Canreef Aquatics Bulletin Board - Contest Rules and Guidelines Thread.

Current contestants are:

5.5G:

scholar: Dropped out.

Chaloupa:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45542

AndyL: Dropped out.

10G:

JDigital: Dropped Out

rocketlily:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45294

ElGuappo:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45219

Stab_Master_Arson: Dropped out.

Der_Iron_Chef: Dropped out.

Scythanith:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45676

sphelps:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45285

noirsphynx:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45566

Ryan_Lap: Disqualified (Did not post mandatory updates)

superduperwesman:
http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=46197

I will continue to update this list as new people join.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CLOSELY

2008 Nano Contest

2 categories
-5.5g AGA
-10g AGA

Prizes awarded for:

- Best Tank
- Most innovative

Sponsored Prize:

- Best Theme (Donated by Red Coral Aquarium)

http://www.canreef.com/images/ads/redcoralaquarium.jpg

RULES:

Spending limits:
- 5.5g AGA= $250 CDN
- 10g AGA= $300 CDN

Not covered in budget (i.e. considered "free")

- Contest Display Tank
- Building supplies (eggcrate, stand/canopy materials, plumbing, acrylic/glass scraps, etc)
- Sand
- Live Rock
- Water and salt
- Food
- Supplements
- Accessories less than $15 (mag floats, tongs, thermometers, etc)

GENERAL GUIDELINES & RULES:

- All used equipment utilized in contest will be deducted from your budget at 75% of the lowest advertised price from J&L Aquatics.
For equipment purchased online, only deduct the actual price of the equipment from the budget, don't deduct shipping costs.

- All live stock can come from anywhere, CR Vendors, LFS, online, whatever. If you use something from a current tank, you deduct it's fair market value.
If you purchase livestock online, you deduct the actual price paid for the livestock from the budget, but don't count shipping costs.

- Tank can be purchased locally and will not count against budget. (Sump tank will count against your budget, should you choose to incorporate one)

- You can mod your tank as much as you want, as long as you start with a STOCK tank and deduct costs from your budget.

- Budget is done on the honor system since we all know what its all worth (for most things).

- There is an entry fee of $20.00, which must be received by 10/15 to lock you into the contest. These fees will be used for the prizes at the end of the contest. Entry fees are non-refundable after 10/15.

- Contest begins Oct 15, 2008 and ends April 15, 2009.

In short, you've got 6 months to make a sweet tank on a limited budget. Lighting fixtures, filters, skimmers, and livestock all count towards budget, so manage wisely.

- Start a tank thread for your contest tank by Oct 15, so we can see it's progression as it goes along. It wouldn't hurt to put a link to your contest tank thread in your sig, but I don't know that we should require it. You don't have to start your tank thread immediately, as long as you do it by Oct 15.

- On the 15th of every month, post a FTS of your tank on your thread.

- When we reach the end of the contest, Myself (or Christy) will start a thread showing all of the tanks and their specs, with an attached poll for ALL of Canreef to vote on the winners.

- The winners will receive a gift certificate to the Canreef sponsor/vendor of their choice, taken from the entry fees.

- Basically, we'll take all the $$ contributed for the entry fee and divide it up into 3 equal portions for the winning gift certificates.

michika and I will be running the contest, so if you have any questions or concerns that cannot be addressed on this thread, PM one of us.

On a final note, the goal of this contest is to HAVE FUN and just see how many CREATIVE IDEAS we can all come up with and inspire each other with.

I've done the best I can to alter this contest for fit into our forum here on Canreef, but the fact is that not everyone will be happy with the contest rules as they've been established. If you don't think that you can participate under the established guidelines, then your time and $$ is probably best spent on a tank that you truly will enjoy and keep in the long run.
We want to keep this a positive and enjoyable experience for everyone, so...

ADDENDUM A:
Calculating "cost" for livestock/coral that was free (fragged from an existing tank, etc), received in trade, or purchased at wholesale prices, etc.
-Items received free-- an amount will be deducted from your budget equivalent to what that livestock/coral would commonly be sold for in Livestock Classified Forum of Canreef.com or J&L Aquatics if it can not be found in the Buy/Sell Section. If you can not determine a "fair market value" please PM michika or JDigital a pic, along with common name, and we will do our best to give you a "price".
If you don't feel this is satisfactory, you would probably be better off not competing in this contest. :)
-Items received in trade - Same as above.
-Items purchased at wholesale prices - Same as above.
-Items on which you scored a "good deal"- If you can provide proof of the price you got, cost will be figured at the actual price you paid. If it was a transaction with a private individual, have them hand-write you a receipt, scan it, and post it on your thread.

Addendum A.1

If you purchase something at a steal of a deal from a Canreef.com vendors you do not have to deal with 'fair market value' etc. Example: Sponsor X regularly has 50% off or buy one get one specials that are available to Canreef.com members, so if you pay $10 and get 2 pieces that normally would cost $20, you only pay the $10. This is in hopes that some vendors will want to have specials aimed specifically at this contest.