We thought it might be cool to list the top reef forums in the overall hobby. And we have compiled a list below for your reading pleasure.
Reef Central
The reef site was started by a guy named John Link way back in 1999. As a reminder, the Internet was still fairly early new with eBay being founded just 4 years earlier in 1995. The site has undergone changes and has been known for aggressive moderation techniques including outright banning of members for violating their “policies” which mostly include linking with members forced to look elsewhere for reef tank support and help. The site attracts a large audience of new reef keepers and then slowly they dissipate to other forums as they become more familiar with keeping a reef tank. However, in terms of total member count, Reef Central is still the number one reef forum on the Internet. You will never see any founders/owners at the major reef shows because it has been said “they really could care less” about the hobby. Regardless most professional and public aquarists have either been banned or stop going to the site altogether.
Reef 2 Reef
Founded by David Hamontree in early 2008 the reef forum seeks to be a family-friendly forum. Reef2Reef’s motto is to respect everyone and be a friendly place to discuss and ask questions related to the reef-keeping hobby. David is one of the nicest folks around and is at most of the larger reef shows if budget permitting. You can see his booth with a wide variety of t-shirts and the like…he also uses a clownfish mascot that he has someone dance around the showroom floor with.
3Reef
The site started with a simple concept “Three Steps To A Reef Aquarium and came online in 1996. The main principle was simple: way back when everyone apparently wanted a reef tank but few people knew how to keep saltwater tanks successfully. In order to figure out how to run a reef aquarium, you had to read books. Books are good, but a reef forum taps into the larger collective that you can use then to further your knowledge. Matt Rogers who founded 3reef is a very nice gentleman and you can see him at most of the larger shows snapping pictures of things he thinks his members will enjoy.
Reef2reef Acquired 3reef from Matt Rogers in 2017.
Nano-Reef
The original and only site dedicated to keeping small reef tanks, Nano Reef was founded and ran by Christopher Marks a nice guy who loves reef keeping but especially keeping smaller nano tanks. The nano tank specific site was founded in 2001 when no other site was remotely interested in catering to the different and specific needs of smaller reef tank aquariums. The site has an active community who deeply love their little glass boxes and have produced an amazing yet simple display of reef aquarium life.
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