Marco Aukes said:
Totally agree Tom. The total level of typical Dutch Style Aquariums in the National Championship is gradually declining. With the older people been taken from the hobby, and the high adoration for Nature Style amongst the young people; the spiral is going downwards.
This is also due to the fact that the whole NBAT organisation is strugling with modern times. Like I described; the total amount of organized hobbyists has drastically declined. They simply did not find a way to keep the young people interested. The fact that an event like Vivarium had to be organized by people outside of the NBAT organisation says it all.
In my opnion they should also find a way to embrase Nature Style, but in the mean time clearly seperate it from Dutch Style in their competition. But that will need a lot of changing. So far the A1 category was always called "for community planted tanks". They should consider making seperate categories for Dytch Style, Nature Style and maybe Other style.
But than again; that would mean they would have have eleven categories.....
Or even 12 categories when you keep the newly introdcued category for hybrids into consideration, which a lot of peopple still find appouling.
Document everything, get as good pictures as you possibly can.
I agree by keeping the style groupings distinct in the competitions, they can preserve and embrace both forms.
It also gives the younger kids something to work on later afterwards.
Good method for the collector also (Which most where in the past also).
Hard to judge different styles on the same criteria, the various types, 12(?) is too many.
ADA uses 1 category. I wanted to submit a marine planted tank, no aquascaping competition would allow it I am aware of. All plants/macro algae, just some salt in there.
I think the more you display, document and detail the methods, the better and more chance it has at sustaining even if the trend is down today, that may change. Keeping plants/gardening/good observation skills are still the core values for planted aquariums, no matter what style, etc
Most freshwater people have no idea about the marine plants, they do not know even how to judge such tanks, can the same also be said between the Dutch and NA style?
I think promoting it and somehow making it more available, spreading it more aggressively beyond NE, is a good idea.
Export that like ADA did for the NA.
Pictures always sell well, so focus on getting good pictures. Then add the text.
If you really wanted, make a small book and take the nicer pics and add them.
Self publish etc.
See if some of the older members have some older photo images you can copy from the 1940-1960's range, get some talk/feedback/yes, listen to old people talk about how it was back in "the day" 8)
You'll be old someday too.
Regards,
Tom Barr
