# IAPLC 2011 winner interview...



## Iain Sutherland (19 Feb 2012)

Small interview with the 2011 winner you might like to read, if you havent already.

http://www.paludarium.net/6/post/2011/10/-2011.html

never heard of the continuous water change method before..?  OK if your not on a water meter...


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## GHNelson (19 Feb 2012)

Great read Iain  ...great scape also.
The idea of continuous water movement as been around in various guises for a while.
This chap has grabbed the nettle and shown it can be done.
Well done to him...its similar to something that Ive been mulling about in my head for a few years.
Drilled tanks with on/off valves etc for easier water changes...practically the same principle but his will be hooked up to the water supply and the waste pipe.
I wonder if he uses water conditioner....suppose he may use a dosing pump to add dechlorinator.
hoggie


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## George Farmer (19 Feb 2012)

Call me a cynic but I expected to read something like, "I copied the 2010 IAPLC Grand Champion but added a path and a few rocks".


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## Iain Sutherland (19 Feb 2012)

I hadnt realised!! they are very similar, even the names.. song of the forest and scent of the forest!!   That seems rediculous.


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## Ady34 (19 Feb 2012)

'Cynic'
..... clearly the 2011 winners 'forest' has MORE TREES, and a path and a few rocks!   
... and actually some fish in fairness to him.


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## GHNelson (19 Feb 2012)

Very good


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## Aquadream (19 Feb 2012)

George Farmer said:
			
		

> Call me a cynic but I expected to read something like, "I copied the 2010 IAPLC Grand Champion but added a path and a few rocks".


Well. In IAPLC rules of entry they say that remarkably similar works to aquascapes that enter previous editions of IAPLC will be subject to point deduction. Now call me cynic too, but second place does not seem to be much of a point deduction to me.
And I certainly do not buy the non Photoshop picture statement. Two studio lights can hardly be sufficient to get a good picture of a huge aquarium.
Now I am going to some natural disaster place as well to fetch my inspiration.


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## Mark Evans (19 Feb 2012)

I kinda like it. I do prefer it over last years entry. 

You can tell that very little light has been used for the final image. 

It's also good to see a tank do well without such an uber quality capture. I mean...look at the background....grey with a white line across the top.

However, i'm not looking forward to the 2012 competition. The judging sends shivers down my spine.


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## Ian Holdich (19 Feb 2012)

I always wonder how these tanks would look like in real life...the angle of the pics make them look good. But in real life i reckon they would look pretty rubbish.


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## BigTom (19 Feb 2012)

I actually really like the 2010 scape... having just spent all day wandering around in moss-filled pine forests it really does captures the feeling of being there. The 2011 verison just looks like a cheap knockoff with a generic path added.


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## clonitza (20 Feb 2012)

Unfortunately that's not the winning scape this one is:


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## George Farmer (20 Feb 2012)

I think the OP may have been confused between Gold Prize (2nd place) and Grand Champion (1st place).  Easily done!


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## Stu Worrall (20 Feb 2012)

clonitza said:
			
		

> Unfortunately that's not the winning scape this one is:


theres a great interview with that one here

http://peleblogs.blogspot.com/2012/02/en-el-foco-delicate-world-de-long-tran.html?m=1

he used steel bars to build it


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## Aquadream (20 Feb 2012)

stuworrall said:
			
		

> clonitza said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have seen many judges making comments about unstable looking rocks in aquascapes. Now they make this kind of unnatural looking rock layout first place. I must be vey stupid, but I really don't get it.
ADA says that it is Aquatic Plants Layout Contest, but the last edition looks to me much more of an Aquatic Rocks and Trees Layout Contest.
The emphasis is going to far on the hardscape side and puts the live plants and fish somewhat behind.
It is just confusing to me that's all.

I still like the winner from 2010 much more.


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## ghostsword (20 Feb 2012)

Well now that the trend is on, wanna guess what will be this years winner? The judges have a say on the 1st 200, but then it is public votes.

Hardscapes will feature heavily I would think, and so will iwagumis, and the majority of entrants are from Asia. 

Let's just say that I got a Japanese Garden book. 


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## clonitza (20 Feb 2012)

Luis I don't think that making an Asian scape will get you awarded more, you'd better buy a book on photo composition. 
I love Long Tran Hoang's scape (#1) and also Cliff Hui's (#4) and was one entry I don't know why it was ranked so high (won't tell which one). Hope I'll be able to enter one this year, if not, well, there's always next year.

Mike


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## ghostsword (20 Feb 2012)

clonitza said:
			
		

> Luis I don't think that making an Asian scape will get you awarded more, you'd better buy a book on photo composition.
> I love Long Tran Hoang's scape (#1) and also Cliff Hui's (#4) and was one entry I don't know why it was ranked so high (won't tell which one). Hope I'll be able to enter one this year, if not, well, there's always next year.
> 
> Mike



Hi Mike.. it was joke..  but I still think that asian layouts will get ranking high. I like them..  

A book about photography composition would not go amiss. I am crap at that, and for sure need to learn, not just for aquascaping, but also for my other hobbies.


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## Aquadream (20 Feb 2012)

ghostsword said:
			
		

> Well now that the trend is on, wanna guess what will be this years winner?


Would have been nice if the trend was mentioned in the rules of entry as well, so if people would like to compete to know what they are up against.


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## ghostsword (20 Feb 2012)

I actually like this years new judging, although it is open to misuse.  

Look, the people are going to vote what is the best, so maybe they are all also tired of copies..  isn't that good?


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## Iain Sutherland (20 Feb 2012)

correct me if im wrong isnt the judging now done so the top 500 are chosen, then those are split down to the top 200 by the judges, then the previous 500 are the 'public' votes and not all entrants voting..??
Maybe i remember incorrectly...

Either way it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.


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## Aquadream (20 Feb 2012)

easerthegeezer said:
			
		

> correct me if im wrong isnt the judging now done so the top 500 are chosen, then those are split down to the top 200 by the judges, then the previous 500 are the 'public' votes and not all entrants voting..??
> Maybe i remember incorrectly...
> 
> Either way it'll be interesting to see how it pans out.


You do remember incorrectly indeed.
http://en.iaplc.com/about/grading.html
The public is not involved in the voting, which I find to be a good thing, because most hobbyists have little or no idea of the high level aquascaping and therefore can not be judges casting vote on such works.
The IAPLC approved entrants on the other hand are supposedly more informed and with brooder view on which aquascape is good and which is not and I believe their vote will have some merit.
My believe is also that the people who will be allow to cast a vote will have to be with some knowledge and understanding regarding aquascaping. That is why the new rules would allow only more involved hobbyists and professionals to cast a vote. 
*It is all my guess.*
Although I am not sure of how this voting would turn out, there is somewhat a better chance for positive change in the final grading compared to the previous way of judging.
Many think there is more open ways for corruption, but then if ADA wants to corrupt this contest who can stop them and how can anyone control this? It is all their sole enterprise.
I think the new voting system is more progressive than the old one and will very likely exalt new names in the aquascaping hobby.


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## Iain Sutherland (20 Feb 2012)

Haha, that will teach me to not check something before i post it!!


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## ghostsword (20 Feb 2012)

I think that anybody that enters can cast the vote.


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## Aquadream (20 Feb 2012)

ghostsword said:
			
		

> I think that anybody that enters can cast the vote.
> 
> 
> ___________________________


That's what the new grading rules are saying.
That is still limited to what IAPLC steereng committee considers an entry. If someone enters with any aquarium with two gold fish and few plastic plants I am not sure ADA would consider that as a legitimate entrant that will be casting a vote later. 
It can happen perhaps, but I wish to believe that ADA's criteria is just a bit higher than basic aquatics. We are talking about aquascaping after all.


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