Community Guidelines
Community Guidelines
Essential Reef
Effective upon publication
Essential Reef is a community for reef hobbyists — hobbyists serious about their tanks, their livestock, and the people they trade with. These Guidelines exist to keep this community welcoming, honest, and useful.
By using Essential Reef, you agree to follow these Guidelines. Violations may result in content removal, account suspension, or permanent ban.
The Core Principles
- Be honest. In what you list, what you say, and how you trade.
- Be kind. Disagreements happen. Personal attacks do not belong here.
- Be real. One person, one account. No fake identities.
- Be legal. Do not list or ship what you cannot legally sell.
- Be patient. Everyone is at a different stage of the hobby. Help where you can.
What's Not Allowed
Harassment and Hate
- No personal attacks, name-calling, or bullying
- No hate speech based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic
- No coordinated harassment (pile-ons, brigading)
- No threats of violence or self-harm encouragement
Sexual Content
- No sexually explicit content, including in DMs
- No content depicting minors in a sexual or suggestive manner (zero tolerance; reported to authorities)
- No NSFW content in public channels
- No unsolicited sexual messages or images
Deceptive Behavior
- No impersonating other users or real people
- No misrepresenting yourself (fake credentials, fake reviews)
- No creating multiple accounts
- No ban evasion (new account after ban)
- No manipulating reviews or ratings
Spam and Scams
- No unsolicited promotional messages
- No repetitive posting of the same content
- No MLM or pyramid scheme recruitment
- No fake sales or bait-and-switch listings
- No chargebacks on delivered purchases
Prohibited Livestock
- Endangered species protected by CITES, the Endangered Species Act, or state laws
- Species illegal to own or ship in your state or the buyer's state
- Wild-caught specimens in violation of collection regulations
- Livestock misrepresented (e.g., selling a common species as a designer morph)
Intellectual Property
- Do not post copyrighted photos, videos, or articles you do not own or have permission to share
- Do not use Essential Reef branding, logos, or imagery without permission
- Respect trademarks of livestock brands and designer morphs (WWC, JF, TSA, etc.)
Off-Platform Behavior
- Scamming users off-platform after meeting on Essential Reef can result in a ban
- Harassing users outside the App based on in-app interactions is prohibited
- Ban evasion via off-platform communication is prohibited
Marketplace Etiquette
Sellers
- List items honestly — describe condition, size, source
- Use accurate photos (your own, not borrowed)
- Ship promptly after payment confirmation
- Package livestock responsibly (heat packs, insulation, proper bags)
- Honor DOA policies you state
- Respond to buyer questions in a timely manner
- Do not relist an item that another user has committed to purchase
Buyers
- Pay for committed purchases promptly
- Communicate shipping preferences clearly
- Inspect items upon arrival
- Leave honest reviews based on actual experience, not feelings
- Do not use reviews to coerce refunds outside of a seller's stated policy
- Handle disputes directly with the seller first; escalate to moderation only after genuine attempts
Everyone
- Cancellations happen; handle them gracefully
- Shipping delays happen; communicate proactively
- DOA (dead on arrival) happens; follow the seller's stated policy
- Negotiate in DMs, not publicly (keeps the listing thread clean)
Posting Guidelines
- Post in the right channel (SPS content in SPS channels, help requests in Help channels, etc.)
- Search before posting common questions
- Provide context when asking for help (parameters, photos, timeline)
- Do not spam the same post across multiple channels
- Credit photographers and content creators when sharing their work
AI Features
- Do not submit private information (addresses, payment details, personal data of others) to AI features
- AI suggestions are not veterinary or medical advice
- Use AI features responsibly; they are tools, not substitutes for experience
Reporting
If you see content or behavior that violates these Guidelines:
- Tap the "..." menu on any message, post, or profile to report it
- Select a reason from the list
- Include additional context if helpful
- We review reports within 24 hours
Abuse of the reporting system (false reports, retaliation reports) is itself a violation.
Consequences
Violations are evaluated based on severity, intent, and history. Possible outcomes:
- Content removal: the content is taken down; no account action
- Warning: you receive a notice; no content action
- Temporary suspension: account locked for 1-30 days
- Permanent ban: account terminated; invite privileges revoked
- Law enforcement referral: for illegal content, especially CSAM, credible threats of violence, or fraud over significant amounts
Appeals: if you believe a moderation decision was made in error, email support@essentialreef.com with your account details and the action you are appealing. We review appeals within 7 business days.
Our Commitments
- We moderate in good faith based on these Guidelines
- We do not share moderation decisions publicly (individual privacy)
- We do not monetize your content without your knowledge
- We aim to respond to reports within 24 hours
- We update these Guidelines as the community grows; changes are announced
Contact
- Email: support@essentialreef.com
- Mail: ESSENTIAL REEF & CO. LLC, 1555 NE 176 ST, North Miami Beach, FL 33162
© 2026 ESSENTIAL REEF & CO. LLC — All rights reserved.