Nano Build-Off Contest!

[jimsflies]

http://www.captivereefs.com/misc_images/nano_contest_graphic.jpg

CaptiveReefs is hosting a nano tank build off contest. If there is enough interest, we're hoping to make this an annual event here on CR. There is a $20 buy in with 100% of the pot going to the winner. The winner will also receive an 8 gallon biocube.




CaptiveReefs Nano Contest

Important Contest Dates

Begin Stocking: January 3, 2010
Receive Contest Frag Pack: January 25, 2010
Last Day to add Livestock: April 30, 2010
Last Day of Contest: May 28, 2010
Judging Complete: June 21, 2010


Judging


Overall Best Nano - The prize will be awarded to the overall best nano and will be voted on by CR general membership. To qualify you must update your contest thread at minimum as specified below. Better documentation will likely impact your chances of winning.



System Requirements

Tank: Display tank with a water volume of 30 gallons or less may be used

Sump: Total water volume may not be more than 30 gallons (e.g., 30 gallon display may not have an additional sump, a 10 gallon tank could have a 20 gallon sump).

Equipment: You may use any equipment (pumps, powerheads, skimmers, reactors, etc.) that you want.

Additives: Any additive is also allowed.


Livestock Requirements


Spending Limit: The spending limit on corals is $150. Corals purchased from CR sponsors count half toward the spending limit. For example if you spend $100 from non-sponsors, you can spend another $100 from sponsors and will have spent the $150 limit. You must post a receipt with a picture of the stock to allow for others to see what you have spent. Receipts will be necessary to prove source of purchase for corals that are purchased from sponsors.

On hand Livestock: You may stock your nano with livestock you already own from another system. You need to clearly identify which pieces you are adding and document the size. You will also need to post a market price for the piece which will count against the $150 spending cap.

Trades: You may trade any corals in your tank with other CR members. All trades will be public knowledge, this means that after the trade you must make a post stating who you traded with, what came out of your nano and what you got in return.

Fish and Inverts: You may add any other non-coral livestock you wish to your tank. These additions must be documented on your build thread. The last date any livestock may be added is April 30, 2010. Fish and other livestock do not count toward the coral spending limit.

Lost Livestock: Should any stock die, this should also be noted in the build thread. Excessive deaths would likely impact winning the Overall Best Nano Category. As the goal here is to build a healthy sustainable nano tank.


Additional Contest Rules


You may start your construction and cycle at any time. You may not stock the tank with corals until January 3, 2010. To insure this on January 3, 2010 at 12AM EST, an announcement will be made about an item that must be placed in the tank and photographed showing the tank is not yet stocked. This picture must be the first photo in each members contest thread. It will be a common item e.g., canned food, a key word written on paper and placed in the bottom of the tank, each member giving a thumbs up next to the tank, etc.



You may also start with cured rock if desired.



Tank stocking may begin on January 3, 2010.



You are welcome to start late on the contest, up to Febraury 26, 2010. Of course starting late will likely be a disadvantage.



There will be a special forum setup for the contest. Each participant will need to start their own build thread in this forum. At a minimum each participant is REQUIRED to update their contest thread at least 2 times a month WITH pictures, updates can be whenever the member would like. The update must be made at least 7 days apart (this is to track growth during the contest). Participants can post updates as often as they like.



No additional livestock can be added within 30 days of the contest end, April 30, 2010.




Contest Entry Fee

The contest entry fee is $20. 100% of this goes towards the cash prize for the contest winner. Entry fees must be received by January 31, 2010 or if you start late, entry fee must be recieved asap up to February 26, 2010. Please note, Captive Reefs is not making any money from the contest.



Prizes

The winner will get the cash pot from the contest buy in and an 8 gallon biocube!

[Fishgeek88]

Very cool idea

[thefishgirl]

:super_cool:

Great job getting this off the ground!! Sounds like a lot of fun!

[jimsflies]

Very cool idea

The idea was one of our Mod's jojo22. The former captivereefing.com forum used to run similar contests.

Hope you can participate?

[Fishgeek88]

It would be fun to, however I just set up my nano. If I can find a good place to put another one ill do it for sure

[thefishgirl]

There's always room on the back of the toilet tank for a 3-5 gallon tank!
:big_grin:

[jojo22]

There's always room on the back of the toilet tank for a 3-5 gallon tank!
:big_grin:

Hope your significant other has good aim, or you may have an ammonia problem. And defiantly no big parties, just asking for trouble with a tank on the toilet.


But one of these could make a nice build off tank.
http://www.fishnflush.com/iq_fnf/

So now no one can claim lack of space as an issue... LOL

[ReeferRob]

Oooo, Im ordering one right now!!

[jojo22]

Really let us know how it works

[jimsflies]

If someone buys one of those for the contest, it would be worth bonus points!

[thefishgirl]

That would be hilarious! I just wonder how quickly the divorce papers (or promise of a new bathroom) would be drawn up?

If I had the extra money, I'd buy a tank. Then, I'd go trash pick or salvage an old time toilet. Then, I'd set it up in my living room as extra seating. Preferably one of those old school pink or blue toilet.. or even avocado green.

[jojo22]

I have a pink and a blue toilet in my house, looking to swap out for white ones....ROAD TRIP!!!

[Crazy Rick's Online]

Hey everybody,
Glad to hear about the interest in the contest. We'll be putting up pictures shortly of what you can expect in the frag packs. They are HOT HOT!

Steve

[whitetiger61]

Im in...wooohooo..so 30 gal or less..so i can use my 3 gallon..techinically thats considered a pico not a nano but i would definitely use it if its allowed..

Rick

[jimsflies]

Yes, you can use your 3 gallon. You could plumb a 27 gallon sump to it and still be legal. ;)

[whitetiger61]

lol Jim i wish i could..but this tank cant be drilled...this is going to be simple but its going to be sweet.. i starting the tank clean up now geting the light fixture for it this weekend then it sits empty until the contest..

Rick

[whitetiger61]

ok can someone tell me where this thread got moved..i cant seem to find it in the announcements..

Rick

[whitetiger61]

nevermind..i found it..duhhhhhhhhhhhhh me

Rick

[jimsflies]

I stopped by Crazy Ricks last night and they had a frag pack there for me to check out. I think you guys are going to be very happy with the frag pack. Honestly, the frags were about 3 times the size that I had planned on for the contest! It ends up being a very good value for $50.

One of us will be starting a nano here in the next couple weeks with the frag pack. The progress will be documented as if it were a contest entry so that people can see the frag pack, get a feel for what's involved, and see what kind of fun this will be.

If anyone can think of ways to further promote this contest, please let me know.

[whitetiger61]

i have a few questions but i will wait until the contest gets closer..hint..i am fabricating my contest tank this weekend..i know its early but this might be the only chance i get to do this..

Rick

[Fishgeek88]

Want to, no space :(

[jimsflies]

A nano doesn't take up that much room.:)

[Tom@HaslettMI]

I'd really like to participate. However, the time, space and money are not currently available. Here's hoping there will be a nano contest in 2011!

[whitetiger61]

come on everyone...this is a contest for everyone to show their reefing talents and for everyone to get to know each other better as a reefing community.. cost is relatively inexpensive as i am sure like me everyone has a spare tank laying around..the cost of the frag pack is really cheap as just one of the corals if you were to buy it alone would cost you almost that..Im sure as the date to the contest gets closer there will be more interest.. I for one am in on this contest.

Rick

[Crazy Rick's Online]

Here's the frag pack! - Check it out!! $100 worth of frags for $50. Shipped anywhere in the 48 states for $30!

https://www.crazyricksonline.com/shop/images/montage.jpg (http://www.crazyricksonline.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1063&osCsid=f5da36d782e39ba0ab0cca714a0f0e2d)
Nano Contest Frag Pack! (http://www.crazyricksonline.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=1063&osCsid=f5da36d782e39ba0ab0cca714a0f0e2d)
$50.00

[jimsflies]

It's a nice frag pack...saw it again today. We are working on a "demo" tank for the contest. Hopefully will get it up soon and start posting.

Nice montage! :painting:

[Sir Patrick]

Sounds like a great idea. Not sure if I will be contesting this time around though, but I may set up a tank as a non contestant.

I already have a peice of each coral listed in the pack currently growing in my small display tank, other than the GSP.....not really interested in spending the cash on corals I already own.

Would it be alright to set up a tank as a non contestant, just for fun??

If there was a second frag pack choice, I would more likely join the contest.

[whitetiger61]

im in..i can go down there to pick up the frag pack right.....it doesnt have to be shipped..

Rick

[jimsflies]

I understand that many will already have these corals. We tried to choose corals that would be affordable and hardy (as nano tanks can be a bit more challenging). You definitely can set up a tank as a non-contestant and create a build thread in this forum as part of the contest.

Not sure if I mentioned this, but the contest prizes I am working on include a 14 gallon biocube (overall best tank winner) and a Tunze Nano Stream 6025 (best growth winner). This is not firm yet, but those are along the lines of what the prizes will be.

[jimsflies]

Yes, you can pick up the contest frag pack the day of the MMMC swap (1/31/10) or any time after that.

[Sir Patrick]

Gotta admit though- the frag pack has the perfect coral selection for a nano tank contest, and when they grow out will be great additions to most any reef tank.

Pretty sure I am going to do one for fun, just to follow along in the contest. Looking forward to what everyone has planned for their nano tank set up!

[whitetiger61]

Sir Patrick

I thnk you should get in on this.Its going to be fun..

Rick

Jim

Where is the swap going to be this year..

Rick

[tazzy695]

wish I could participate in this but it isn't worth the death sentence from the wife for setting up another tank

Rick for info on the swap go here
http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5678

[whitetiger61]

ahhhhhhhhhh the wife wouldnt give you the death sentence maybe 15 years..lol but thats worth it.. thanks for the link tazzy..

Rick

[jojo22]

Having a wife is a death sentence...LOL...at least for any hobbies or activities you enjoy!

[whitetiger61]

i must have gotten lucky then..mine loves my hobby..

Rick

[thefishgirl]

OMG... you guys have the wrong wives! LOL

[whitetiger61]

LOL thats what i was saying also..

Rick

[jimsflies]

Anyone working on their contest tank or have it cycling yet? Be sure to take pictures if you do...I will open up subforum for the contest so that you will be able to start a thread and keep us updated with the progress.

[jojo22]

Jim, they can't cycle their tanks, no way to take the start picture of an empty tank if it has water in it.

[whitetiger61]

as soon as i get the go ahead to cycle ..i will sart the cycle..and start my thread..

Rick

[Joefish]

Love the way nanos look and applaud the maximum use of space. Staying on top of parameters on a small tank is even more cool. Just not my thing, 20x10g on a rack is more me.

[jimsflies]

Jim, they can't cycle their tanks, no way to take the start picture of an empty tank if it has water in it.

You got my go ahead to start cycling Rick!

Joe - We wil have them take a picture of someting in or next to their tank to show it doesn't have corals in it on Jan 3.

[whitetiger61]

ok do i post the pic in this thread

Rick

[jimsflies]

No Rick...I will start a subforum and you can start a thread...give me a day (or less).

[whitetiger61]

ok gotcha.it will take me that long to finish the tank anyway..its almost done though..

Rick

[jimsflies]

Keep taking pictures of the build process, etc. so you can share everything with us.

[whitetiger61]

ok i have pics of the tank build...just havent posted them yet because i knew it was going to be my contest tank...this is not a new idea..i actually borrowed the idea for another reefer...but it will be effective..

Rick

[Tom@HaslettMI]

I put myself in as a may be. Recent and potential upcoming developments may enable me to participate... chances are slim (OK very slim) but at least now no one can call me lame!

Tom

[ryeguy28]

i wanna join but i dont have the 50$

[ryeguy28]

yo know what im in :) IF I CAN GET FIDDY $$$

i also plan to take first place


LEDS BABY BWAWAWA

[whitetiger61]

:confused:

[hardcz]

Angelb and myself will be entering in this together.

[whitetiger61]

my tank is cycling..woooooo hoooooooooooo

Rick

[ryeguy28]

my tank is cycled woo hooo

[whitetiger61]

Im afraid im going to have to drop out of the contest before it starts..i have a fish that needs QT and thats the only tank i have to put him in..
sorry guys

Rick

[jimsflies]

There must be another option? You can put the fish in the tank before the contest starts...just no corals....

What size tank do you need for QT? I have a 5 gallon here...come to the mmmc club meeting sunday and you can pick it up.

[whitetiger61]

if i can put the fish in the tank..im still in..i wont put any corals in the tank..its a baby clown fish that need QT..i have other tanks but i dont want to infect them..

Rick

[jimsflies]

yup fish in tank is ok... I know a couple others are going to use their nano contest tank as a q-tank too.

[whitetiger61]

ok cool i was starting to get bummed..ive been stoked on this since you sent me the link to the post.

Rick

[handlevandal]

Well all the parts have arrived and I've washed the sand and added water today.

I guess I'm in for the long haul and will start a journal tomorrow. Cool.

[Sweetpea]

I MAY be interested... I mentioned the idea to my hubby & got the dagger eyes, but I might be able to make it work simply on the deal for the frag pack! Everyone loves a bargain! ;)

[jojo22]

He gives you daggers shoot a set of puppy dog and/or come hither eyes right back, and if all else fails, join in and beg for mercy!!

[Sweetpea]

Begging for mercy is always an option!:tongue_out:

[jimsflies]

Okay we are changing up the rules a little here...hopefully those of you already committed to the contest won't get too upset.

In the interest of making this contest affordable and fun for as many people as possible, I am removing the required frag pack from the contest. The pack will still be available from Preuss for those that were looking forward to it.

Due to this change, there will now be just one category for judging which will be overall best and it will be voted on by the membership. The rules will be modified in the first post to reflect the change.

Secondarily, there has been some interest in making a cash prize in addition to the CR prize (which will likely be a biocube or nano-stream pump). The discussion is that we would have a $10 or $20 entry fee with the pot going to the winner.

Lets have a quick discussion on this and I will modify the rules to reflect the fee/prize if that is the consensus.

[whitetiger61]

i think i can come up with $10.00..if i was working i would have no problems with getting the frag pack..although i have a very understanding woman and she loves my hobby..she would kill me if i used the credit card without any income coming in.

Rick

[ryeguy28]

SWEET

i can easly come up with 10$

plus that means MORE MONEY FOR FRAGS I WANT LOL
but rick just smashed all my sps dreams to **** lol

[whitetiger61]

sorry bud

Rick

[ryeguy28]

im fine i can take it
i would rather you do that then me drop a ton of $$$ on sps lol

[Argent]

yeah with all this talk - I guess I'll toss my tank in to the mix too :)

[vmbfreekz33]

not to be debbie downer or anything but if we are going for best overall... shouldnt we start fresh not anything that has been growing for awhile to make it a little bit fair....if we are taking away requirements why not take away the size requirement?? not trying to be a downer but this just doesnt seem fair i was all for this contest and even got a brand new biocube today... just giving my opinion.. plus this is my very first saltwater tank im doing.. i honestly think that if we are going to a contest as a new start up it should be fair.. nothing from other tanks has to be all new stuff new frags and let grow as if it was one of your first tanks.. how can you judge the quality of growth if its been growing for sometime before the contest began.. it really is not fair and honestly i will not do the contest now because it is not fair

[ryeguy28]

* ryeguy shakes head and thinks that the contest is great right now and it shouldnt be messed with because of the person^^^^

[jimsflies]

not to be debbie downer or anything but if we are going for best overall... shouldnt we start fresh not anything that has been growing for awhile to make it a little bit fair....if we are taking away requirements why not take away the size requirement?? not trying to be a downer but this just doesnt seem fair i was all for this contest and even got a brand new biocube today... just giving my opinion.. plus this is my very first saltwater tank im doing.. i honestly think that if we are going to a contest as a new start up it should be fair.. nothing from other tanks has to be all new stuff new frags and let grow as if it was one of your first tanks.. how can you judge the quality of growth if its been growing for sometime before the contest began.. it really is not fair and honestly i will not do the contest now because it is not fair

I appreciate what you are saying. My concern is that the people so far that had said they would do the contest were all dropping out because the frag pack didn't work for them or they didn't have the funds to sink into the frag pack. I'd like to have more than a couple people try to do the contest.

But I would like to hear any suggestions you might have that in your mind would make it more fair. I think that if a contestant starts a tank with small frags and grows them out and documents the progress that it will be more impressive and stand out more than someone that takes a bunch of full grown colonies and packs them in a small tank.

[vmbfreekz33]

i didnt like the frag pack either.. the part that makes me not want to do it is that we can take frags that we may have in another tank.. so who is to say that someone wont frag a bunch of peices and slowly glue them to make it look like progress?? it would be super hard to tell if someone did it the correct way.. i love the idea of the contest just wish that it was a little bit fair for people like myself who are new to this

[jimsflies]

Well it's hard to do...start from an equal spot and make everyone happy...no one is going to agree on the same six frags. And just telling people they can buy their own frags is no different than letting them put the frags they already own in their tank. You can buy large colonies or small frags. The equalizer is the the spending cap on the contest. And that they would need to equate a value to what is put in the tank. If their value is outrageously low, I'm sure they would get called out on it.

[whitetiger61]

the frags im doing in my tank have no more the 5 or 6 polyps on them..its almost impossible for someone to glue a frag down..wait a month then glue some more to it to make it look like growth..you would be able to see the glue spots right off the bat..frags are finicky ..it takes them awhile to grow over their glue spots.. i was fine with the frag pack..didnt agree or disagree with the choice of frags..they were apart of the contest rules and that is the way a contest is run..i just couldnt afford it at this time of the year..in the future i hope we can go back to a frag pack idea and use just the frag pack with no reefers choice corals..no that would be a contest..lol

Rick

[tazzy695]

jim I think maby putting a size limit on any one frag would work like
sps frags no bigger then 1.5"
lps frags no more then 5 polyps
brains under 5"
zoas and pallys under 15 polyps

this would level the playing field as for frag size is concerned

[jimsflies]

I think it should sort itself out. An 8-inch colony or brain coral packed into a 8 gallon tank is not going to look that great. Overall balance and presentation is important...as is showing growth and good color.

[whitetiger61]

good idea i like that..

Rick

[ryeguy28]

i like that 2

hey jim at the frag swap
are we gonna have the cr guys all meet up at your table ???
cause i will have NO clue how anyone is lol
plus i gotta meet marc up cause im selling him my nanocube

[hardcz]

laaaame.....

IMO having the required frag pack is great, because then you can also see the growth from tank to tank on similar pieces....

[ryeguy28]

where gonna have 2 contest now 1 for growth and 1 for best looker

[hardcz]

it's not the same if everyone is not using the same corals.

[ryeguy28]

there is 2 contest

[ryeguy28]

this is the only contest that i have EVER seen that has had a frag pack
all the other contest are fine without
there is only a 150$ limit so its not like someone is gonna have tons of money for corals anyways

[hardcz]

there is 2 contest

not sure what a 2 contest is.... but if you look at the rules, the frag pack is no longer required and growth is no longer a category. As of a few minutes ago that is.

[hardcz]

dude you need to go back to page one. The rules have changed.

[hardcz]

I may not be participating in this contest now. Half of the fun has been taken out.

[ryeguy28]

thats fine
lol

[jimsflies]

laaaame.....

IMO having the required frag pack is great, because then you can also see the growth from tank to tank on similar pieces....

It was a good idea...if I must say so myself.:roll:

But to open up the nano contest to more people the frag pack was dropped. Too many folks didn't like the corals or didn't want to spend the money and we were loosing participants. I am going to setup a second contest which will actually have winning categories for each coral in the frag pack. Please provide input on that contest in this thread (http://www.captivereefs.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6323). You can actually do both contests with a nano tank now and potentially take 7 different prizes.

[Cash]

If I am not too late, I might be picking up a 12g nano for my son tomorrow. If everything goes well I might enter the contest.

[jimsflies]

In preparation for the contest kick off and the "empty" tank shot, does everyone have a glass tank? And do you have a sharpie?

[whitetiger61]

have glass tank and have a sharpie

Rick

[vmbfreekz33]

i have an acrylic i dont want to write on the tank.. but i will hang a post it on it and rick whitetiger can verify that my tank is not stocked he seen it

[whitetiger61]

yes i can verify..just seen the tank yesterday..it is emptyyyyyyyyyyyy..

Rick

[ryeguy28]

i also dont wanna right on the tank but i can lol

yep i got glass and a sharpie

[jduck]

If I can get my wife to let me set up a little tank, mine will be acrylic.

[Cash]

Better late than never I just picked up my tank tonight. I will try to get pics up by tomorrow.

[whitetiger61]

sweet..the more the merrier.. 29 1/2 more hours..lol


Rick

[jimsflies]

Those with acrylic, we can probably get by with a sign...or a couple pics with the sign moved to either side. Those with a glass tank, you should be able to write on it and have it come back off...if you are nervous you can use a sign too.

I will be announcing the phrase on 1/3 at midnight. :)

[whitetiger61]

what exactly are we going to do..i have fish in that tank and i dont want to do anything that woucause any damage or cause it harm

Rick

[jimsflies]

To show that your tank is empty prior to this day, the start date of the nano contest, the phrase in the photo below should be written on your tank in sharpie and photographed. Then the photo should be posted before posting other pictures of stocking of your tanks. (Please note that it works best if images are resized to less than 640x480 prior to uploading.)

Note that sharpie wipes off glass...if you have an acrylic tank (do not write on acrylic) or are not comfortable with writing you your tank, you can post it on a sign and somehow show it in the picture.

http://www.captivereefs.com/misc_images/nanocontestkey.jpg

[Sir Patrick]

I dont have a sharpie.....I do have colored marker though- doeas color matter??

[vmbfreekz33]

thanks jim :)

[jimsflies]

No color doesn't matter. You can also post this picture any time you want, but it has to be before the other pictures with stock in it.

[Sir Patrick]

Found a sharpie- silver one.

Posting pic momentarily

[jimsflies]

Just a note to let any members still interested in getting in on the nano contest that there is still time. Members can enter through the end of February.

[ryeguy28]

I think we need this badly instead of no price list

Zoa/Palys-

No names- $ .30 PP
not really colorful at all
Common- $1 PP
EE, Whammin' watermelons, red skirts, dragon eyes, pink panthers etc.
Nice- $5 PP
Nukes, PD's, Tubbs blues, Bam Bam's,AOG's, RPE etc.
Rare- $20 PP
Magicians, PPE, Hornets, Captain America

LPS-
Fungias- any color $30
Brains- $35
Frogspawn/Hammer/Torch/duncans- $5 per head
Trumpets any color- $3 per head
Blastos- $10 per head
Micromussa -$30
Favias up to 4" -$25
Gonipora up to 5" -$15 <- Poor Survival rate
Dendros- $15 per head
Sun Coral- $25 up to 5" frag
Acans-
--Common -$5 per head
--Nice -$10 per head
--Rare -$20 per head
Chalice-
--Common -$5 per eye
--Nice -$10 per eye
--Rare -$20 per eye

Leathers/softies-
Mushrooms - 5$ per polyp
Ricordea 10$ per polyp
Yumas- 10$ per polyp
GSP- 5$ per 3 inch square
Kenya trees- 2$ per frag
Xenia-
--Pom Pom -$5 per stalk
--Blue xenia - $8 per stalk
--Anthelia up to 4" - $5
Other leathers up to 4" - 5$
Clove polyps - 5$ up to 3 inch square

SPS-
Any Morph- branching, encrusting, caps etc.
1/2" -1" -$5
1"-2" -$10
2" - 3" - $20
3" - 5" $30

Other inverts-
Feather dusters (not hitchhikers)- 8$
Gorgonians, sea fans, sea whips, sea rods- $3 each
Sponges-$2 each



Mini Nems-
Any morph - $10 each

Macros-
Hitch hikers are free
Any Macro - $2 a sandwich bag
Mangroves- $1 each

[whitetiger61]

my vote for the nano contest is to keep the limit the way it was

Rick

[vmbfreekz33]

my vote is to up the spending limit or to increase the amount to open the range of people and to also expand the possibilitys.. please keep in mind that its not how much you spend its how creative you can get :)

[ryeguy28]

nevermind .....

[Cash]

I would be fine with raising the spending limit

[Sir Patrick]

+2 for a spending increase!

[whitetiger61]

i want to change my vote and opt not to vote at all..sorry everyone i have lost all interest in this contest..the rules were fine the way they were from the beginning..the frag pack rule got thrown out because people couldnt afford them at the time or people didnt like the frags...i will admit i was one that couldnt afford it at the time..i got laid off at work ..it happens but i wouldnt want the rules changed because of me..if you cant afford dont do it..catch the next one..now the spending limit is going to be changed because someone wants to load their tank with corals...i realize you can load a system up with corals and if you dont scape it right it wont look right..but on the same note..you can get several frags for 150.00..300.00 if you use a sponsor..the object of this was to tank an empty tank and make something beautful out of it on a budget..thats not happening now..

I am so sick of rules getting bent or changed..This could have been really fun

Mods please remove my build thread once my DT is finished cycling i will be taking my nano down..and i wont be posting in it anymore

Im sorry if i offeneded anyone but this post..im just saying whats on my mind..thats how i am..

Rick

[jimsflies]

i want to change my vote and opt not to vote at all..sorry everyone i have lost all interest in this contest..the rules were fine the way they were from the beginning..the frag pack rule got thrown out because people couldnt afford them at the time or people didnt like the frags...i will admit i was one that couldnt afford it at the time..i got laid off at work ..it happens but i wouldnt want the rules changed because of me..if you cant afford dont do it..catch the next one..now the spending limit is going to be changed because someone wants to load their tank with corals...i realize you can load a system up with corals and if you dont scape it right it wont look right..but on the same note..you can get several frags for 150.00..300.00 if you use a sponsor..the object of this was to tank an empty tank and make something beautful out of it on a budget..thats not happening now..

I am so sick of rules getting bent or changed..This could have been really fun

Mods please remove my build thread once my DT is finished cycling i will be taking my nano down..and i wont be posting in it anymore

Im sorry if i offeneded anyone but this post..im just saying whats on my mind..thats how i am..

Rick

I guess I was confused about your chats yesterday evening. When I first got it seemed like the problem was you were over the spending limit and were talking about dropping out because of that?

The goal of the contest is to have fun and build a nano tank.

[whitetiger61]

no i got my 30gal finished and putting my corals i had to put in the nano back in there putting me back under the limit..but with all the bickering ive lost complete interest in the contest..like i said someone just wants to load their tank with corals

Rick

[ryeguy28]

I think we need to bump up the spending limit to 400$ that you can spend anywhere
And go off the price list that I posted on the page before this do that way we don't have to worry about receipts and the like

[jimsflies]

Why do I have a feeling this is going to be the last man ...err tank standing wins. I don't think this will boil down to how much or little is spent but whether you can stick with it for 5 months. :)

Members can come and go as they please until the end of February.

[whitetiger61]

i just want my build thread deleted..

[jimsflies]

I closed your thread Rick. If you decide to re-enter, I can re-open it.

[whitetiger61]

Thank you..theres only one way im staying in it and if that happens more people will drop out..better 1 than a bunch..

again thanks for doingthis for me

TRick

[handlevandal]

Sorry I can't keep up with the changes. I want to know what happens to those of us who have already paypal'd the $50 for our frag packs????? I wouldn't have chosen those corals to begin with but was happy to go along with the group. Now what????

[jimsflies]

Jackie- I assume you already picked up?

[handlevandal]

I thought the frag pack was a good idea since it levels the playing field. Those of you who are well connected have access to trades that the rest of us don't have. I'm frustrated by all the changes and will be happy just to get my paypal cash back.

[handlevandal]

nope, I understood a different stocking date and was going to pick up at the swap

[jimsflies]

I'll take care of it for you Jackie.

[vmbfreekz33]

Allright I guess i will be the first to start this conversation on the latest nano contest topic!!!!!!!


right now we would like to have an amount increase raised either $100 or $200! now before everyone gets there panties in a bunch please read the rest!

As we all know everyone is facing finaical struggles and no one should feel liek this is a wallet race or anything like that. If majority agrees for an allowed amount in crease this can help everyone in two ways:

1.) gives you the ability to take corals from current tanks or trades or what have you in the tank with out screwing with the limit
and
2.) it gives you the chance to make the tank how you would like it to look.


with that being said.. it doesnt matter how much you spend.. it matters on how you aquascape and the physical apperance of the corals.. i personally dont see anyone spending 400 or 500 on this contest but it is a nice pillow for us to fall on. i know a few are mad about the rules changing and all that but you have to keep and open mind about this... its a fun contest... for all i care we could make this another totm contest but for nanos only... ONCE AGAIN THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE FUN! Their is guidelines for the contest.. im sorry if anyone was offended by what i said but honestly lets stop crying, fighting, and be civil and vote on things and have majority rules...and if you dont like the way the contest is going.. no one is forcing you to stay in the contest

[ryeguy28]

agreed 1000% with what amanda said


but I would also like to add onto the 100$-200$ increase
i would like to be have the " you can spend 150$ at a non sponsor and 300$ at one " rule gotten rid of so we dont have to have receipts and the like
so we can spend 400-500$ where ever
most of us shop at sponsors anyways so why make it difficult with that rule ?

i got moar to but ill save it for later

[vmbfreekz33]

thanks ryan.. and please no one take this to heart.. its all for fun.. plus why not build a beautiful nano with the things u want in it

[ryeguy28]

what do you like ??? lolz

[jimsflies]

The sponsor limit was set to help give more business to our sponsors. I feel very strongly about doing whatever I can to help them succeed.

I think if the contest originally said no more than $500 on corals, it would scare people off. I don't think most new people completely grasp how easy it can be to drop 5 bills on corals when they first get in the hobby. I also think that with the economy the way it is many people would be turned off by dropping that much on a nano tank.

I agree with Amanda that increasing the limit allows people to reach into their display tanks and stock the nano more easily. I have mixed feeling on making that easier to do. As the challenge of the contest is to show that you can grow corals in a nano not harvest them out of the display and have instant nano.

Keep in mind, corals that grow in your nano can be traded without impacting the spending limit. As an example, you buy 2 polyps of purple hornets, grow them into 10 polyps, then trade them for a sweet scoly...the scoly would count as $0 toward the spending limit. For those of you concerned about spending limits, you should think of this more as a game of monopoly...everyone starts out with a sum of money but you buy/trade to improve your holdings.

Part of me wants to do away with the spending limit all together as that would make life easier. But I also think it takes a lot of challenge out of the contest.

[ryeguy28]

The sponsor limit was set to help give more business to our sponsors. I feel very strongly about doing whatever I can to help them succeed.

your missing what im trying to say

[vmbfreekz33]

jim it wont take the challenge out of it because now you have to be creative and you have to know how to aquascape it. and as far as the harvesting thing.. just because it does good in your other tank doesnt mean it will do well in your nano

[jimsflies]

your missing what im trying to say

Ahhh...okay what are you trying to say?

[vmbfreekz33]

i think he was talking to the other guy

[ryeguy28]

it is hard to explain on the keyboard lol

[jimsflies]

Ryan - I'm hearing you don't want to post receipts...is that correct?

[vmbfreekz33]

i hate carrying a list with me of how much ive spent so far lol

[ryeguy28]

yes but thats not all of it

[jimsflies]

Tradding was supposed to be a bigger part of the contest too.

[vmbfreekz33]

well some are saying they dont have the "resources" or "connections" to trade

[jimsflies]

Well...and that's where CR comes in...creating those connections and resources. I think Ryan can attest to the fact that he has made some good connections from CR already.

[vmbfreekz33]

i know im just voiceing a concern on someone elses behalf who expressed it earlier

[ryeguy28]

Tradding was supposed to be a bigger part of the contest too.

and the sponsor rule thing is conflicting with that

[vmbfreekz33]

personally i love this contest just want a bigger limit so i can open my options and stuff

[jimsflies]

Don't see how Ryan? You buy $300 worth of corals from a sponsor...cut them in half and then trade away...you met your goals and doubled the variety of corals you have.

[ryeguy28]

Well...and that's where CR comes in...creating those connections and resources. I think Ryan can attest to the fact that he has made some good connections from CR already.



indeed

i would like to buy more from people insteed of having to spend all at the sponsors ....

[vmbfreekz33]

either way jim ultimately its your decision and i'll back you 100% even if its not what i want

[vmbfreekz33]

so far you have me, cash, rye guy, sir patrick that would like to see a higher limit

[vmbfreekz33]

plus cash wife is going to join in

[jimsflies]

Ryan - When you buy from individuals you are getting the corals probably for half price in many cases especially for more common corals. You don't "have" to spend a cent on sponsor corals.

[ryeguy28]

thats not what im saying
yet again hard to explain

[jimsflies]

I originally had $150 plus the $50 frag pack. Bringing the spending to $200. Then I removed the frag pack requirement but did not increase the limit. I can easily see increasing the limit to $200 to make up for the fact the frag pack is no longer in the expenses or taking up real estate in your nanos.

[vmbfreekz33]

haha to real estate

[ryeguy28]

i think 200$ that you can spend at a non-sponsor and you can spend 300$ ontop of that at a sponsor would work

[ryeguy28]

or all 500$ at the sponsor

[jimsflies]

If I raised the non-sponsor limit to $200 the sponsor limit would be $400.

I think I need to get into snow shoveling ...its like the rags to riches story. :lol:

[vmbfreekz33]

haha jim ... your too funny.. i want it so i can put in it what i want

[ryeguy28]

If I raised the non-sponsor limit to $200 the sponsor limit would be $400.

I think I need to get into snow shoveling ...its like the rags to riches story. :lol:

i dont have any bills so i mean :roll_eyes:

[ryeguy28]

why cant we just have a limit of 500$ tho ? no confusion over how much spent here and there lol

just go off the price list i made

[jimsflies]

I know raising he limit will make it easier for some of you. But it also potentially makes the trading element less important.

No one has agreed to that list either...I think I'll have skyhigh develop a generic list that we can use for value when you take something from your tank or get a freebie from someone. I think it's safe to say no one that is regular on CR has seen or sold more coral than Bryan.

[vmbfreekz33]

i agree on bryan making the list as well

[jimsflies]

During the contest you may go over the spending limit for any reason. For example, if you need to pull corals out of your display because of a problem (like Rick). Or you end up over the spending limit for one reason or another. But by the end of April nothing more can be added or taken out of the contest tank. And at that point, the purchased corals and original value of other corals need to add up to be within the limit. The end of April post should list all of the corals and the value you assigned to them.

[jimsflies]

With that in mind, I am going to put the $50 cost of the frag pack back in the contest spending total plus increase the limit by $50. So the new coral limit is $250 or $500 from sponsors.

Equipment, fish, cleanup crew and other inverts don't count toward this limit. Documented trades are encouraged and can extend your coral value well beyond what the spending limits allow.

**I'm not adding the frag pack requirement back in...just accounting for the spending limit that originally was in the contest from the beginning.

[ryeguy28]

id like to know why my price list isnt good enough

i called trop, preuss and choice about the prices and went online to several vendors

[Cash]

I think Jim has plenty of experience in setting up a price list. Oh and yeah it is his contest


id like to know why my price list isnt good enough

i called trop, preuss and choice about the prices and went online to several vendors

[jimsflies]

No....I just want an impartial experienced person to look it over. I think Ryan did a good job of setting it up and it's a great idea. I want it to be as fair and impartial as possible.

[ryeguy28]

think about this


so lets say you truly pay 150$ for 3 heads of purple hornets OK ?
so if my little list says 20$ PP on those hornets thats only 60$ towards your limit of 500$
but you really spend 150$ at that sponsor so you have 440$ more to spend
so if my list was used - the buyer can spend more money at the sponsor and get more corals ( get what im saying ???? )


thats why i think that list is a great idea but ...

[jimsflies]

For the record, this is not MY contest....it's CR's contest. I just drew the short straw on administering/refereeing it. I want to be responsive to your concerns...this is not a dictatorship by any means. I also want to keep the intent of the contest. The goals and objectives are as follows:

1. Provide a opportunity for fun competitiveness
2. Provide a chance for members to win prizes.
3. Provide an opportunity for CR members to network...through trades and exchange of information and ideas.
4. Increase member enthusiasm for CR
5. Increase post counts on CR.
6. Provide opportunities for CR sponsors to gain sales.

BTW- The nano contest now has an official sponsor, I would like to thank Amazon Stingrays for donating the 8 gallon biocube.

[Cash]

Awesome THANKS Amazon Stingrays

[jimsflies]

Ryan supporting sponsors are part of the contest but not the whole thing. See the objectives I posted above.

[ryeguy28]

Ryan supporting sponsors are part of the contest but not the whole thing. See the objectives I posted above.

than why have this
So the new coral limit is $250 or $500 from sponsors.

[jimsflies]

Not sure I follow Ryan? You can spend up to $250 from any source. If I dropped the sponsors out of the contest, the limit would just be $250.

I'm also hopeful that some sponsors will jump on the wagon here and offer specials for the contest. I didn't expect that in the first two weeks everyone would have their tanks up to the spending limit already. You guys have 4 months to add stock.

[ryeguy28]

welll im done for todaY talk to yall later

[whitetiger61]

so far you have me, cash, rye guy, sir patrick that would like to see a higher limit

If that many people want to raise the limit then do it.. Amanda said it all..this is supposed to be for fun..With all the bickering and stuff the fun has been taken out of it for me..I thought about this the whole time i was at work last night. The rules were set (as Jim says not set in stone, but they should have been).They were simple rules and the fun part was going to be takining 150.00 and watching a relatively bare scape grow into something really nice.. That seems to have changed now. Like i said the fun has been taken out of it for me so if it gets changed or not makes no difference to me..i wont be particapting in the contest..so there should not be anymore bickering on the price llimit.

Good luck to you all

Rick

[igot2gats]

I have mixed feeling on making that easier to do. As the challenge of the contest is to show that you can grow corals in a nano not harvest them out of the display and have instant nano.

But I also think it takes a lot of challenge out of the contest.

I couldn't agree more. There will be people who don't want to spend a ton of money on their nano, and/or are new to the game (don't have a DT to pick corals out of), yet still want to be in the contest.

Having a higher spending limit disposes of some of the nano reefers before the contest is even over.

[handlevandal]

Is this the fun part??????????????????????????

[jimsflies]

Is this the fun part??????????????????????????

As I think you folks all know, I am new to administering a forum and running contests. As such, I didn't want to be to stuck on the my contest rules if there was enough interest in having them changed. (My personal objective for running captivereefs.com is to be responsive to it's members....although I'm coming to realize for every thing someone wants changed, someone else wants it to stay the same. Some people even seem to change their minds about what they want. I think the phrase "no good deed goes left unpunished" is my new slogan. :( )

As stated last night, the spending limit is now $250 or up to $500 if purchases are made from sponsors. I don't see this as a major deviation from the original rules since the frag pack was eliminated but not re-added to the budget. I hope this will help those that are having an issue with their corals budget a little without completely changing the character of the contest.

I am working up a price guide for corals which can not be backed up through receipts. This price guide will not be up for negotiation. If you find your over budget, your going to need to reduce your stock. Contest entries need to provide documentation or use this list to compute the value of corals at the time they were added to the tank. All this documentation needs to be provided for the corals that are stocked the last month of the contest (before April 30). As I stated yesterday, part of the challenge is staying in your budget which involves making decisions about the corals you want to keep and growing out corals for trades. This was always intended to be an interactive experience...but in a positive way.

At this point, I do not see revising the rules any further. I think some of the back and forth between members has gotten out of hand on this contest. While I want to see members participate, if you don't like the contest and it's rules, then by all means do your own thing.

If one member is left at the end, the grand prize will still be awarded. Although even if we are down to one contestant, the rules will still apply and they must complete the required updates till the end of the contest.

If we have enough people still in the contest and the contest starts to get more "positive energy" than it has lately, some sponsors may be willing to offer specials to contestants which would help your coral budget go further.

So with that said, who is still in the contest?

[handlevandal]

I thought I missed the 'official start' of the the contest since people had been posting about already stocking their tanks, in amongst all the rest of this. My apologies but there's just too much of this thread to read, and then re read, and then go back to check to see if the first posts are still the same. So now there's a spending limit of $250 for coral, right? And we only need to document that amount for the last month of the contest? I'd like to play but this may just be too much for us bears of little brain. I still can't decipher when we're supposed to do that sharpie on the glass thing or if we're going to do that or not. Help!!!!!

On a side note - Kudos to you Jim, I've done this sort of thing before and am very familiar with the bruises. Keep the faith, you've got a pretty nice place here.

[ReeferRob]

Edited............

[jimsflies]

I thought I missed the 'official start' of the the contest since people had been posting about already stocking their tanks, in amongst all the rest of this. My apologies but there's just too much of this thread to read, and then re read, and then go back to check to see if the first posts are still the same. So now there's a spending limit of $250 for coral, right? And we only need to document that amount for the last month of the contest? I'd like to play but this may just be too much for us bears of little brain. I still can't decipher when we're supposed to do that sharpie on the glass thing or if we're going to do that or not. Help!!!!!

On a side note - Kudos to you Jim, I've done this sort of thing before and am very familiar with the bruises. Keep the faith, you've got a pretty nice place here.

Thanks Jackie. I know this has been difficult to keep up with. Any time there is a question feel free to post. I will paraphrase where we are for you so you can catch up.

People could start cycling there tanks before 1/3/10. But not stock them.

As of 1/3/10, the contest started and stocking could commence. Before stocking there is a requirement to document the tank is not stocked (hence posting the "I love CR" on the tank proving it is empty).

We eliminated the frag pack back in december before the official start in response to members not wanting the pack

We just bumped the spending limit to $250 or up to $500 from CR sponsors (basically buying from a sponsor only impacts your coral budget by half price)

[ryeguy28]

................ NM

[Sir Patrick]

For next time around, as rob stated-

The rules were awesome the first time around, we should have stuck to our guns. Changing them has only made people drop out rather than join in.

Keep up the good work jim- the first year, i am sure will be a real learning experiance! Gotta go through them before they can be made better somtimes!

[ryeguy28]

Edited....

[whitetiger61]

as i stated up^^^^^^^^..im out...for me its a principal thing..that and it has become very fustrating for me and again the fun is not there anymore...again good luck to everyone that stays in the contest..

Rick

[ryeguy28]

EDIT : ............................

[whitetiger61]

i didnt ask for your opinion ryan..Jim asked who was still in

[ryeguy28]

ok then

sorry rick .....

[Cash]

Yeah I said I was fine with raising the limit. But that was after the frag pack was cut out. I really liked the ideal of everyone starting with the same frags. I will not even come close to the new limit. I agreed with the raise mainly because I thought most wanted it. I said in the beginning that money will not win this contest. I like the ideal of starting small and watching it grow. But as with everything, this being the first year of the contest it is a live n learn situation. I am fairly new to the reefing community and dont want to see a bunch of ppl arguing over small details. One of the main reasons I like this site is that I got more of a family setting here compared to other forums.

As it stands now my son and I will continue with the contest.

And Jim your doing a great job trying to keep everyone happy. Just remember you CAN NOT please everyone lol

[jojo22]

Look everyone, we need to quit bickering like school girls. Love it or hate it the contest is what it is and the rules are what they are. This fighting is not going to promote any future contests or people joining in them. So if you don't like the rules or idea of the contest don't enter, but please lets all keep it civil, if you can't say something nice, find a thread where you can, or at the very least post your feelings with the respect you would like others to give you.

Thank you!