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IAPLC 2020 top 127

Not that I know about top notch or any notch aquascaping but I agree with you. My favourite was number 21. :)
 
I know little about how they judge these but I feel a little underwhelmed by a lot of those that scored higher up,I think probably number 8 was my favourite.
 
for me, my favs are: #70, 53, 30, 6, 3. I do quite like the winners tank too.


Does number 2 use mirrors in the substrate? I hate that.
 
I saw a few that I thought had mirrors. Looks awful doesn’t it?

A friend told me that trick is done by using epoxy resin, not mirrors. I guess it does look interesting on the photo (I'm talking about Steven Chong's tank) but it would look pretty stupid live. Then again most of those diorama tanks would look much worse live than they do on the photos.

As far as the picks for top 127, many of them are pretty underwhelming and there are many tanks that didn't make the cut that I feel are much better and would deserve a much higher spot in the ranking.

The one thing that irks me a bit is that this is an ADA contest but the top ranking tanks do not reflect the ADA philosophy at all.
 
The one thing that irks me a bit is that this is an ADA contest but the top ranking tanks do not reflect the ADA philosophy at all.

I think that is because the judges are not ADA. It would be interesting to have a contest where it did reflect ADA because I join reading the content on their site etc.
 
for me, my favs are: #70, 53, 30, 6, 3. I do quite like the winners tank too.


Does number 2 use mirrors in the substrate? I hate that.
I saw a few that I thought had mirrors. Looks awful doesn’t it?
A friend told me that trick is done by using epoxy resin, not mirrors. I guess it does look interesting on the photo (I'm talking about Steven Chong's tank) but it would look pretty stupid live. Then again most of those diorama tanks would look much worse live than they do on the photos.

As far as the picks for top 127, many of them are pretty underwhelming and there are many tanks that didn't make the cut that I feel are much better and would deserve a much higher spot in the ranking.

The one thing that irks me a bit is that this is an ADA contest but the top ranking tanks do not reflect the ADA philosophy at all.
It is indeed mirrors, I dislike it also tbh.
I wondered myself and this came straight from Steven Chong......
6A324B66-5434-4A4B-A7B6-3CF1CEFA66A0.png
 
Perhaps rather than rushing to judgement, listen to Steve Chong discuss the thoughts behind his aquascapes :)

(note that the use of mirrors in winning tanks is not new ;))

 
FWIW the IAPLC has always been a photography contest (almost?) as much as a planted aquarium contest ... which make sense in a way as Takashi Amano himself was a renowned photographer

Any contests which judge applications by submitted photos cannot be otherwise

And it’s interesting that IAPLC seems to generate far more interest and hype than the live aquascaping contests
 
MO. Any talk of changing the goalposts is just a bit well not in the spirit of Amano and l think he may look down not pleased at the suggestion. We cant just change to ADA style?? only or ban diorama just because it's not like anything underwater ? Personally l like Fukadas this year more than previously higher ranks. That's the point everybody can have their favourites even if the judges dont share it and l think ADA did a good job in their balance of judges. Even Amano didn't always wouldn't always have selected the final winner but of course again in the true spirit of the contest was one of a panel of judges who came together in agreement and he set the contest up 20 years ago for planted tanks layouts for all entrants to do their own creations:)
 
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