OK. More info.  Someone helped me find the log viewer:

This is the error I receive whenever I try to select Manage Forum:

AssemblyVersion: 03.01.00
Method: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader
FileName:
FileLineNumber: 0
FileColumnNumber: 0
PortalID: 0
PortalName: DotNetNuke Default Portal
UserID: 2
UserName: admin
ActiveTabID: 52
ActiveTabName: test
AbsoluteURL: /latoniaNuke/Default.aspx
AbsoluteURLReferrer:
ExceptionGUID: 32fece00-6f30-4faa-9c14-3100fb0b2461
DefaultDataProvider: DotNetNuke.Data.SqlDataProvider, DotNetNuke.SqlDataProvider
InnerException: Invalid object name 'Forum_Moderators'.
Message: System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException: Invalid object name 'Forum_Moderators'. at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior cmdBehavior, RunBehavior runBehavior, Boolean returnStream) at System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand.ExecuteReader(CommandBehavior behavior) at Microsoft.ApplicationBlocks.Data.SqlHelper.ExecuteReader(SqlConnection connection, SqlTransaction transaction, CommandType commandType, String commandText, SqlParameter[] commandParameters, SqlConnectionOwnership connectionOwnership) at Microsoft.ApplicationBlocks.Data.SqlHelper.ExecuteReader(String connectionString, CommandType commandType, String commandText, SqlParameter[] commandParameters) at Microsoft.ApplicationBlocks.Data.SqlHelper.ExecuteReader(String connectionString, String spName, Object[] parameterValues) at DotNetNuke.Modules.Forum.SqlDataProvider.UserGet(Int32 UserID) at DotNetNuke.Modules.Forum.ForumUserController.UserGet(Int32 PortalID, Int32 UserId)
StackTrace:

I do have an object qualifer on my database entries:  dnn_.  when the module loaded it loaded the tables with the qualifier but it appears like it is not using the qualifer during execution.  any suggestions?