Question 1

Can I change my username after signing up?

Accepted Answer

Usernames are permanent because they appear in URLs, mentions, and forum history. If you genuinely need a change (e.g. it contains personal information), email support@theaquaguide.com and we will review the request.

Question 2

How do I manage notifications?

Accepted Answer

Go to Profile → Settings → Notifications . You can enable or disable notifications per channel (in-app, email, push) and per event (reply to your post, mention, new DM, etc.). Changes apply immediately.

Question 3

How do I post a question in the forum?

Accepted Answer

Open Community → Forum , choose the most relevant category (e.g. Freshwater, Saltwater, Equipment, Diseases), then click New thread . Give it a descriptive title (not "help!!") and include tank parameters, photos, and what you have already tried. Specific questions get specific answers.

Question 4

How does global search work?

Accepted Answer

The search bar at the top searches species, Field Guide articles, forum threads, and members in parallel. Results are grouped by type. Quote phrases with double quotes for exact matches (e.g. "acclimation drip" ), and prefix a word with - to exclude it.

Question 5

I keep getting logged out. Why?

Accepted Answer

Access tokens expire after 24 hours; refresh tokens after 7 days. If you are logged out daily, your browser may be clearing cookies — check that the site is not blocked under "Clear cookies on exit" or restrictive privacy extensions. If you are using multiple tabs, signing out in one will sign you out everywhere.

Question 6

Is The Aqua Guide free to use?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Browsing the Field Guide, reading forum posts, viewing the Live Globe, and creating an account are all free. We are a hobby community and do not charge for membership. Optional advertisements help us cover server costs.

Question 7

What data does The Aqua Guide collect about me?

Accepted Answer

The minimum to run the platform: account details (username, email, hashed password), content you create (posts, photos), and standard request logs (IP, user-agent) retained for 30 days for abuse prevention. Full details are in our Privacy Notice .

Question 8

What is AquaChat?

Accepted Answer

AquaChat is our real-time chat system with topic-based rooms (e.g. #beginners, #saltwater, #diseases) and the ability to spin up private rooms with friends. It runs over WebSockets so messages appear instantly, and it supports image attachments and code-style snippets for water parameters.

Question 9

What is the Field Guide?

Accepted Answer

The Field Guide is our curated library of species, equipment, and how-to articles. Each entry includes care requirements, photos, tank-mate suitability, sourcing notes, and citations. Use the search bar at the top, or browse by category from the sidebar.

Question 10

Can I edit or delete my own posts?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Open the post, click the ⋯ menu, and choose Edit or Delete . Edits are marked with an "edited" timestamp. Deleting a top-level thread also removes its replies — use with care.

Question 11

Can I export my data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Go to Settings → Privacy → Export my data . We prepare a ZIP containing your profile, posts, comments, DMs, and uploaded media. The link is emailed to you when ready (usually within an hour) and stays valid for 7 days.

Question 12

Can I filter search results?

Accepted Answer

Yes. After running a search, the results page lets you filter by type (species / articles / forum / members), date range, and water type. Filters update results live, no page reload needed.

Question 13

How do I change my email address?

Accepted Answer

Go to Profile → Settings → Account , click Change email , and enter the new address. A confirmation link is sent to the new address; clicking it completes the change. Until you confirm, the old address remains active.

Question 14

How do I create an account on The Aqua Guide?

Accepted Answer

Click Sign Up in the top-right corner, then enter a username, your email address, and a password of at least 8 characters with mixed character classes. You will receive a verification email — click the link inside to activate your account. Until you verify, posting, commenting, and chat are disabled.

Question 15

How do I find a specific fish species?

Accepted Answer

Type the common or scientific name into the global search bar in the top navigation. Results show species, forum posts, and Field Guide articles in a single list. Click a species result to open its full profile.

Question 16

How do I join an AquaChat room?

Accepted Answer

Click AquaChat in the main navigation. The room list shows all public rooms with current member counts. Click any room to join — there is no approval step for public rooms. You can leave at any time via the room menu.

Question 17

Pages load slowly or images do not appear. What should I check?

Accepted Answer

First, hard-refresh with Ctrl + Shift + R (or Cmd + Shift + R on Mac) to bypass cached assets. If that does not help, disable browser extensions one by one — ad-blockers occasionally block our CDN. Persistent slowness from one location can be a CDN issue; report it and we will investigate.

Question 18

Why am I getting so many emails?

Accepted Answer

By default we send transactional mail (security, account changes) plus notifications for replies, mentions, and DMs. Open Settings → Notifications → Email and toggle off the categories you do not want. Transactional security mail cannot be disabled — it is required for account safety.

Question 19

Are direct messages private?

Accepted Answer

DMs are private between you and the recipient — other members cannot see them, and we do not mine DM content for analytics or advertising. They are not end-to-end encrypted, which means the server can read message contents and authorised administrators technically have that capability. By policy and design, DM content is only accessible to admins through the Investigations dashboard at /admin/investigations , and only when you or the other participant has filed a report on a specific message. The dashboard: is restricted to users with the admin role — support staff cannot see DM content; shows only a bounded window (±10 messages) around the reported one; writes an audit-log row for every view, every status change, every additional context page — together with the admin's @handle, IP, and timestamp; auto-detects suspicious access patterns — if a single admin opens more than 5 distinct reports in 5 minutes, a critical alert fires to the rest of the admin team via email + push notification, with the offending admin's identity attached. If end-to-end cryptographic privacy matters for a particular conversation, use a dedicated secure-messaging app for it. See our User Guide for how to report a DM, and our Security policy §4.5 for the full investigation contract.

Question 20

Can I bookmark species to read later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. On any species page, click the Bookmark icon next to the title. Bookmarks are listed under Profile → Saved . You can also create custom folders to organise saved species by tank or project.

Question 21

Can I create my own AquaChat room?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In AquaChat, click the + New room button, give it a name and description, and choose whether it is public (anyone can join) or invite-only. As the creator you can promote moderators, pin messages, and remove disruptive members.

Question 22

How do I mark a forum reply as the accepted answer?

Accepted Answer

If you opened the thread, you will see a green check mark next to each reply. Click it on the answer that solved your problem. The reply is highlighted at the top of the thread so future readers find it quickly.

Question 23

How do I unsubscribe from newsletters?

Accepted Answer

Every newsletter email has an Unsubscribe link in the footer that removes you in one click — no login required. You can also disable newsletters site-wide from Settings → Notifications → Newsletters .

Question 24

How do I upload a profile picture?

Accepted Answer

Open your profile page and click the avatar in the top-left. Choose an image (JPEG, PNG, or WebP, up to 5 MB). It is automatically cropped to a square and resized — there is no need to pre-process the file.

Question 25

I did not receive my verification email. What do I do?

Accepted Answer

First, check your spam or junk folder — verification mail comes from noreply@theaquaguide.com . If it is not there after 10 minutes, visit your profile settings and click Resend verification email . If it still does not arrive, contact support@theaquaguide.com with your username and we will verify you manually.

Question 26

The site says "maintenance mode." What is happening?

Accepted Answer

We occasionally take the site read-only or fully offline for short upgrades (typically Sunday mornings UTC, under 15 minutes). The maintenance page shows estimated return time. Status updates also post to our Live Globe banner and (when available) social channels.

Question 27

What is the Live Globe?

Accepted Answer

The Live Globe shows current activity on The Aqua Guide in real time — recent forum posts, new species views, and active chats — pinned to the world map by anonymised general location (country/region, never precise location). It is a fun way to see the community at work.

Question 28

Can I add my tank details to my profile?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In Profile → My tanks you can add multiple tanks with volume, water type (freshwater, brackish, marine), stock list, and a photo. Other members can view this when they click your username, which is great for context when asking or answering questions in the forum.

Question 29

Can I suggest a species be added to the Field Guide?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely — that is how the guide grows. Open a forum thread in the Field Guide Suggestions category with the scientific name, why it is worth adding, and any reliable sources. Our editors will review and either add it or reply with questions.

Question 30

Can support staff read my private messages?

Accepted Answer

No. Support staff cannot read the contents of any direct-message thread. The admin Investigations dashboard — the only authorised path to reading DM content on the platform — is restricted to users with the admin role and is blocked at the API layer for the support role. When you open a support ticket about a DM (for example, escalating an abuse situation), support agents see your description and any screenshots you attach, but they cannot pull up the underlying conversation. If the case requires reading DM context, the ticket is escalated to an admin and a formal report is filed, which then goes through the audited investigation workflow. Every admin who reads DM content via that workflow is logged with their @handle, IP, and timestamp. Rapid bursts of investigation-viewing trigger a critical alert to the rest of the admin team, so misuse of the access is itself detectable. See our Security policy §4.5 for the full privacy contract.

Question 31

How do I report a bug?

Accepted Answer

Open a support ticket with the category set to Bug , and include: what you expected, what happened, the URL you were on, your browser and OS, and (if possible) a screenshot or screen recording. The more detail, the faster we can reproduce and fix it.

Question 32

How do I send a direct message?

Accepted Answer

Click any username to open their profile, then click Message . Alternatively, open the DM panel from the right sidebar and search for the username. New conversations appear in your inbox and trigger a notification for the recipient.

Question 33

I forgot my password. How can I reset it?

Accepted Answer

On the login page click Forgot password? , enter the email address tied to your account, and submit. We will send a single-use reset link that is valid for one hour. Open it, choose a new password, and you will be signed in automatically.

Question 34

Is there a mobile app?

Accepted Answer

The Aqua Guide is a Progressive Web App (PWA), so you can install it from any modern mobile browser. On iOS, tap Share → Add to Home Screen . On Android Chrome, tap ⋮ → Install app . Once installed it opens full-screen and supports push notifications.

Question 35

Why was my forum post removed?

Accepted Answer

Posts may be removed when they violate the Community Guidelines — for example unsolicited advertising, harassment, or unsourced medical/care claims that could harm livestock. Moderators leave a note when they remove a post; check your notifications or DMs from @moderation .

Question 36

Can I block someone from messaging me?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Open their profile, click ⋯ → Block user . Blocked users cannot DM you, mention you, or see your profile, and their forum replies appear collapsed for you. You can unblock them from Profile → Settings → Privacy at any time.

Question 37

Does the Live Globe expose my location?

Accepted Answer

No. Locations are derived from your IP geolocation and rounded to a country or large region centroid before being shown. Your precise location is never displayed, and we do not store the IP alongside the activity dot.

Question 38

Does the site work offline?

Accepted Answer

Partially. The shell of the app and the Field Guide pages you have visited recently are cached for offline reading. Posting, chat, and live data require a connection. Offline-cached pages show a small "offline" indicator at the top.

Question 39

How do I open a support ticket?

Accepted Answer

Click your avatar, choose Help , then Contact support . Pick a category (account, billing, abuse, bug), describe the issue, and attach screenshots if relevant. Support replies appear in your DMs and email. Median first-response time is under one business day.

Question 40

What is the difference between guest, user, support, and admin roles?

Accepted Answer

Guest users can read public content but cannot post. Users (the default after sign-up) can post, comment, like, send DMs, use AquaChat, and open tickets. Support users additionally manage tickets and chat sessions. Admin users have full platform access including user, content, and system management.

Question 41

Where can I find the user guide?

Accepted Answer

The full User Guide lives under Help → Field Guide in the navigation. It covers signup, profile, forum, AquaChat, calls, and accessibility in detail. Use the in-page search at the top of the Field Guide to jump straight to a topic.

Question 42

Does The Aqua Guide support voice or video calls?

Accepted Answer

Yes — registered users can start one-to-one voice and video calls from any DM or profile via the phone/camera icons. Calls run over WebRTC with Cloudflare TURN, so they work behind most firewalls. The first time you call, your browser will ask for microphone (and camera) permission.

Question 43

How do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

Go to Profile → Settings → Danger zone and choose Delete my account . You will be asked to type your username to confirm. Deletion removes your profile, DMs, and uploaded media. Public forum posts are anonymised rather than removed, to preserve thread context for other readers.

Question 44

How do I report inappropriate content?

Accepted Answer

Click the ⋯ menu on any post, comment, or profile and choose Report . Select a reason (spam, harassment, false information, etc.) and add an optional note. Reports go straight to moderators and are reviewed within 24 hours. For direct messages specifically , the flow is slightly different — see How do I report a direct message? DM reports go to a separate admin-only investigation queue with stricter access controls, because reading DM content is the most sensitive moderation action on the platform.

Question 45

How do I switch to dark mode?

Accepted Answer

Click the sun/moon icon in the top navigation, or go to Settings → Appearance and pick Light , Dark , or Match system . The setting syncs across devices when you are signed in.

Question 46

Can I change the font size?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in Settings → Appearance you can choose Small, Default, or Large text. The Field Guide also has a dedicated reader mode (look for the book icon at the top of any guide page) that uses a serif font and wider line spacing for long reading sessions.

Question 47

How do I report a direct message?

Accepted Answer

If someone sends you a direct message that breaks our Code of Conduct — harassment, threats, spam, scams, leaked personal information, or anything illegal — you can flag it for moderator review: Open the conversation and locate the offending message. Hover over the message on desktop, or tap-and-hold on mobile. A small ⋮ button appears next to the bubble. Click the ⋮ and choose Report message . In the dialog, pick a reason (Harassment, Threats / violence, Spam, Illegal content, Personal info leak, Scam / fraud, or Other) and optionally add context in the notes field (up to 2,000 characters). Click Submit report . The message stays visible in your inbox; reporting it does not delete it. What happens next: You receive an email confirmation immediately with a short reference code. Your report goes into the admin Investigations queue. Only users with the admin role can review it — support staff cannot see DM content. An admin reads the reported message in context (a bounded window around it) and decides whether action is warranted. Every admin access to DM content is audited, and rapid bursts of investigation-viewing trigger a critical alert to the rest of the admin team. You may be contacted by @moderation for more details. When the case is closed, you receive a second email with the outcome — either "Resolved (action taken)" or "Dismissed (no action)". The email never reveals the specific action taken against the other account; that protects both parties from retaliation cycles. Filing twice is fine — duplicates are detected and treated as idempotent; you'll see a brief "we already received this" message. For overall conduct (not a single message), use Help → Contact Support with category Abuse / safety .

Question 48

My call has poor audio or video quality. What can I do?

Accepted Answer

Try these in order: (1) check both participants have a stable connection (run a speed test, aim for 1+ Mbps up/down), (2) close other bandwidth-heavy apps, (3) switch to a wired connection if on Wi-Fi, (4) for video, lower resolution from the call menu. If problems persist, share the call ID with support@theaquaguide.com and we will inspect the call quality log.

Question 49

Are calls recorded?

Accepted Answer

No. Audio and video are end-to-end between the two participants and never touch our servers as media. We only log call metadata — start time, duration, and connection quality — to diagnose problems. Content is never stored.

Question 50

Will I be told what happened to the message I reported?

Accepted Answer

Yes and no. Yes , you will receive an email when the case is closed, with one of two outcomes: Resolved — action taken. The moderation team agreed with you and took some action against the reported account or message. Dismissed — no action. After reviewing the context, moderators decided no action was needed (for example, the conversation was between consenting friends, or the message context changed the interpretation). No , we do not share the specific action taken — whether that's a private warning, a temporary suspension, a permanent ban, or message removal. This is a deliberate policy choice. Revealing specific actions encourages retaliation cycles ("I'll find out and get back at them") and undermines proportional, private moderation. If you continue to receive concerning messages from anyone after a report is closed, please file a fresh report — each one is reviewed individually.

Question 51

Who do I contact about a security or privacy concern?

Accepted Answer

Security issues: security@theaquaguide.com — please do not file a public forum post. Privacy or data-subject requests: support@theaquaguide.com . Code-of-conduct concerns: admin@theaquaguide.com or support@theaquaguide.com . We acknowledge security reports within 72 hours.

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