International Aquaplant Layout Contest

[Ptarmigan]

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[oldwhitewood]

...........or better, no backing on the tank at all just clear glass. I guess this isn't always possible if you have wallpaper or strongly coloured walls, but for me I prefer a tank with no backing at all. My house has quite light off white coloured walls throughout so it's fine for me.

I'm coming around to this way of thinking.

It's like literally seeing a volume of water and its contents floating in space, no visible sealant, virtually invisible equipment (glass filter gear, diffuser etc.), overtank lighting. In other words absolutely no distraction from the plants and fish, just pure nature.

My tank is almost the opposite of this with black everywhere, although the effect acheives a similar concept - no distractions.

In the ADA gallery this becomes more important as you're walking round the tanks themselves. I think you are right though it should appear like a volume of water, I'm starting to think of actually suspending my lights from the ceiling rather than using the frame thing I have at the moment, but I dont fancy drilling in the ceiling really. Hmmm tricky.

Obviously everything, pipes, diffusers etc should be glass. Why fluval, eheim etc dont make their inlets and outlets in clear plastic is beyond me. Ok so it might get dirty over time, but simply market a 'cleaning fluid' for it therefore generating more revenue! I might mention it to eheim

 

[George Farmer]

Why fluval, eheim etc dont make their inlets and outlets in clear plastic is beyond me. Ok so it might get dirty over time, but simply market a 'cleaning fluid' for it therefore generating more revenue! I might mention it to eheim

Great idea. I wonder how much they'd cost to get manufactured?

Anyway, back to topic - I also like Darkness of the Forest but it is a good example of how, for me at least, some simple stem pruning could improve the overall effect 100% - possibly pruning back into more a 'V' shape.

The entrant could have also improved the presentation a great deal by holding the camera straight, zooming into the tank more and blacking out the surroundings. They say it's not a photo contest but a layout contest - however I think the judges prefer to see good presentation, even if it has no influence on the overall points (and no matter what they say I believe it can influence score even on the tiniest of subconscious levels, but there's another psychological debate altogether.)

I think if these two main points were carried out then this layout could have transcended from a good layout into a great one.

 

[karlp]

I don't understand the voting categories, because the website let me put in more than one vote per category.. anyway.. I've voted for...

CO2 - Old Chinese Garden
No CO2 - The Rain Forest
No CO2 (again whoops)- Shrimp Heavens - How do they do this with No CO2 and No ferts ?
Beginner - Three sided tank

Most inaccurately named must be: Shrimp Haven, which should be snail Haven ?

Jimbooos Jungle was very good too!

 

[George Farmer]

Shrimp Heavens - How do they do this with No CO2 and No ferts ?

Probably lots of water chages with nutrient-rich tap water. It is very impressive, especially for non-CO2. I'm sure most of us high-techies would be proud to create something like that.

 

[bennett]

haha it was just me then (of those that commented). each to there own etc

needless to say i'm massively jealous of all those tanks, and most of the ones displayed on this website.

 

[karlp]

Probably lots of water chages with nutrient-rich tap water. It is very impressive, especially for non-CO2. I'm sure most of us high-techies would be proud to create something like that.

It's a shame they don't put email links or pm links to the competition entries... I'd like to know how they did it...

 

[Aqua Essentials]

Why fluval, eheim etc dont make their inlets and outlets in clear plastic is beyond me. Ok so it might get dirty over time, but simply market a 'cleaning fluid' for it therefore generating more revenue! I might mention it to eheim

Great idea. I wonder how much they'd cost to get manufactured?

Clear plastic will become opaque over time which is probably why they don't bother

 

[George Farmer]

I recognize this fish!!!

http/www.aquaticplantcentral.com/contest...howentry&id=129


I guess there's at least 3 TFF members who joined the contest...

That's Walt's entry. We haven't heard from him in a while. Shame - nice guy and a good member.

 

[zig]

Definatly a glitch in my browser the site is still crashing on me, anyway i think Non CO2 in that competition allows you to use Excel so that probably explains a few of the tanks, probably nit picking but i would have thought the use of excel would not be the same as not useing CO2.

 

[George Farmer]

Definatly a glitch in my browser the site is still crashing on me, anyway i think Non CO2 in that competition allows you to use Excel so that probably explains a few of the tanks, probably nit picking but i would have thought the use of excel would not be the same as not useing CO2.

The Excel issue is being debated as we speak. Personally I think they should have "non-carbon supplemented and carbon supplemented".

 

[Jeff000]

Clear plastic will become opaque over time which is probably why they don't bother

My LFS sells clear replacement tubes. The one guy I talked to said people buy them 4 or 5 at a time or come in every month or two for a new one.



I wish I could get my tank to look as nice as some of these.
It saddens me that so many are toutched up with photoshop though, making them look better in the picture then they probably do in real life.

 

[onemisterchristian]

Look at all the color in this one...Wonderwood
And even though this one isn't particularly special in any way, and i generally don't like white backgrounds...for some reason it literally took my breath away!
Ocean Breeze

 

[ncjharris]

We've just rescaped out tank following a few mishaps and a bit more experience under our belt.
However, do wish I'd come across this site first, there are so many ideas and so much to look at, its fantastic.

 

[kamel_007]

Hi.

How can we know, the vote's number for any user before the competition over?