New Tank Showcase!

[Ian]

We've added a major new section to the site as a big improvement on the old tank showcase forum :). I really think you'll like it!

Check out the Showcase tab at the top of the forum. From here you can create a showcase for your aquariums (one item per tank please). You can enter information on the main overview tab, plus detailed information for your tech specs and stock. There's also an upload button to attach images to the gallery tab - please use this rather than linking to external files, as we're going to be using this for other exciting things in future (you'll see very soon!).

When you've made a showcase thread, you'll notice that there's a discussion thread automatically created so that other people can comment. You'll also be able to go back and edit your showcase item as it changes.

Once we've got a few up and running, we'll be doing some other interesting things - perhaps competitions or featuring them on the site in other ways. I'll also be adding an easy way for other members to see your tank info in posts.

As many of you have existing showcase threads, I can edit the link so that the showcase item goes to your old discussion thread. If you'd like this, please PM me the link to your showcase entry and the old discussion thread. I can then delete the empty auto-discussion thread and edit the showcase item to link to the new one.

I'm excited to see how this new feature works out, so please do get adding your tanks :D.

 

[Ian]

I should also mention that I'm in the process of adding a new trophy for members that add a showcase item :thumbsup:.

 

[ErinCahir]

Know what I love?

Trophies.

 

[kbuser92]

Ian, I just saw one of the new showcases and its pretty awesome. I like it.

 

[Ian]

Excellent, glad you guys like it :).

We've only got one uploaded so far (https://www.livingreefs.com/showcase/my-46g-bow-front-tank-by-sakura2282.3/) - thanks Sakura2282! I hope we get loads more in the coming weeks :cool:

 

[Aquarian]

I started a showcase and saved it as a draft now I can't find it.

 

[Ian]

I started a showcase and saved it as a draft now I can't find it.

If you click on the "your items" button on the top menu of the showcase page, does it show it there?

edit: Just did a google and it should be on that button - I may edit the wording, as it's not obvious that it would be there!

 

[bjohanson1234]

Woot I got my showcase up and running. No pictures yet, just a place holder.

Now where is my trophy!!!!!!! :D

 

[Sakura2282]

The trophy is the best part lol.

 

[bjohanson1234]

Now I just gotta get the camera out to take pictures of the tank. Ones that aren't years old at least.

 

[Sakura2282]

After playing for a while with this new toy we have on the forum I have some recommendations to make.

Overview

I like the way it is because we can write a brief or long description of our tank and also add a big picture and our youtube videos of the tank as I did, and make a very good presentation of our particular set ups.

Technical Details and Stock

I would like to be able to create my own subcategories like the ones I mentioning below. I don’t want to see all the information on the same page (as it is now) because I think it will become boring to watch and read and hard to navigate too, specially on cellphones and tablets. I would prefer a link to each one to display the information under it by a click (here it can be as long as we want to). Visually for me it will be more neat and easy to read.

Technical Details

Tank (either you create these ones or we can create the ones we need according with the equipment we have)
Lighting
RO/DI System
Powerheads/Wave makers
Heating and Cooling systems
Filtration

Stock

Fish (You create this one)
- Ocellaris Clownfish (we create these ones) and we can use it to tell our particular experience with the fish/coral/invert and show pictures. That would be my plan at least.
- Blue Tang
- Lion Fish

Corals
- Hammer
- Trumpet
- Acans

Inverts
- Hermit crabs
- Brittle Star

Image Gallery

I like how it looks specially that we have the option to see the small pictures at the top with the big one below or just the big one. The only thing I don't like is that it always shows the first picture we added instead of the last one.

Discussion

Awesome to have our old tank showcase threads linked to it.

I believe this is all I have for now, hope more people do their comments about how to make it a more attractive part of the forum. :)

PS: I apologize if I'm being to picky lol, :p

 

[Ian]

Thanks for the ideas Sakura2282! We're limited in some respects with what we can do, as the software used to handle this can only have a maximum of 5 tabs. I may be able to make it auto-suggest some sub-categories in page layout as you've done above. I'll have a tinker in a week or so and tweak things once we've got a few more online.

I would also like to mention that there's no point in people creating empty placeholder showcases, as it's just going to create confusion and disappointment as people start viewing the showcase section. I really want this new feature to work, so please don't make empty showcases on there as it spoils the point of using it. If there are any on there in a week or so that are empty, I'll revert them to draft mode so that they aren't visible to other users.

 

[Sakura2282]

That sounds great @Ian. Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[Ian]

I've added a showcase mini gallery to the front page sidebar, so if you're logged in you should be able to see any new uploads :).

 

[bjohanson1234]

Is there any way to give pictures in the gallery titles? That way we can label them what they are and when the pic was taken?
If it is already there, I am definetly missing something.

 

[Ian]

I don't think there is (yet), but I'll suggest this to the people that make the software addon to see if we can get it added :).

 

[FishyReef]

Ah, just found this thread with questions - sorry I posted mine in the contest thread, can someone delete them from there?

So, I created a draft of my showcase, but also can't find it. It does not show up when I go to "your items". I can get to it through the history on my browser and for now have just made it a favorite in my browser so I can find it again. But I still can't figure out how to get to a draft showcase in the site itself.

Also, is there a way to add or "upload" pictures from flickr (or similar sites) that aren't on our computer harddrives? I left mine as a draft because I had to upload a picture and the only one I have on my hard drive is a very old crappy pic! I really would rather avoid downloading all of my photos from flickr to my hard drive, just to turn around and upload them again. Also, many of my photos I just send directly from my phone to flickr - it would be super cool in the future if there was a way to upload from my phone directly into the showcase!!

 

[Ian]

So, I created a draft of my showcase, but also can't find it. It does not show up when I go to "your items". I can get to it through the history on my browser and for now have just made it a favorite in my browser so I can find it again. But I still can't figure out how to get to a draft showcase in the site itself.

If it doesn't show up under the "your items" link then I'll need to get in touch with the support guys, as that's where drafts are supposed to be listed. Hang on to that bookmark link for now while I look in to this :).

Also, is there a way to add or "upload" pictures from flickr (or similar sites) that aren't on our computer harddrives? I left mine as a draft because I had to upload a picture and the only one I have on my hard drive is a very old crappy pic! I really would rather avoid downloading all of my photos from flickr to my hard drive, just to turn around and upload them again. Also, many of my photos I just send directly from my phone to flickr - it would be super cool in the future if there was a way to upload from my phone directly into the showcase!!

It may be possible to upload pictures directly from your phone using the "upload images to gallery button" - it just depends on which phone OS you are running, but it's worth trying :). It isn't possible to import directly from flickr, so you may just have to download a selection and then upload a few that way. Looking forward to seeing your tank!

 

[Ian]

I've made a little tweak so that if you've got a showcase entry for your tank, it will be listed in your user box to the left of every post :).

 

[d2mini]

Cool. :)