2017 AGA Dutch entrants with judge's comments. Note: Dennis Wong has some really great
YouTube videos about freshwater planted aquariums.
DUTCH CATEGORY JUDGING GUIDELINES
Overall Impression - maximum 50 points
- Does the aquarium as a whole; plants, fish, and hardscape, create a positive visual impact?
- Do all parts of the aquarium work together to present a harmonious and cohesive whole?
- Do the plants and animals appear healthy?
- No hardware should be visible.
Composition: Balance, Use of Space, Use of Color - maximum 60 points
- Is the aquascape laid out well?
- Does the aquarist make effective use of the “Rule of Thirds” to create (a) focal point(s)? (Tanks 36” or less in length should not have more than one focal point.)
- Are the plants well grouped, and are the groups well defined? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate a small space between groups)
- Does the aquarist make good use of differences in color, leaf size and shape, and height (growth habit or trimming) to maximize contrast between groups of plants? (Groups of neighboring plants should clearly be of different heights)
- Does the aquarist effectively use differences in height and plant group shape to create a sense of flow and depth?
- Is there a plant “street”? If so, is it easily discerned and does it enhance the sense of depth of the aquascape?
- Are the back and sides are planted? Do the species and planting enhance or detract from the sense of depth and scale? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate the portion of the walls not covered by species in the substrate be planted.)
Selection & Use of Plants, Hardscape Materials, and Animals - maximum 50 points
- Has the aquarist selected plants appropriately?
- Traditional NBAT rules dictate use of no more than 1 plant species per 10 cm/4 inches of tank length (sometimes up to 2 more species per tank if their use doesn't detract from the aquascape; judge's discretion). Has the aquarist effectively used a limited number of species?
- If a Specimen Plant is used as a focal point, does it blend well with the aquascape or is it overpowering? i.e., does it draw and hold the eye too strongly or is it simply too large?
- Do the colors, shape, and size of the fish chosen harmonize with the plants?
- Are schooling fish present in sufficient numbers to make a suitable school? (Traditional NBAT rules dictate at least 12 fish per schooling species)
- If hardscape materials are present, are they used sparingly as a stand alone element? (A single piece of wood or a rock may be acceptable according to NBAT rules if it enhances the aquascape. Wood and/or rocks used as structure and mostly covered by epiphytes does not count.)
- Are planted sides and rear panes present or absent? There should be no visible glass except for the front viewing pane. (This criteria only addresses the presence/absence of planted walls as a hardscape/design element for clarity. If planted walls are not present or if glass is visible deduct points. Use of walls should be considered as part of Composition.)
Viability of Aquascape - maximum 40 points
- With appropriate grooming and maintenance, are the plants selected suitable for use in the aquarium if maintained as-is for a long period?
- If visible, are the fish and other animals likely to be too large for the aquarium, cause damage to the aquascape, or each other at adult size?
PHOTOGRAPHS
The short version:
- 1-5 Photos
- Highest Resolution Possible
- Color-correction, brightness only; no photoshopping
- No identifying burn-ins; no selfies
- No borders or frames, please
- No collages (multiple photos in same image)
- No photos of people
Entrants are requested to provide 1 ~ 5 images of their aquascape, ideally showing both overall views and close-ups of details they wish to highlight.
While the focus of this event is on the aquascape shown in the images, entrants are encouraged to try and provide the clearest, sharpest images possible. The better the images that are provided, the better they will reproduce and display.
Please send the
highest resolution and quality possible. We can handle most formats, even camera raw.
You may alter an aquascape's image only for color correction, brightness, shadow/highlight, contrast and/or sharpness. While the organizers realize that in an event of this type it is entirely possible for an unethical person to manufacture a digital image of a non-existent tank, it is our hope that entrants will honor the spirit of sharing and friendly competition upon which this event is based. We are counting on the honesty and integrity of our participants to submit only images that are truly representative of their work as aquascape artists!
Many entrants feel the need to add large frame borders around their photographs; this detracts from the image, by making it scale smaller than other entries. In all likelihood, we will just remove the border. Please save us the work, and submit your images borderless.
Images submitted should not have the photographer's name or Copyright Notice superimposed over the image. Images should not include the aquascaper in the picture (aka, a selfie). Judging needs to be anonymous, and this information could affect the impartial evaluation of aquascapes. We will add a copyright 'burn-in' in the final website.
When creating a
planting plan, keep in mind that a blocky diagram works much better than something with thin lines, and high-resolution graphic is just as important as in the photographs. A simple sketch with a Sharpie pen on a piece of paper will look better on the final site than a tiny 320x240 pixel graphic done with a Paint program. Also make sure to list the plants
in the caption rather than in the graphic itself. This will save us an
incredible amount of retyping and graphic retouching time!
All entrants must agree to a Photo Release before their entries and photographs will be accepted into the contest.
lol
