IAPLC 2012 grading detail is out

By use of glued internal round mounting bars accross the 90 degrees opposite layers of rocks, just like #1 IAPLC 2011, but more complicated.

Paracheirodon Innesi (short red stripe) and Paracheirodon Axelrodi (long red stripe). Looks all fine to me with the fish.

this is the type of scape which push the limit once again. this is not a nature aquarium and very far from most of the scape what we would like to see as a planted aquarium, but how it is done and the plant health shows that this is a top scape for sure. not only about the stones. there are fine details love it! no posters, no photoshop this rocks!

btw if there would not be that tiny fish group in the back (just in the perfect place) the effect would be much smaller. sometimes these small additions raise the tank to a new level.

This one is also refreshing. Very different from a usual greenish themes or stem tanks, rocky/wood scapes.
I love what he did with the red colors, color balances. The fishes once again makes this looks pretty unique.

However the left and right is very strong the middle part isn't in my oppinion.

But this is also marked as a fav for me.

Avatar theme was already done before, but this one is a perfect version of the floating stones. And the mosses health is amazing. Again no cloudy background etc. Pure skill. Hope this will be with the best on the contest.

We played a little game on our community board to tip who could be the author of a tank. It's a nice game really. Some folks have signature on their works and we may can guess that.

This one probably Pascal Buonpanne?

I disagree with the staytments like lack of creativity. This year the works have been selected in the quest of originality, so most of the works are cutting edge and hot couture. Yes, some works are very outstanding, not comparable with the common and classic ones even too odd, but previous years all the takls were around the coping of layouts. This year the works from the top 200 are very fresh and sometimes off the wall, sure exclude a few works from the last Contests which are the same exactly. So there is no base to accuse top 200 of draggy this year.

I'm curious if you don't mind to point out, which works from this year you consider original? I can see only few, but that's just me.

I personally think this tank would look better, much better without Pandora rocks. The land scape is gorgeous, but the flying rocks look a bit tacky to me.

I will refrain from doing that, Bud - if you do not see it now you would not see it after. Personally I have mentioned above 40 work which I consider as very unusual and precious.

i personally agree with his comment....flying rocks were done several times in many layout.

when first saw this entry i screamed wow this is great and pure talent.....photo really very striking and i admire the creator for his kind of scape. however, a question came then...can we find this kind of nature out there - somewhere? esp.the lighting shape of the rocks?
after that, never had a chance to look it back again . if the upper lighting rocks is not there, i would have included the entry to my download file.

just my personal opinion brothers.

Although I appreciate this Star Wars Deathstar scape very much, I could not vote for it in the top 3 this year. It has a little bit too much of an anti-nature thing going on for me. It is a magnificent dream scape, or future scape, but it isn't what I'd like to see win the contest. I still value a scape that can inspire tranquility, and that element is lacking in this case. This scape inspires sword play, or perhaps better still, an explosion. So, although it grabs you like no other scape, and perhaps shakes you a little bit, it misses those elements I appreciates the very most in aquascapes.

+1 from me on this comment. Nature does inspire tranquility above any other feeling in me. So when I look at any aquarium I am looking for that feeling along with healthy plants. I also prefer scapes that have more plants than hardscape elements.
Hardscape is easy to put together when the materials are available, but looking after plants for extended period of time is a trade that many are still learning, including my self.
From this point of view I will always grade well planted tanks before well build ones.

both layout are not the same except for some hardscape and mosses used in the old and new layout.
every time i view the new layout i do not see any flying object hahahaha and i insist without the hanging rocks i would say it is a perfect and a winner scape...not unless the layout receive point deductions and for mentioning creator's name........ins't it voting is still going on?

There is some similarity in the style, but the land scape part of the Pandora scape is better one, only if the flying rocks weren't there.

We're only guessing right?

In my opinion this avatar tank is not from Italy.. I think, that Pascal Buonpanne made this one..

Indeed we are.
So now is the time to make some a small lottery. Who is going to guess right the creators of the entries? Award - nice taping on the shoulder in front of the gathering..hahaha.