Respect is the price of admission.
Citadel Culebra is a serious place for serious keepers — and that only works if we treat each other well. There’s more than one right way to keep an animal, so we challenge ideas, never people. Here’s what healthy communication looks like, and what will not be tolerated.
They were asked to be here for a reason.
Respect runs both ways — but understand this: the people on our faculty are tried-and-proven professionals and experts. They haven’t just done this for a long time; they’ve done it well for a long time, at a level of success very few ever reach. Doing something for years is one thing. Doing it excellently, for years, is another entirely.
So if you have a method that differs from theirs, keep an open mind. There is almost certainly truth in what they’re telling you — listen first. You don’t have to agree on everything, but remember why they’re here, and why we’re all learning from them. Hold that humbly.
And here’s what should make that easy: part of the reason every one of them was chosen is that they’ll be the first to tell you when they’re wrong. Every one of them has said it, more than once — they can be wrong, and they have been. That’s exactly what got them to this level: when they miss, they own it, they learn from it, and they keep going. The best in the world stay the best by never pretending they’ve stopped learning — and that’s the standard we all hold here.
This is how we communicate.
“New to this — what's the safest way to introduce a new monitor?”
Ask the basic question. Everyone started somewhere, and there are no dumb questions here.
“I've had better luck cycling at a lower temp — here's why that worked for me.”
Disagree with the idea, not the person. Bring your experience and your reasoning.
“Great first clutch. One thing that'll help next season is…”
Lift people up. Praise the win, then add the help.
“You may already know this, but in my collection…”
Assume good faith. Offer, don't lecture.
“Here's a source / a photo of how I set mine up.”
Share evidence. Show your work so others can learn from it.
“There's more than one right way to do this — here's another approach.”
Hold your standard without claiming to be the only authority.
This gets you removed.
“Anyone who keeps it that way is an idiot.”
Insults and name-calling. Attack ideas, never people.
“You shouldn't even own that animal.”
Gatekeeping and shaming beginners. We bring people in, we don't push them out.
“Lol just Google it.”
Dismissing someone instead of helping. If you won't help, scroll on.
Piling on, screenshots to mock, public humiliation.
Harassment and pile-ons. Disagreements are handled with respect, not a mob.
Slurs, hate speech, threats, or demeaning language of any kind.
Zero tolerance. This results in removal.
Tearing into a person because you disagree with a method.
Bring it to us respectfully — submit it for advisement instead.
Spicy is fine. Attacks aren’t.
You can disagree hard. Strong, passionate, even heated disagreement is part of how this field gets better — as long as it stays on the idea and never turns into a put-down.
“I have to push back hard on this — I’ve lost animals doing it that way, and I think it’s the wrong call for this species. Here’s my data and exactly what I’d do instead.”
Strong, direct, even fired-up — but it’s about the method, and it brings evidence.
“That’s idiotic advice and you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Same disagreement — but now it’s an attack on the person. Not allowed.
Respect runs both ways — between students, and between students and faculty. Our faculty are leaders and pioneers with proven methods, and they can be challenged respectfully too. A dedicated moderation team keeps things on track; conduct that harms the community results in removal.
Read the full Code of Conduct →