# Best aquascapers in the world?



## koop (Sep 18, 2009)

I am willing to bet many of the best in the world sit home and privately enjoy their masterpieces and we will never know them.


----------



## hbosman (Oct 5, 2006)

Some of the best tanks now days seem to be in Asia and Eastern Europe so, I think it's a matter of "exposure".


----------



## Aquarist_Fist (Jul 22, 2008)

I don't believe in ranking the best aquascapers because every scape is a product of experience, resources, imagination, and personal philosophy.

For instance, I dislike scapes that were primarily made for photos and that are not sustainable over long periods of time. I would also never remove filter and heater before taking a picture - these are necessary elements without which the tank could not function.


----------



## EdTheEdge (Jan 25, 2007)

Personally I think the best aquascapers are in these forums.


----------



## thief (Jan 12, 2008)

I second that above Ed, 

I think the ones that we see in magazine just have the advantage. That advantage is lots of experience I think were it seems as though they can do anything. I think ones all us young lings in the hobby who are really into aquascaping (I myself) will be able to push the boundaries of aquascaping. But in all I think the most inspirational scapes are here.

Sometimes I see many scapes that aren't really great as a whole but I sometimes see that one portion in that tank that sparks something.


----------



## smackpixi (Feb 14, 2009)

well, you could look at the winners of the most prestigious contest in the hobby...http://en.iaplc.com/about/gp_works.html...that contest is really open to only one style though, the "nature aquarium" style as they call it. 

If you look at the winners of that contest, and look at the top 10 or 20 from past years you see they have a moss fetish, they love moss, yet when is the last time your moss was a half inch high? so much maintenance. 

to me the "nature aquarium" style is bonsai for people who lack patience...the finest bonsai trees in the world were started a generation ago and handed down to the people tending them now, that's patience.

who are the world's best aquascapers? it's not a question i've ever asked myself before...and honestly, i wouldn't know because when i see a pretty tank, i never wonder "who did that?"...i wonder "how did they do that?"...I want to know the tank's ph, it's filtration, it's substrate, it's fertilization method...


----------



## prototyp3 (Dec 5, 2007)

koop said:


> I am willing to bet many of the best in the world sit home and privately enjoy their masterpieces and we well never know them.


I agree with this 100%.
We only see the narcissistic aquascapers. 




Aquarist_Fist said:


> For instance, I dislike scapes that were primarily made for photos and that are not sustainable over long periods of time. I would also never remove filter and heater before taking a picture - these are necessary elements without which the tank could not function.


I agree with this 100%. 
I can't stand seeing tanks where it's beautiful; for a couple days. I'm all about the sustainable designs that work.


----------



## rushr (Jan 11, 2010)

I like to visit the AGA site. Most of the winners do seem to come from Asia, Hong Kong in particular. They have cheap access to all kinds of plants and fish that are expensive to us. Not that that negates any talent but one does get more practice if it's less expensive to aquascape. 

I liked George Farmer's (UK) entries for the biotope category for the AGA contest last year and also Jesper Juul Taustrup's (from Denmark) cichlid tank that he's entered for two years now in the same category. They're all very natural looking tanks with good aesthetic balance. And there's something to be said about a person that can make rocks and sticks look so good.


----------



## kcrossley (Feb 22, 2010)

Link fixed: http://en.iaplc.com/about/gp_works.html


----------



## plantbrain (Dec 15, 2003)

The question was the *best aquascape* and convention is a front pic only(like it or not, that's their rules).

The best "aquarist" is quite another matter.
Most would lose if that was the criteria if it included reefs, production or breeding.

Scaping is just a subset of being an aquarist.

Regards, 
Tom Barr


----------



## Minsc (Jul 9, 2006)

I love the bubbles aquarium guys:
http://bubblesaquarium.com/Aquascape/Aquascape Front PageF1.htm

The Senskes are great too:
http://www.aquariumdesigngroup.com/index2.php?v=v1

Lots of other greats, Filipe Oliveira does awesome work, I've always enjoyed Roy Deki...

If anyone hasn't checked it out yet, www.aquatic-gardeners.org does an annual competition and has galleries of all the previous years. They also print a great magazine 4 times a year.


----------



## mistergreen (Dec 9, 2006)

Michael G.W. Wong from Hong Kong consistently turn out beautiful tanks.


----------



## Franzi (Dec 7, 2009)

God.

As creator of heaven and earth, I think he did a pretty good job which all of us are trying to reproduce in our tanks.

Disclaimer: this comment is made with the intent to humor the forum. I am not preaching religious views and you can replace "God" with your religious character of choice.


----------



## aquascaper (May 13, 2010)

Franzi said:


> God.
> 
> As creator of heaven and earth, I think he did a pretty good job which all of us are trying to reproduce in our tanks.
> 
> Disclaimer: this comment is made with the intent to humor the forum. I am not preaching religious views and you can replace "God" with your religious character of choice.


I Agree- God is #1, and he has taught me everything I know:icon_lol:

As a saltwater Aquascaper- I employee many of the same ideals used in FW scaping- however- with over 1000 'scapes under my belt I would like to throw my name into the pot......

"Aquascaper"- Daamon Ball, Louisiana, USA-
I am actually working on publication of an Aquascaping book for reef tanks...


----------



## sanj (Jan 11, 2004)

Its subjective, but i think some of those top people are ones that dont advertise as someone has mentioned. Otherwise generally i find the Chinese whether they are in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore go that extra mile. 

I am from the UK and I have not seen anyone over here in that league, although several are very good and have potential. We are still developing our talent.

I would have expected to have seen far more from mainland europe, they were growing planted tanks successfully decades before the UK.


----------



## luke20037 (Jan 24, 2010)

I think a lot of the planted tanks we see in photos are nicely set up, Im betting they have no functionality what so ever and are just asthetic


----------



## wakewalking (Jan 18, 2010)

*Best Aquarist in the world??*



plantbrain said:


> The question was the *best aquascape* and convention is a front pic only(like it or not, that's their rules).
> 
> The best "aquarist" is quite another matter.
> Most would lose if that was the criteria if it included reefs, production or breeding.
> ...


Who is the best aquarist in the world?, i guess that would be approaching the lines of who's the best aqua biologist or chemist?


----------



## Nate McFin (Mar 19, 2009)

God is not near the perfectionist some of us are, look at all the algae.:biggrin:

My favorite aquarists in the world are those who have or are doing the grunt work and experimentation to further our hobby. Folks like Tom B., Walstad, Niko (from APC),Hoppy, LeftC, Greg Watson,Orlando, and many others. I hate to even start a list like this because so many will be left off! Without the info from them I would still be in the dark right now and so would my plants. 
To include in this list as well are the incredible and talented people in the DIY forum sections. These members show you dont have to spend big money on ADA gear to do amazing things in the hobby.


----------



## sanj (Jan 11, 2004)

Nate McFin said:


> God is not near the perfectionist some of us are, look at all the algae.:biggrin:
> 
> My favorite aquarists in the world are those who have or are doing the grunt work and experimentation to further our hobby. Folks like Tom B., Walstad, Niko (from APC),Hoppy, LeftC, Greg Watson,Orlando, and many others. I hate to even start a list like this because so many will be left off! Without the info from them I would still be in the dark right now and so would my plants.
> To include in this list as well are the incredible and talented people in the DIY forum sections. These members show you dont have to spend big money on ADA gear to do amazing things in the hobby.


I think you are right regarding those who have really helped to develop the hobby. Experimenting, new approaches. I include the demi god Amano ofcourse .


----------



## rountreesj (Jun 12, 2007)

meh, we all know it's just time and money

given more time...i'd be the best,

given more money..........id buy your vote, so i'd still be the best....


----------



## chris.rivera3 (Apr 15, 2008)

hahahaha!!! i think this could apply to all of us =)




rountreesj said:


> meh, we all know it's just time and money
> 
> given more time...i'd be the best,
> 
> given more money..........id buy your vote, so i'd still be the best....


----------



## xmas_one (Feb 5, 2010)

Kaos. 

Kaos is the best aquascaper.


----------



## brighty K (May 31, 2010)

Statements like the following really get to me:

--“We only see the narcissistic aquascapers.”

* What an insult to people who are passionate about their craft and gracious enough to take the time to share it. Their creations serve as inspiration to many. They do great good in sharing their work.

Please tell us what is wrong with great artists sharing their masterpieces! Do you know them personally? Can you attest to each great aquascaper’s arrogance and flattery of self?*

--“I can’t stand seeing tanks where it’s beautiful; [sic] for a couple of days. I’m all about sustainable designs that work.”

--“I think a lot of the planted tanks we see in photos are nicely set up, I’m betting they have no functionality what so ever [sic].” 

*First, it takes knowledge, skill, and raw, inborn ability to get plants to do what you want them to do when you want them to do it. Please don’t belittle people who can get plants that grow at vastly different rates to be just-so on any given day (or choose to remove distracting equipment for a moment!).

Second, while it’s true that some ‘nature aquariums’ require regular maintenance and careful attention, to say that they only last “for a couple of days” or “have no functionality” is almost always untrue. A beautiful rebuttal lies in Cliff Hui’s masterwork, ‘Destiny,’ which was entered in the AGA contest for two consecutive years. Its very existence undoubtedly required, not only “functionality,” but also admirable, jaw-dropping talent. It certainly lasted more than “a couple of days.” This is true of any of Amano’s works and the works of many others.

I’d also point to Jeff Senske’s AGA entries here (new, can't link!). His 2006 entry lasted around three years. The 550 gallon monster from 2003 was more than five years old when it was finally replaced.

Additionally, Amano’s gallery has many tanks which, as of 2008, had been running for about four years. Some were simply slow growers, carefully cared for. Others were reworked occasionally, but doesn’t this happen in nature as well? Patches of plants are frequently replaced with more aggressive growers; many are simply crushed by nature itself through drought, flood or any other number of natural circumstances. Replacing plants occasionally is every bit as ‘natural’ as anything else that happens in a glass box.

Sure, some aquascapers choose to tear down and replace aquariums before every fish is geriatric. This is sometimes just a matter of wanting to move on and create more. But the talented greats can and often do maintain aquascapes for years. And most we admire require an envious degree of ‘functionality.’*

--“To me the ‘nature aquarium’ style is bonsai for those that lack patience…”

*Anyone who makes this kind of statement has clearly not trimmed glosso or tediously siphoned moss cuttings so they don’t drift about… or cleaned a lily pipe. Great scapes often require patience to a degree that makes this statement laughable. Yes, the lives of aquascapes are shorter than those of bonsai. Apples and oranges, my friend. And many people who appreciate great aquascapes are admirers and often participants in the art of bonsai.*

To the original question:

While it is subjective, to a degree, people who love the art of aquascaping can usually agree on a lot. In the same way, experts in music will again and again refer to the same composers… lovers of language to the same writers.

For our art, none yet stands above Amano, both for the inherent beauty of his work, but also for the vast influence he’s had on the hobby. The word ‘aquascape’ in our sense near owes its existence to Amano. No one can yet compete with his vast portfolio. The naysayers will proclaim, “But he has teams of people to help him maintain…” Well, he has teams of people because he’s a badass and worked his way to that status.

The Creative Aquascape Union is probably the greatest concentration of talent in the world. Cliff Hui is obviously a personal favorite. These artists continue to push the hobby to new heights.

For the U.S., the Senkes are pioneers in a distinctly American style and are another example of people that devote their lives to what most of us consider a hobby. I hate hate hate when people begrudge them their many tanks and access to big budgets. They’ve got what they have and maintain their grasp of it through sheer will and determination. Their works include great plant tanks, but also the world’s best examples of great aquascapes with artificial plants and some awesome reefs. I want to have Jeff’s hardscape altum angel tank tattooed on my back. Really.

I’ve also got my eye on Jason Baliban. George Farmer’s biotopes made me turn my head. There are many others as well.

I’m done. Thanks for listening to my rant!


----------



## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

^^Nice first post^^

Fish in general don't care if a rock is placed on the right, or the left. I think as long as my fish/inverts are happy then that fine by me. However a good 'scape does feel nice due to the fact that you can have plants that are hard to grow, and are rather rare. However I do not think you can add to a list of people. If so that list go to the moon and back. Ones who have money can "purchase", ones without have to work for it. Me being only a teenager with-out a job (selling plants, fish, and mowing counts as a job I guess...) I try to make the best with what I have. What I dont need I sell for something I do need. I don't need a single rock that costs so much, I have time and can go out and look for rocks. I don't need to buy fish in good condition, I can take time to nurture them back to health.


----------



## Mr. Fisher (Mar 24, 2009)

brighty K said:


> Statements like the following really get to me:
> 
> --“We only see the narcissistic aquascapers.”
> 
> ...


 
I read all of this, and I do not think there was a typo in any of it...
You have some great points.
To add to the list, the Lo brothers are also good. I get to walk into Aqua Forest Aquarium whenever I need inspiration. I recently bought some Amazonia 1 from Jeff Senske since the George and Steve were out of it.
I also love a lot of the tanks on San Francisco Bay Area Aquatic Plant Society's site. I spend hours looking through this site's galleries as well as APC and the AGA site.
There are a lot of great aquascapers, but taste is relative to the individual.


----------



## bnylo (Apr 22, 2010)

*Applaud the artists!*

Thank you for the rant!! :thumbsup: I can't agree more. Takashi Amano and the others you mention are artists whose medium is the planted aquarium and should be acknowledged as masters. Ordinary hobbyists just can't compare and should deal with it! 

M



brighty K said:


> Statements like the following really get to me:
> 
> --“We only see the narcissistic aquascapers.”
> 
> ...


----------

