EAPLC 2026 Aquascape Lessons by Tank Size: From Nano Focal Points to Large-Scale Perspective

09 November 2026

The official EAPLC 2026 results offer more than a list of category winners. They provide useful case studies in how composition, planting, hardscape, and livestock work together at different scales. These observations are not fixed rules or mandatory formulas, but practical ideas aquascapers can adapt to their own tanks.

EAPLC 2026 Aquascape Lessons by Tank Size: From Nano Focal Points to Large-Scale Perspective

How to study competition layouts

Begin by looking at the composition before examining individual plants. Ask where your eye lands first, how the hardscape directs it, and whether the aquarium feels open, dense, calm, or dramatic. Then study the relationship between hardscape, plant textures, background structure, and fish.

The EAPLC 2026 jury comments repeatedly address these relationships. They praise depth, harmonious planting, healthy growth, and natural movement, while also pointing out areas where a layout might benefit from more growing time, greater breathing room, or a refined detail. That makes the results valuable as a study guide rather than a formula to copy.

🏆 European Aquascaping Champion 2026

Florian Minnerop – Austria

Aquascape: Sundering
Title: European Aquascaping Champion 2026
Category: X-Large
Category Ranking: 1st Place
Aquarium: 120 × 50 × 50 cm

Nano tanks: one clear focal point and varied texture

The Nano category covers aquariums from 0 to 30 litres. In this limited space, a strong focal point can help the layout remain readable. Peter Chnúrik’s first-place aquascape, Where the Stone Opens, was described in the official results as having a strong focal point and a pleasing mix of plant textures. The same comment noted that the Anubias petite appeared not to have fully grown in, showing how plant maturity can affect a small composition.

Texture is especially useful when there is little room for large changes in scale. Different leaf shapes, moss, stone surfaces, and wood can create interest without filling every area with detail. In the Nano results, Adrian Cristian Asaftei’s third-place Hide and seek was praised for its sense of depth, harmonious hardscape, and moss-covered natural appearance. Petru Dirlau’s second-place Neverland was also noted for its mountain-like wood arrangement and detailed planting plan.

For a nano project, try to establish one dominant feature first. Add supporting textures only when they strengthen that feature. Leave enough visual separation for the focal point to remain easy to recognize.

Nano Category (0–30 L)

🥇 1st Place – Peter Chnúrik

Aquascape: Where the Stone Opens
Country: Slovakia
Aquarium: 40 × 20 × 25 cm

🥈 2nd Place – Petru Dirlau

Aquascape: Neverland
Country: Romania
Aquarium: 30 × 30 × 30 cm

🥉 3rd Place – Adrian Cristian Asaftei

Aquascape: Hide and seek
Country: Romania
Aquarium: 30 × 30 × 30 cm

Small and medium tanks: build depth, then control detail

Small aquariums, defined in the results as 31 to 60 litres, can support more layered structure but still punish clutter. Tomas Eichler’s first-place Small layout, Edge of Collaps, was praised for its three-dimensional hardscape, depth, and abundance of detail. Victor Costa Barber’s second-place Dreams of Xuquer River was recognized for its forest-scape background arrangement. These examples suggest that depth can come from both physical hardscape and carefully planned planting behind it.

The Medium category, from 61 to 100 litres, shows the importance of controlling that complexity. Adrian Cristian Asaftei’s first-place Out of the dark was praised for using the available space and for its impressive complexity, but the jury also suggested that more open space would allow the composition to breathe. That is a useful reminder that a tank can be technically full without being visually complete.

In medium layouts, dark tones, shadows, and plant maintenance can also shape the atmosphere. The jury highlighted these qualities in Takács Zoltán’s second-place Primeval, including its striking main wood, carefully maintained moss, and fish selection. When planning a small or medium tank, create a clear background structure, use overlapping forms to suggest distance, and remove details that compete with the main route through the composition.

Small Category (31–60 L)

🥇 1st Place – Tomas Eichler

Aquascape: Edge of Collaps
Country: Czech Republic
Aquarium: 60 × 30 × 30 cm

🥈 2nd Place – Victor Costa Barber

Aquascape: Dreams of Xuquer River
Country: Spain
Aquarium: 49 × 27 × 29 cm

🥉 3rd Place – Salvatore Scifo

Aquascape: GENESIS
Country: Italy
Aquarium: 45 × 27 × 30 cm

Medium Category (61–100 L)

🥇 1st Place – Adrian Cristian Asaftei

Aquascape: Out of the dark
Country: Romania
Aquarium: 75 × 35 × 34 cm

🥈 2nd Place – Takács Zoltán

Aquascape: Primeval
Country: Hungary
Aquarium: 60 × 35 × 35 cm

🥉 3rd Place – Francesco Giampaolo

Aquascape: Rebirth after the earthquake
Country: Italy
Aquarium: 60 × 30 × 36 cm

Large and X-Large tanks: perspective, space, and coordinated movement

As aquariums become larger, the challenge is not simply adding more hardscape. The layout needs a convincing sense of scale. In the Large category, the first-place Gravity was praised for its impressive hardscape and depth, with a central rock formation creating a dramatic visual effect. The results also highlighted the balanced use of leaf shapes, sizes, textures, and colors, as well as strong plant health and maintenance.

Perspective lines were an important feature in Bruno Fiorenza’s second-place Ithilien. The official comments praised its strong perspective, color accents, and lush growth despite its substantial hardscape. Agnieszka Schoeneck’s third-place Afterfall demonstrates another approach: the jury noted that its central composition worked well with moss-covered hardscape and complementary fish.

The X-Large results reinforce the value of movement through the scene. Florian Minnerop’s first-place Sundering, in a 120 × 50 × 50 cm aquarium, was praised for its balance of wood and stone, natural sand path, harmonious planting, and sense of flow. The jury described the rainbowfish as adding color without distracting from the composition, while one comment noted that the fish positioning in the final photograph could have been stronger. This is a useful distinction: fish should support the visual story, but their placement also matters when the aquarium is being presented in a single image.

For a large tank, use open areas as part of the design rather than treating them as unfinished space. Build depth with foreground, middle-ground, and background layers, then consider how fish movement will interact with the open routes and major forms.

Large Category (101–200 L)

🥇 1st Place – Adrian Cristian Asaftei

Aquascape: Gravity
Country: Romania
Aquarium: 100 × 50 × 40 cm

🥈 2nd Place – Bruno Fiorenza

Aquascape: Ithilien
Country: Italy
Aquarium: 100 × 50 × 40 cm

🥉 3rd Place – Agnieszka Schoeneck

Aquascape: Afterfall
Country: Poland
Aquarium: 90 × 45 × 45 cm

X-Large Category (201–300 L)

🥇 1st Place – Florian Minnerop

Aquascape: Sundering
Country: Austria
Aquarium: 120 × 50 × 50 cm
Special Award: European Aquascaping Champion 2026

🥈 2nd Place – Karsten Dünne

Aquascape: Unveiling
Country: Germany
Aquarium: 120 × 50 × 50 cm

🥉 3rd Place – Sławomir Szaniawski

Aquascape: Whispers of the Undergrowth
Country: Poland
Aquarium: 100 × 50 × 50 cm

2X-Large layouts: connect technical structure with restraint

The 2X-Large category covers aquariums of 301 litres or more. At this scale, hardscape construction and planting must work across a broad field of view. Marco Kowal’s first-place The Geometry of Weightlessness was recognized for technical mastery in hardscape work and refined plant layering. Luis Filipe Samora Cardoso’s second-place Beyond The Shadows was praised for its driftwood arrangement and plant selection and condition.

Pavol Kulanda’s third-place Drifting offers a strong example of how large forms can remain connected. The official comments describe an arch of elegant roots around a bright opening, with exposed stones, roots, and plants continuing one another’s shapes and directions. The layout was also praised for being rich in detail without feeling overcrowded or artificial.

That balance is central to large-scale aquascaping. A big aquarium can accommodate more layers, but every layer still needs a job. Use repeated directions to connect separate areas, preserve openings that give the eye somewhere to travel, and choose plants whose mature forms support the scale of the hardscape.

2X-Large Category (301+ L)

🥇 1st Place – Marco Kowal

Aquascape: The Geometry of Weightlessness
Country: Netherlands
Aquarium: 120 × 55 × 50 cm

🥈 2nd Place – Luis Filipe Samora Cardoso

Aquascape: Beyond The Shadows
Country: Portugal
Aquarium: 120 × 60 × 45 cm

🥉 3rd Place – Pavol Kulanda

Aquascape: Drifting
Country: England
Aquarium: 120 × 60 × 45 cm

Complete EAPLC 2026 Rankings

Congratulations not only to our category winners, but to every aquascaper who participated in EAPLC 2026!

You can find the complete rankings for all six categories in our official PDF document below.

Complete EAPLC 2026 Rankings

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