's accepted and live you can't withdraw it, though we'll consider any request.
• Photos we turn down are deleted and stay yours.

We convert every photo to our own format and remove hidden data phones attach, such as location.

Can I edit or delete a photo I submitted?

There's no way to edit a caption, cancel a photo waiting for review, or remove an approved photo yourself. Email support@undergroundaquarium.com with the species name and what you'd like changed.

Why can't I see the Submit a photo button?

• You're signed out. You'll see Sign in to submit instead. Tap it, sign in, and you'll come back to the same species page.
• All 5 spots are filled. The box says "All 5 photo spots for this fish are filled by members."
• You have 2 waiting. The button reads 2 waiting already until one is reviewed.

Common problems

"That photo is [width] × [height]. We need at least 1600 pixels on the long side, so use the original from your camera, not a crop or screenshot." Your file is too small, or too narrow on its short side (it must be at least 900 pixels there too). Pick the original from your camera roll, not a crop, screenshot or a photo saved from a messaging app, which often shrinks images. Avoid panoramas and very thin crops.

"We couldn't read that photo. Try a JPEG or PNG." The file couldn't be opened as an image. Export or save it as a JPEG or PNG and try again.

"Tick the box to confirm this is your own photo of your own fish." Tick the confirmation box above Send for review, then send again.

"Couldn't send that photo." or another error after tapping Send for review. The upload didn't go through. Check your connection and try again. If it keeps failing, email support@undergroundaquarium.com with the species name and the message you saw.

The Send for review button is grayed out. You haven't picked a photo yet, or the photo is still being checked. Wait for the preview to appear.

My photo was turned down. Read the reason in the notification, and compare your photo against the checklist in What makes a photo get approved?. You're welcome to submit a different photo.

I don't see my approved photo on the page. Refresh the page. If it's still missing after a few minutes, email support@undergroundaquarium.com.