[TheStoriesOfTop7] Towards The Sun - Nguyen Minh Toan / VietNam - IAPLC 2018

07 May 2024

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The Gold prize-winning layout is acclaimed with its strong sense of depth created by the dynamic concave composition. The view of the deep valley eroded by floods with a sinkhole behind it is the highlight of the layout, and the schooling fish and ripples on the water's surface create a sensation as if the land once again sunk under the water. The layout is elaborately crafted with much care put into the details, but has less challenging plant arrangement with a common combination of mosses and epiphytic plants

[TheStoriesOfTop7] Towards The Sun - Nguyen Minh Toan / VietNam - IAPLC 2018

"Toward The Sun" by Mr. Minh Toan Nguyen from Vietnam took 2nd Place (Gold Prize.) While no judge selected this layout as their Best Aquarium, five judges counted at the primary screening. Since the layout has a stable composition and is constructed carefully down to minute details using shade aquatic plants primarily, it makes a very tranquil impression. It seems to have led to a consistent review by the judges without being influenced by judges' individual preferences. On the other hand, the cave-like construction, hanging vines, and the heavy use of mosses and ferns are the typical components of many high-ranking layouts in recent years. One can say that this layout brought together all these elements prudently. However, the creator's compositional skill is great and the layout captivates viewers. Although it is difficult to tell from the photograph, sporadically placed Bucephalandra must look quite charming in the actual aquascape, and the creator's enthusiasm can be felt in various places of the photograph

IAPLC 2018 Gallery - Look back history - World Ranking 0002 - Gold Prize

Towards The Sun

Author: Nguyen Minh Toan / VietNam

Aquarium Size/W120×D60×H55 (cm)

Aquatic Plants

Bucephalandra sp.

Vesicularia ferriei

Taxiphyllum sp.

Jungermannia

Eleocharis parvula

Hygrophila pinnatifida

Fissidens splachnobryoides

Cryptocoryne parva

Anubias barteri var. nana

Bolbitis heudelotii

Bolbitis heteroclita "difformis"

Taxiphyllum alternans

Fish & Invertebrates

Paracheirodon axelrodi

Hemigrammus bleheri

AWARDS

World Ranking 0002 Gold Prize IAPLC 2018

Comments

It was that day, at 1pm, August 7th, 2018. I went home after finishing my work. When I started to get comfortable at home, I realized that someone had redirected the pumping pipe making the water going everywhere on the floor. I was very angry and mumbling about it while my dad was sitting still on a sofa and watching every single move of mine. When I was done fixing it, he started talking to me with a very soft voice: "are you calm yet? You've got a mail from ADA". At that moment, I just couldn't think of anything, ran right away to the mail box to check it and saw an EMS envelope which was sent from ADA Japan. I couldn't feel anything, my legs, my arms... and my anxiety. I knew that I had just got to the top 7 in IAPLC 2018. I was so happy that I jumped up and down for more than a hundred times, which almost broke my legs, screamed as loud as I could: "TOP SEVEN!" making my mom awake from her nap. My dad didn't really catch what is going on haha! I called my wife right after that to tell her what I'd just got. I didn't open it just yet. I put it at a very honorable place in my house and went out for celebration with my family. 9:30 pm, we were back home. I started to take the mail out and then nervously opened it while my family siting around. IT WAS RANKING 2, GOLD PRIZE!!! We couldn't keep it and just get lost for this happiness. That will be one of the most memorable moments of my life.

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