The Planted Tank Forum

I had not been there in some time, but I recently posted a couple of journal threads on plantedtank.net. I will not be going back for as long as somewhatshocked remains as a moderator because, like others have explained, they are on an extreme power trip and very rude. I had a comment there that could have been read as against forum policy, although that was not my intent, but somewhatshocked went way beyond offering a simple reminder to writing a degrading insult right in the comments and threats in a personal message. I imagine this moderator is also cultivating conduct like this among the members because I also received a couple very rude responses to regular posts that just had aquarium pictures and text.

Save yourself some grief and go elsewhere.

Like many others have posted, the moderator SomeWhatShocked is a childish, power trippin' moderator. I have never experienced such bullying on a forum. This person must not have any real power in the real world and continues to take it out on forum members. I was some what shocked to see somewhatshocked mentioned so many times on Google search for doing these unjustified bans. Don't sign up for this forum. It's a toxic community,

This is another informative site about aquariums. This site has good advice about aquatic plants and fish.

I joined this forum because I thought it would be a calm and welcoming environment to talk about aquariums and aquatic plants, but boy was I wrong. Some of the people on this forum are extremely rude and entitled, namely the infamous moderator Somewhatshocked. He will ban you without warning and over the simplest things, even as simple as respectfully disagreeing with him. And he handles it in the most absolute rude way possible as well. I was banned for defending myself from someone calling me an animal abuser for asking a question. I was banned after I PM the mod to ask for further elaboration on his ban threat, which he only responded with extremely rude rhetoric and false assumptions about me. I will post the screenshots as evidence. Note that the first photo will be the PM with the mod after the altercation in the comments seen in the following pictures. My final message to the mod - the one that got me permabanned for "continuously causing drama and disobeying the mods" - can be seen at the bottom in a text box. I took the screenshot before I replied since I knew the comment would get me immediately banned. Also, I am user Jo2h2803, or the discussion starter with the yellow "J" profile picture.

TL; DR: Don't use this forum. It has some of the most rude and disrespectful people I have met on the internet and you will be banned over nothing.

Edit: It did not post the photos in order. I think the second to last photo is the PM with the mod.

This one mod on the site picks fights with random people and banned them.
I was banned for life referencing an call to an Indian call center saying a UPS was not allowed for any aquarium equipment including an air pump.

I do not know if the site owners know about him or why he is allowed to continue doing this.

Really not sure what I did. I posted in a thread I think talking about lighting? Banned for a few days. Appealed it. Permabanned and told, "go elsewhere kid"... uhh what?

I was having a perfectly normal discussion with someone who was advocating dirted sand caps until their moderator somewhatshocked waded in by saying he didn't agree with something because he thought it might be misconstrued by a newbie. Then I replied that discussions and options are healthy and people are smart enough to figure out what they want. Next thing I knew I was no longer allowed to reply or post anything. But posts by other people who agree with him that certain things should not be discussed or prevented were allowed to post. I get the feeling the site is getting more and more heavily policed and censored until you can't have a normal discussion anymore without fear of getting chastised and booted off.

There is no sharing or discussion allowed unless its pre approved by somewhatshocked. This mod reads all threads and your private messages in forum to seek out bans. Somewhatshocked is insulting, rude and childish. You can not talk with this person. Myself and others who I have read on the site and other areas were quite pleasant and still resulted in bans. Once they disagree with one thing, you will get permanetly banned. They do a temporary ban, then they will look through your private messages to see if they can find another reason. If you ask them why you are being banned or ask Somewhatshocked to explain so you have a better understanding and apologize for the issue, They will permaban you for arguing with the mod. Not sure how apologizing and asking for clarification results in permanently banning.

Somewhatshocked has decided their opinion is the only right answer. All other threads despite if there is scientific method or a study you are working on will automatically be shut down and you will be banned. Even if you have the correct knowledge or method and its different, you are not allowed an opinion. Please look up Greggz. He was featured in aquarium Hobbyist Magazine and has helped moved the hobby forward. This is a perfect example of Somewhatshocked and his opiniin over facts and research. He had even shut down the several hundred page thread until enough uproar was created to bring it backup. Somewhat shocked should have been removed at that point. As the opinion and removal was done out of spite and didnt like being proven wrong.

Ask any question to the moderator and get permabanned. And that means any. This forum is of only this mods opinion and nothing else.

There is no learning to be done here or good discussions. Which means they have a one guided way of doing things. If you stray from their set path of how a tank should be in any way, you might as well leave. Think of it as a cult. You submit to their will or be insulted and cast out. Even if its just on how often to do a water change or ask them to explain anything.

There is a mod on there named somewhatshocked. They are on a power trip and ban anyone that stands up against criticism and calling him out for being wrong. He will stalk any site you link across any page and look for dumb reasons to ban.

I am a paying customer, they charged me double and this guy banned me a week later and it never told me why or have an idea. Good site for information but DO NOT pay them or talk to this guy. He will take your money and kick you out. 5 of my friends were banned for calling him out.

The site is run by an oppressive person that likes to block people for no reason. It's important we unite to keep such people out of positions that can keep us from being free from such abuse.

Received a nasty message from one of the Moderators, somewhatshocked, and received a ban because I questioned his tone and asked to speak to an Administrator because I believe the mod was overstepping their bounds and holding their power over your head when you ask for them to explain or apologize for being rude. If you Google that users name you will see countless posts on other forums of others banned by this mod or felt that they needed to leave for wrong doing by the forum. I've been a member for almost 10 years and this new guy feels the need to go on power trips and ban people for saying that he needs to watch how he talks to people.

Can't register to post questions on the forum.