Does it even make sense to have a Saltwater Aquascaping Contest?

[Ardeus]

I'm not sure recreating a piece of nature is a good goal to have for reef scaping. Reef animals have such unique look that it won't really resemble other stuff under or above water. To accurately mimic a natural reef it would be one or two big colony of coral, with plenty of algae and other nasty looking stuff growing between gaps.

The way I see it, reef scaping is more like gardening. Building something that's nice and impactful to the eyes, but not necessarily resemble what you will find in nature. It's more about color theory and composition than looks natural.

I think the key for this is to steer the conversation and criteria towards the aesthetic.

I agree.

There could be different approaches to reef aquascaping.

If someone wants to recreate as close as possible something close to the ocean (a biotope), it's a tank with very well thought out huge colonies and low diversity.

I think another option could be a reduction of scale, a bit like bonsai. Smaller colonies arranged in a way to simulate a larger portion of the reef than the volume tank.

Yet another option is the one you compared to gardening. Here many of the freshwater aquascaping techniques can be applied more easily.

There's a middle ground, something I would call a biotype. You analyse a specific biotope and incorporate elements of that biotope into your tank with a larger degree of freedom.

 

[Gogol_frag]

I took some heat when a few days ago I expressed my opinion that most reef tanks are ugly, a lot of people felt offended.

The fact is that freshwater aquascapers really study and practice aquascaping as an art/science and we do not.

I would like to help to change that, so I thought about organizing a Saltwater Aquascaping Contest along the lines of the freshwater aquascaping contests.

I have 3 options:

- Put my own money for the prizes
- Get a sponsor and have bigger prizes
- Keep this idea as a "lets don't and say we did" project

I feel more comfortable with the 1st option because this contest would be very experimental and even if I could find a sponsor, I run the risk of not having many entries because I don't have the means to promote the contest and in the end let that sponsor down. If things went well, then get a sponsor for the next contest.

Grand Prize：1 Person
Prize：50 eur

Gold Prize：1 Person
Prize：25 eur

Silver Prize：2 People
Prize：10 eur

Bronze Prize：3 People
Prize：5 eur

Honor Prize：13 people
Prize: (bragging rights )

Given the much slower development of a saltwater tank, the contest would have to put much more value on the maturity of the system and on how healthy it looks and how well it provides a proper habitat for the animals inside.

Also, instead of just submitting 1 photo, the contestants would have to submit at least 3 photos, 1 short video and a list of the fish in the tank.

I am unware if a real saltwater aquascaper even exists, so I would have to bring a couple of freshwater aquascaping experts to judge the aesthetic component of the tanks and saltwater experts to judge the specific aspects of a saltwater tank.

What do you all think?

Yes please! There are many of us who would genuinely benefit with the rock-scale artistes in the forum. I would definitely put my name in the list of talent-have-nots

You totally stole my user name!

Lucky you. I betcha that is also someone's password.

 

[SleepyCoral]

I took some heat when a few days ago I expressed my opinion that most reef tanks are ugly, a lot of people felt offended.

The fact is that freshwater aquascapers really study and practice aquascaping as an art/science and we do not.

I would like to help to change that, so I thought about organizing a Saltwater Aquascaping Contest along the lines of the freshwater aquascaping contests.

I have 3 options:

- Put my own money for the prizes
- Get a sponsor and have bigger prizes
- Keep this idea as a "lets don't and say we did" project

I feel more comfortable with the 1st option because this contest would be very experimental and even if I could find a sponsor, I run the risk of not having many entries because I don't have the means to promote the contest and in the end let that sponsor down. If things went well, then get a sponsor for the next contest.

Grand Prize：1 Person
Prize：50 eur

Gold Prize：1 Person
Prize：25 eur

Silver Prize：2 People
Prize：10 eur

Bronze Prize：3 People
Prize：5 eur

Honor Prize：13 people
Prize: (bragging rights )

Given the much slower development of a saltwater tank, the contest would have to put much more value on the maturity of the system and on how healthy it looks and how well it provides a proper habitat for the animals inside.

Also, instead of just submitting 1 photo, the contestants would have to submit at least 3 photos, 1 short video and a list of the fish in the tank.

I am unware if a real saltwater aquascaper even exists, so I would have to bring a couple of freshwater aquascaping experts to judge the aesthetic component of the tanks and saltwater experts to judge the specific aspects of a saltwater tank.

What do you all think?

How would I find out if this contest is done? I would submit my tank as it took me 5 months to make my rock-scape just how I want it.

 

[Ardeus]

I'm not sure if I would even be allowed to create a thread about it here on the forum, I will have to check with the mods.

 

[monkeyCmonkeyDo]

This dude.cracks me up. Lol
Pass. No ty. Go back to whatever fw planted hole u came out of. Lol.

Aquascaping in marine tanks has come very far. The negative scapes ppl create these days are way more advanced than the pile of lr we used to do.

Leaves little to no room for the fish to hide though.
D

 

[Ardeus]

I never had a freshwater planted tank. I couldn't even keep a cactus alive to save my life.

Reef aquascaping has only come a long way backwards.

The dead rock allows for more creative constructions, which often result in more artificial looking structures. Real live rock will always look more natural.

Do tanks nowadays have a reduced diversity of corals similar no natural reefs? No.

Do they have more natural light? No.

Do they have a better proportion between the size of fish and corals? No.

Do they incorporate aesthetic principles that are used in all forms of visual art since many centuries ago? No.

Most importantly: Do they provide a better habitat for fish than the old rock wall? No.

 

[kaylajoy]

All those freshwater tanks sort of look similar. I can only be impressed by marimo moss balls and some cherry shrimp so many times!