# December 2011 POTM Voting Poll



## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

OK It's finally here. The voting poll for the December 2011 POTM. 

*Contestants: Do not let others know which photo is yours.*

Rules for voters:
1. *One vote per person per contest per month.* 
2. *Don't vote based on the person who submitted it.*
3. *Vote on the photo, not the fish.* 
4. *When posting comments, keep it on topic.*
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/potm-photo-month/28176-potm-totm-rules-how-submit-picture.html

1. Bumblebee Cichlid (Pseudotropheus crabro)


2. Chambered Nautilus (Nautilus pompilius)


3. Electric Blue Ram (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi)


4. Betta (Betta splenden)


5. Gold Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)


6. Honey Dwarf Gourami (Colisa chuna)


7. Betta (Betta splenden)


8. Tiger Hillstream Loach (Sewellia lineolata)


9. Corals and fish


10. Angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare)


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

This one's going to be tough since some of these photos are beyond crystal clear.


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Wow im glad I didnt enter this one! These are some amazing pics people.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Great pictures!


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## lmb (Nov 1, 2011)

Great pictures everyone! Very nice pics


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## OhYesItsMe (Oct 1, 2011)

wow amazing pics, when is TOTM?


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

To the person who posted that Tiger Hillstream Loach: 

Firstly, I hate you for having such a pretty picture.

Secondly, can you PM me about that species? I would love to know more as they like it a bit cooler and might be a good fit in my tank. I've already voted and I'll keep it secret who you are, I just wanna talk about the feesh!


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## eclipse (Jun 2, 2011)

that was easy..... awsome fish man!


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## Leila1 (Jun 13, 2009)

Really nice pics!


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

Is the prize for this or totm which isn't uP?


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

Does it matter that that particular Hillstream Loach has won POTM before?


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Ghost Knife said:


> Does it matter that that particular Hillstream Loach has won POTM before?


Nope. It is a completely different picture than the hillstream loach pic in the December 2010 POTM.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Gotta remember, it's not about the fish itself, it's about the overall quality of the picture. Someone can take a really awesome picture of a really ugly fish and that should be the one that wins (not that it would, but you get the gist).


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

Obsidian, that isn't what last months vote revealed, when the trashy picture of a random discus got like 2nd place. Clearly.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

No one said that is what people do. People tend to vote for the best looking fish, but the rules do say that people should vote for the best picture, not the best fish.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

bmlbytes said:


> No one said that is what people do. People tend to vote for the best looking fish, but the rules do say that people should vote for the best picture, not the best fish.


I hate to say it, but that photo of the Loach is not the clearest photo of the bunch.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Thus why I put "not that it would." Regardless of anything else people will vote for aesthetics, having a pretty fish does everything to help with aesthetics.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Ghost Knife said:


> I hate to say it, but that photo of the Loach is not the clearest photo of the bunch.


You say that about the winning photo every month. Clarity isn't the only thing that makes a picture good. Choice of subject, subjects activity/pose, tank cleanliness, lighting, colors, etc, they all add up to a good photo.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

bmlbytes said:


> You say that about the winning photo every month. Clarity isn't the only thing that makes a picture good. Choice of subject, subjects activity/pose, tank cleanliness, lighting, colors, etc, they all add up to a good photo.


It is the most important factor though. I mean 2 of the top 4 last month looked like someone shot them while shaking the camera.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I wouldn't say that any of them looked like that. I would say that they looked like they ere shot with a normal point and shoot camera, so they don't look the same as a professional camera, but they all looked decent last month.


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## Ponera (Oct 31, 2011)

tl;dr rules say to vote for best pic but favorite fish is selected nonetheless (see: betta fanboys voting for the betta pictures). 

what a sham. We might as well select the winner of the competition without even holding a vote, since people are idiots.

It's not as if there is any accountability for the selections. If people were required to say what they voted for and why, you may get a discussion and even a real competition. I have confirmed as much in 2 attempts, one going for a fantastic photo, the other for a fantastic animal and it seems the criteria is so volatile it's basically like russian roulette with idiots instead of a bullet.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Now hold on. I think that the majority of people are voting on their favorite photo, and that is what they are supposed to do. If everyone agreed on the same photo as being the best, then there wouldn't be a competition, would there be?

If the contest makes you this upset, I suggest you don't participate anymore. 

Let me remind you that this thread is not to discuss the fairness of the contest, but rather to discuss the individual images. Please keep it on topic here.


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## phlyergirl (Nov 6, 2011)

Klassy with a capital K. 

Nice pics everyone. It was a tough choice. But like an idiot, I voted for my favorite.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

Don't make me close the thread guys, keep it on topic.


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## Obsidian (May 20, 2007)

phlyergirl said:


> Nice pics everyone. It was a tough choice. But like an idiot, I voted for my favorite.


Totally normal human behavior to vote for our own things  Therefore you are not an idiot so much as you are biased


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

is the prize for totm or potm??


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## OhYesItsMe (Oct 1, 2011)

TOTM prize is the cool light bubbler, lucky you because that is cool. Oh and after voting, #2, is that your personal tank, because those must be hard to keep, but easy to feed because they eat once a month (according to BBC world thing i saw once). That would be a cool pet.


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Yeah, number two is really cool!  I have never seen anything like it, it looks prehistoric! Where in the world would you even get one??  

I would also just like to say that calling everyone on the forum "idiots" is extremely innapropriate... Just for future reference.

Amazing pictures! Truly amazing!


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## OhYesItsMe (Oct 1, 2011)

Yeah us i'snt idoits


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## OhYesItsMe (Oct 1, 2011)

were off topic agian


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Yeah, I know, Ssshhh don't tell the boss....


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## grogan (Jan 23, 2011)

Dang cossie, 23 votes! Well done bud


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## cossie (Dec 19, 2010)

hahah cheers m8, guess im just insane;-)

second place was my brothers/mine aswell marine tank


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## iheartfish:) (Jan 19, 2011)

Omg, those are yours?? WOW, they are amazing... I'm jealous.


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