It is with great pleasure that the Aquatic Gardeners Association announces the results of the 2015 International Aquascaping Contest. As in years past, the contest had excellent participation with almost 500 outstanding aquascapes and participants from all over the world. Again for this year, there were record numbers of aquascapes in the smaller categories and some outstanding biotope and paludarium layouts. We also had another excellent showing for the Dutch category with some beautiful examples of Dutch layouts.
The Aquatic Gardeners Association would like to thank our esteemed panel of judges. Without their willingness to take time from their busy schedules and judge, our Aquascaping contest would not be the success it is today. For this year, we have the AGA’s own Karen Randall, Luca Galarraga From Aquabase Brazil, Long Tran Hoang from Vietnam, and Juan Puchades Rufino from Spain. We were also fortunate to have Marco Aukes judge our Dutch category and we hope to continue to grow our Dutch categories again. Phil Edwards assisted with the Biotope category. Thank you judges for your efforts; they are truly appreciated by our contestants and the AGA.
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Aquatic Garden, < 28L
Once again a great pleasure to see those skilful aquascapers working in such reduced space congratulations to all! — Luca Galarraga
01 - On the Rock - Watana Supukpongvilai - Thailand02 - Estuary - Soeharto - Indonesia03 - Uncoditional love v2 - Jirawong Laopiyasakul - Thailand04 - Dark of the moon - Aldino Rafiq Rendiansyah - Indonesia05 - Mongrove Forest - Mounir el kholty - Morocco06 - Bridge - Kau Wan Ling - Singapore07 - The rock - Kwong King Man - HongKong08 - Blades Edge - Jeffrey Peter Miotke - US09 - Unconditional Love v1 - Jirapong Laopiyasakul - Thailand10 - Nano Velebit - Alen Hodzic - Croatia
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Aquatic Garden, 28L ~ 60L
Oh my God! This category is always so difficult to judge... I would like to have more awards to give to these awesome works! — Luca Galarraga
01 - Moss Code - Ittipong Deewan - Thailand02 - Into the Atlantic Forest - Gregory Thom e Silva - Brazil03 - Mystic Shadows Valley - Fabricio Rufino de Souza - Brazil04 - None - Thiago Daniel Eloi da Hora - Brazil05 - Blending Tree - Kwong King Man - Hongkong06 - Scape that stuff - Andreas Ruppert - Germany07 - Straight Edge - Frederic Fuss - Germany08 - The Dimension - Watana Supukpongvilai - Thailand09 - Vale das Trees Marias - RODRIGO DUTRA DE ARAUJO - Brazil10 - Guha Pawon - Wendy Kurniawan - Indonesia
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Aquatic Garden, 60L ~ 120L
Another hard work category congratulations for all those wonderful works! — Luca Galarraga
01 - To freedom - Suhendri - Indonesia02 - Last Wilderness - Francisco Artur Ribeiro de Matos - Portugal03 - Pangea - Andras Peter - Hungary04 - Old Forest - Wolinski Gregoire - France05 - Influx - Gaurav Singh - India06 - Hedge - Bintang Lasyakka - Indonesia07 - Light in the mood - Nobphacha Yimyou - Thailand08 - Mystic River - Efrain Sequera Moreno - Spain09 - Grolsch - Christian Brams - Sweden10 - Amazing Snow Mountain - Wong Wai Keung - Hongkong
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Aquatic Garden, 120L ~ 200L
Wonderful works here another difficult and balanced category! — Luca Galarraga
01 - A sudden turn of events - Yu Cheng Pan - China02 - Hopes - Robertus Hartono - Singapore03 - Paola - Marco Cogoni - Italy04 - The Gates of Gaia - Francisco Artur Ribeiro de Matos - Portugal05 - Zambezi - Baro Peter - Hungary06 - O Frances Livre - Leandro Cesar Campos - Brazil07 - Enchanted Thicket - Nelson Paguinto - Philippines08 - Dimrill Dale - Laurent Garcia - France09 - Paradise - Carlos Eduardo Pires Goncalves - Brazil10 - Across - Han-Hsuan Chen - Taiwan
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Aquatic Garden, 200L ~ 320L
Congratulations for your impressive works. Truly masterpieces! — Luca Galarraga
01 - Deep Nature - Paulo Vitor Pacheco - Brazil02 - Gravity - Wolinski Gregoire - France03 - Oges Mawut - Amiri Lubis - Indonesia04 - Escaping the stranglers - Julien Voultoury - France05 - Wind of Kind - Chow Wai Sun - HongKong China06 - Mystic River - Martial Hervy - France07 - Valley of the Giants - Yang Yuanzhi - China08 - Reincarnation - Ye Yi - China09 - A Hunting Ground - Sim Kian Hong - Malaysia10 - Suro Badock - Heri Amir - Indonesia
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Aquatic Garden, > 320L
Stunning masterpieces on this category congratulations for all those artists! — Luca Galarraga
01 - Silent Awakening - Fernando Boturao Francischelli - Brazil02 - Faith - Andre Luiz Longarco - Brazil03 - Magical World - Liu Yong - China04 - The Fallen Tree - Narto - Indonesia05 - Secret Realm - Fan Zhemin - China06 - Persephone - Ludo Bourdin - France07 - The Owls shriek - Poupin Ulrich - France08 - Search for traces - Yang Yufan - China09 - Grassland in the Clouds - Zhang Dadong - China10 - Return - Wenlin Ruan - China
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Biotope Aquascape
01 - Mixteco River - Bernardo Salas Perez - Mexico02 - Malaysia slow stream - Alessandro Camillo Di Stefano - Italy03 - Malaysian slow stream - Alessandro Camillo Di Stefano - Italy04 - Hawaiian Rainbow Reef - Petra Basic - Croatia05 - Tully River zebras - Benajamin Mos - Australia06 - Barito river basin Borneo - Hamza Syed - India07 - Kalimanta Selatan - Alessandro Camillo Di Stefano - Italy08 - Turf forest virgin - Fan Bowen - China09 - Axelridis Cradle - Flavio Henard Jorge de Freitas - Brazil10 - My Malawi lake - Bucan Nenad - Serbia
TOP 03 AGA 2015 Dutch Aquascape
It is the second year where the AGA has a seperate category for the Dutch Style but actually this is the FIRST year where we have real Dutch tanks in the competition. Amongst those entries there are now several fine examples that can show people all around the globe that Dutch Style is not at all old fashioned. It is alive and kicking and several tanks show several species of exclusive plants in perfect health. I really hope these examples will contribute to a new high of Dutch style aquariums all over the world. — Marco Aukes
Colorful works reminds me the first years of aquascaping. Congratulations to all participants for such beautiful plants in their optimal conditions!!! — Luca Galarraga
01 - Raymond Duindam - Netherlands02 - Rik Verhulst - Belgium03 - My tank - Bart Laurens - Netherlands
TOP 10 AGA 2015 Paludarium
Amazing works full of sensibility and passion. Congratulations to all participants! — Luca Galarraga
01 - Dradon Nest - Liu Yong - China02 - The mystery Creek - Watana Supukpongvilai - Thailand03 - Endless - Lee Ming Hei - China04 - The gurgling stream in the forest - Zhao Rui - China05 - Jungle Slice - Micha┼В Wasilewski - Poland06 - Rawa Radar - Bambang Nurdiansyah - Indonesia07 - Home In the Forest - XuHong - China08 - Daughter - Luidi Rafael de Souza Doim - Brazil09 - Dream Rainforest - Liu Yong - China10 - Yunlin Paradise - Luo Jungxue - China
Roberto Buenadicha’s aquarium is the only Spanish work in the published ranks 1–300. Its slender dark trunks, fine green planting and conspicuous pale fish make it a rewarding individual study. This instalment returns to the older Spain introduction through one photograph, keeping the scope small enough for the evidence available.
Only one French work appears in the published ranks 1–300. That gives this instalment a different task: a close reading of Jean Christophe Grosset’s aquarium, with the older country introduction as context. The photograph deserves attention for its own wood, planting and fish relationships, rather than being made to represent every French aquascaper.
Two Singaporean works appear in the published ranks 1–300, and they offer an unusually clear contrast. One makes open water and two main stones central; the other encloses a small rear opening within dense planting and roots. The pair is useful precisely because it does not support one simple visual label.
A low timber ceiling, blue-toned terraces and converging planted diagonals create three visibly different aquariums. Hong Kong’s represented works at ranks 1–300 offer a compact study of visual impact beyond the season’s leading awards. Looking at them closely is more informative than treating the cutoff count as a verdict on an entire aquascaping community.
A clear route through planted banks can feel quiet; a coloured ridge beneath a dark frame can feel theatrical. The four Italian photographs selected for this study offer both experiences. Together, they make a useful contemporary comparison with an archive that once placed particular emphasis on calm, enduring-looking compositions.
The four American photographs selected here all contain important wood structures, yet they do not produce one uniform wooded scene. A broad canopy, a low diagonal, a fine-leaved light window and an exposed timber subject organise attention differently. That variation lets us discuss design diversity through specific decisions rather than a broad national label.
A dark wooded frame, a rocky valley, a brighter mixed scene and green-covered root contours make this German selection particularly useful for comparison. The photographs share an interest in separating materials from the water around them, but achieve it through different outlines and lighting relationships.
Dense foliage, planted wood ridges and a low central route create different senses of distance in this four-work selection. The photographs are particularly rewarding when viewed through changes in leaf shape and planting height. They offer a present-season comparison with an archive that once described both graceful composition and more contemporary experimentation.
Three Thai aquariums in the published Top 300 present contrasting visual priorities. MAGIC LEAVES makes the water surface a signature; another work carries a route beneath planted arches; a third exposes rock peaks against rounded greenery. This small group gives a useful reason to look beyond the first shared award photograph.
The four Indonesian works published at ranks 1–300 offer a compact comparison. A coloured surface canopy, a dominant trunk, a dense grove and a wood-and-rock opening all reward close attention. The small group makes it possible to examine every represented work in this range, while keeping the conclusions specific to this season and cutoff.
A bright gap between broad wood layers, a fine-leaved canopy and a conspicuous individual fish offer three different entrances to this Malaysian selection. The photographs invite attention to the space inhabited by fish as well as the hardscape around it. They also show why a creator’s reputation and a new aquarium’s visual decisions should be discussed separately.
Enchanted Hills offers an immediately recognisable rock valley, with coloured planting and fish in bright water. Three other selected Brazilian photographs build their scenes around substantial wood. Seeing them together is a useful way to revisit a familiar label without asking individual creators to fit a single national recipe.
A pale path through hanging roots and a bright interval between exposed rocks can both make an aquarium feel spacious. Japan’s 2026 selection is rewarding because it places these different approaches beside richly planted foregrounds and coloured slopes. Six photographs offer a practical way to discuss variety within a familiar Nature Aquarium heritage.
The Grand Prize photograph gives this study an obvious first stop, but the comparison becomes richer when it reaches beyond the winner. Six selected aquariums show different ways of framing light with wood: unequal trunks, fine leaf curtains, successive arches and repeated vertical roots. Their interest lies in how each arrangement keeps a densely constructed scene readable.
Vietnam’s two leading 2026 awards both invite us into wooded environments. That is an interesting starting point for revisiting an archive which once associated the country strongly with stone. The most useful reading is not that one material has defeated the other. Six selected photographs show several ways of organising planted ground, open water and the route into a scene.
The CIAC 2026 Aquascaping Category results have received an official update. A results sheet distributed by the organising committee on 14 October lists ranks 14–119, extending the ranking information available beyond the image cards previously covered by AquaLibs.
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