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nominations for July's Tank Of The Month (TOTM)
- Thread starter nunofs
- Start date
Kevin McG said:From pictures I have seen you are ready now my friend
Thanks Kevin, I really appreciate that! I think I still need to do some significant aquascaping and finish woodwork first.
I really don't get to see other members tanks that often, but thinking back about the '05 Spring Tank Tour, I remember every tank could be a TOTM for it's own reasons. Some really fantastic setups, each very different from the others. But one inparticular really stood out to me. Shame on me for not nominating that person
I'd like to have more tank tours. It's a great way to get knew ideas. It really changed the way I think about reefing.NateHanson
Non-member
I think these are all good points. I'd hate to lose our TOTM feature because they've been outstanding so far. I'll make a point of cleaning my glass sometime in the next month and taking a few pictures, so I can enter my 65g in the next contest. It's certainly nothing compared to the first three winners, but it's got it's strengths and I'm proud of it. Just as I'm sure every other member is. I'm willing to throw it out there with the likes of Lam, Patrick and others, and watch it get pummeled by all the beautiful tanks that I know we have in our group! 
I think the summer doldrums and the intimidation of the fabulous previous winners is mostly to blame for the lack of entries this month. Lets give it another try in September. (TOEOMEJ - tank of every other month except July)
I think the summer doldrums and the intimidation of the fabulous previous winners is mostly to blame for the lack of entries this month. Lets give it another try in September. (TOEOMEJ - tank of every other month except July)
rharlow
Non-member
In being so new, I can't add much more than has already been said. I have extremely enjoyed Chucks TOTM, so much so I made it a seperate favorite. I have seen Nuno's photographs and have great respect for his photographic abilities. One thing that has not been mentioned is cameras. I personally do not have a digital camera, and will probably not get one for a while until my tank is setup and fully populated. (Rather spend money on the tank) So, an issue may also be that members do not have the ability to take pictures, as well as they may not know how to post them. IMO having a tank of the month gives us newbies something to aspire to. At this point I'm aspiring to a tank with just saltwater!! Nuno, please stay on, I love your photos!!! 
Chip
Chip
OP
OP
nunofs
Non-member
First, thank you all for the encouragement and the kind words -- when I said "thankless job" originally I wasn't implying people didn't like reading the articles, just that there's a lot behind getting the articles done and because some of it is not very obvious it isn't factored in (out of sight, out of mind, in a way). Hopefully I'll be able to explain my reasons below.
When I first started, I thought a true TOTM (ie, monthly) would be feasible but quickly realized that although we're a large club we just don't have the number of available tanks that RC has to pick from... so TOTM became "tank of every other month", by virtue of the numbers... the other side of things is that it is just very difficult, from a logistical point of view, to get an article done on time... we all have lives and work and kids and other hobbies and..., and sometimes it's difficult to find a time that works both for me and for the tank owner (that was the case with Chuck), then it takes time to pick/edit photos (I took over 200 pics for each of the articles, and used around 50 for each), get the article written, get it put up on the site, etc... all of these delays add up and may throw off the timing completely... now, since we're all in this for fun, I figured the timing of the articles wouldn't matter too much -- what mattered to me was to write them and share them with the members, and if they're a bit late so be it -- but the BOD wasn't too happy about the delays... that's what I meant by "thankless job". I wasn't going to bring this up, but I felt if I don't say it as it is I'd look like a dork, a "prima dona" that's just looking for attention.
Anyway, I don't mind sacrificing a weekend of my time every other month, or every 3 months, if there's enough interest among the members to justify it... but I had been getting the feeling that some people see this as my "pet project" and are not interested at all in participating (and by participating I don't mean reading the article... I mean nominating tanks, voting, commenting on the threads, etc).
Now, given the suggestions and participation on this thread, I'm hoping that will change and the members will find a way to keep the "TOTM" (under any other name) going... there's plenty of good ideas on this thread already, but I'd suggest the following: let's give it a couple of months for the summer slow season to be over and to get ideas stabilized, and then put a plan in place (namely regarding the frequency of the articles), and if no one steps up in the meanwhile, I'll give it another shot... but I'll need your help, all of you... after all, the articles are for you, and about you!
Nuno
When I first started, I thought a true TOTM (ie, monthly) would be feasible but quickly realized that although we're a large club we just don't have the number of available tanks that RC has to pick from... so TOTM became "tank of every other month", by virtue of the numbers... the other side of things is that it is just very difficult, from a logistical point of view, to get an article done on time... we all have lives and work and kids and other hobbies and..., and sometimes it's difficult to find a time that works both for me and for the tank owner (that was the case with Chuck), then it takes time to pick/edit photos (I took over 200 pics for each of the articles, and used around 50 for each), get the article written, get it put up on the site, etc... all of these delays add up and may throw off the timing completely... now, since we're all in this for fun, I figured the timing of the articles wouldn't matter too much -- what mattered to me was to write them and share them with the members, and if they're a bit late so be it -- but the BOD wasn't too happy about the delays... that's what I meant by "thankless job". I wasn't going to bring this up, but I felt if I don't say it as it is I'd look like a dork, a "prima dona" that's just looking for attention.
Anyway, I don't mind sacrificing a weekend of my time every other month, or every 3 months, if there's enough interest among the members to justify it... but I had been getting the feeling that some people see this as my "pet project" and are not interested at all in participating (and by participating I don't mean reading the article... I mean nominating tanks, voting, commenting on the threads, etc).
Now, given the suggestions and participation on this thread, I'm hoping that will change and the members will find a way to keep the "TOTM" (under any other name) going... there's plenty of good ideas on this thread already, but I'd suggest the following: let's give it a couple of months for the summer slow season to be over and to get ideas stabilized, and then put a plan in place (namely regarding the frequency of the articles), and if no one steps up in the meanwhile, I'll give it another shot... but I'll need your help, all of you... after all, the articles are for you, and about you!
Nuno
Aquaman_68
too many gadgets to fail
Sounds good to me.
That's great Nuno! May I suggest renaming the TOTM to go with the season for a quarterly issue. Example: TOTS (Tank of the Season). Or somehting like that
I think a quaterly issue would give plenty of time to get the issue together without stressing everyone involved(especially you!).
I'm glad to hear you'll continue. Thanks for the great job so far!!
I think a quaterly issue would give plenty of time to get the issue together without stressing everyone involved(especially you!).
I'm glad to hear you'll continue. Thanks for the great job so far!!
NateHanson
Non-member
Yeah TOQ has a nice ring to it.
~Flighty~
Now with more baby
Oh Nuno, You totally misunderstood my PM about the timing, I'm so sorry.
None of us were at all annoyed by delays or anything at all like that, it was the opposite. We were worried that you felt pressure that you shouldn't need to have because of the name. I was just asked to suggest that we could change the name to Featured Tank, or Tank of the Quarter so you could take the time you wanted without a deadline implied by the name.
Again, I am very sorry that there was a misunderstanding. I feel terrible that you thought we thought you were slacking.
OP
OP
nunofs
Non-member
Cindy: to clarify, the main reason why I wanted to quit was purely because I thought there was no interest at all, judging by the lack of nominations... then your PM caught me at a bad time, coming right at the end of the submissions period, and because I read it as the opposite of what you've written above, it was in a sense the straw that broke the camel's back...
Anyway, thanks for explaining what you guys had in mind, and I apologize for my side of the misunderstanding... I agree that a "featured tank" kind of article will free us from rigid deadlines and also from any seasonal lack of participation.
As I mentioned above, let's give it another month or so, and try it again in the fall.
Nuno
Anyway, thanks for explaining what you guys had in mind, and I apologize for my side of the misunderstanding... I agree that a "featured tank" kind of article will free us from rigid deadlines and also from any seasonal lack of participation.
As I mentioned above, let's give it another month or so, and try it again in the fall.
Nuno
Piscevore
elsewhere
I wouldn't mind showing off what little I've got... Its so damn hard for me to get good photos of my corals (point & shoot)...I'd be willing to do a co-tank type of thing, where a few different less complex systems are compared to give an idea what the "little people" are doing
