Aquatic Art

IAPLC 2017 - I made it!!

2017-05-31T16:52:00.002+08:00

My tank experience disaster last minute, considered lucky able to recover. I almost didn't make it.

1ft - Bridge

2017-03-28T14:08:00.002+08:00

My tiny little tank at office

Title: Bridge
Tank Size: 30x15x15cm
Light: 20W LED
Substrate: ADA Amazonia
Co2: Pressurize CO2 injection (1bps)
Filter: Eheim 2211 (300 l/h)

Flora:
- Fissidens fontanus
- Bucephalandra sp. Catherinae
- Hemianthus micranthemoides
- Ludwigia sp. super red
- Micranthemum umbrosa 'Monte Carlo'
- Utricularia graminifolia
- Spiky moss

Fauna:
- Hyphessobrycon amandae (Ember tetra)
- Neocaridina heteropoda var. 'red'

4ft - Work in progres

2017-02-22T14:56:00.005+08:00

Finally bought myself optiwhite 4x2x2ft with 15mm glass. Have not start to do anything yet, even though it is already end of February.

3ft - Reminiscence (2016)

2017-02-22T13:58:00.003+08:00

Sorry I haven't been updating blog for very-very long, I'm out of touch for about 2 years. I've been busy with office work and some family issue doesn't help me either.

My 2016 scape was inspired by scenery at Kamikochi during my Japan visit right after the 2014 NA party. Kamikochi is one of popular place in the Northern Japan Alps of Nagano Prefecture. It has spectacular mountain scenery with river/stream running in between.

The photo below was taken at around 6am, the temperature was -1C. We did not expect to be so cold and didn't bring any jacket. Actually didn't even aware it was below zero until when we get back to hotel for breakfast.

To be honest I did not expect much on my scape this time around due my limited time working on the scape. Fortunately I still manage to get top 100, world rank 47 of IAPLC 2016. However, surprisingly I won the Sumida Aquarium award. I was so shock when they called my name. I froze for few moment looking left, right and the screen to confirm whether it is real or just my imagination.

Sumida Aquarium Award (the trophy is 20mm thick glass with my name on it)

Here it is "Reminiscence" IAPLC 2016 world rank 47

3ft - Hopes

2015-11-11T10:24:00.001+08:00

There was a question about how the rocks being stack up. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the step. Too much work with so little time. It is tough to prevent 3yrs old son to stay away during my scaping work, taking photos of the step exponentially increase the time needed to complete the scape.

I have only the final pic before planting.

AGA International Aquascaping Contest 2015 results is out

2015-11-09T14:21:00.000+08:00

You can find the result here

So far I can only find 4 participants from Singapore

Under 28L category:

28L to 60L category:

120L to 200L category:

3ft - Hopes

2015-09-01T08:50:00.000+08:00

World rank #46 out of 2545 participants from 69 countries.

Flora:
- Aridarium caulescens var. angustifolium
- Bucephalandra sp. Catherinae
- Eleocharis parvula
- Fissidens fontanus (US fissiden)
- Hemianthus micranthemoides
- Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'
- Microsorium pteropus 'Narrow'
- Taxiphyllum barbieri
- Taxiphyllum sp. (spiky moss)
- Vesicularia montagnei (christmas moss)

Fauna:
- Corydoras habrosus
- Hyphessobrycon amandae (Ember tetra)
- Neocaridina heteropoda var. 'red'
- Otocinclus affinis

Some detail snapshot:

IIAC 2015

2015-06-19T20:01:00.003+08:00

ISTA International Aquascaping contest with US$10,000 for Grand Prize.
http://www.iiac.com.tw/en/index.php

AGA 2015

2015-06-02T19:00:00.000+08:00

AGA 2015 is open on June 1st, 2015. Closing date line September 13th.

http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/Enter/

DIY Lily Pipe Magnet Cleaner

2015-04-06T13:49:00.000+08:00

I've been using flexible brush (Marina cleaning brush) to clean my lily pipe but every time it always give me a fright of breaking the glass. The brush is not flexible enough especially around the corner. I come up with an idea of using magnet to clean the inner lily pipe. It is not new idea, I saw people DIY magnet glass cleaner using 2 magnets and wrap one of them with filter wool. Using the same idea by wrapping small metal, small enough to fit inside lily pipe, with filter wool and use magnet to move it around.

What you need:
Ball bearing, filter wool and strong magnet. I use about 5mm diameter ball bearing. Ball bearing size can be different depending on you lily pipe inner diameter. I got the strong magnet from broken 3.5" hard drive.

Slice the filter wool. I cannot use the whole wool because it is too thick, cannot fit the tube.

Wrap the ball bearing with filter wool

Tie it and cut away the excess and that about it.

Test run, cleaning curve section of lily pipe

and cleaning straight section of lily pipe

Present from Thailand

2015-02-26T18:25:00.000+08:00

I got present from Thailand, coincidentally it arrived exactly on my birthday. Thank you AAC organizer!!

Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo'

2015-02-26T18:18:00.002+08:00

Look how thick Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' growth without sign of yellowing at the bottom. Unlike my previous favorite carpet plant, HC.

IIAC (ISTA International Aquascaping Contest) 2015

2015-02-02T08:38:00.000+08:00

New international competition from Taiwan (http://www.iiac.com.tw/index.php).

Very promising event, it could even be better that IAPLC. Judges, scoring method and prizes are already better than IAPLC. There are 13 Judges, all top scapers around the world unlike IAPLC judges who some of them don't even know how to scape. Submission open 1st February, close 31st July. The interesting part, it is accepting 5 works for each participants unlike IAPLC only 1 work per participants. Another interesting part is the scoring method, the highest and lowest score will be deducted and calculate the mean as final scores. The result will be announced 1st November. Lets see how it goes, looking forward to it.

Very promising event, it could even be better that IAPLC.

Prizes:
Grand Prize: US$ 10,000 + Metal Plate + Certificate
Gold Prize: US$ 3,000 + Metal Plate + Certificate
Silver Prize: US$ 1,500 + Metal Plate + Certificate
Bronze Prize: US$ 1,000 + Metal Plate + Certificate
Merit Prize: US$ 500 + Metal Plate + Certificate
Honorable Mention (6th - 10th): US$ 300 + Metal Plate + Certificate
Winning Work (11th - 20th): US$ 150 + Metal Plate + Certificate
Nomination Work (21st - 50th): US$50 + Certificate

LED Floodlight For Planted Tank

2015-01-08T19:11:00.001+08:00

Using 20W LED floodlight for my 1ft tank. It is very easy to do, everyone should be able to DIY, just need to extent the wire to the wall socket. On second thought, I should not classify it as DIY :p

PAR reading for various light on the same tank:
20W LED 15cm from water surface.
- 1cm above water: ~201 umol
- water surface: ~169 umol (sensor fully submerge)
- 20cm below water: ~66 umol

6.5W LED WEIPRO 7cm from water surface.(120 small LED inside)
- 1cm above water: ~67 umol
- water surface: ~55 umol (sensor fully submerge)
- 20cm below water: ~18 umol

55W PL Aquasonic Fluorescent 7cm from water surface.
- 1cm above water: ~267 umol
- water surface: ~244 umol (sensor fully submerge)
- 20cm below water: ~76 umol

Comparing all 3 lights, WEIPRO 6.5W LED is pretty much useless for planted tank. I surprise ho fast the PAR reading drop on the Fluorescent light, at the bottom surface it is pretty much same intensity as 20W LED. It is not practical but just for curiosity, I measure 7cm under 20W LED and PAR reading was 558umol.

You can also do something like below which my friend did on his 3ft tank

Last scape for year 2014

2014-12-31T17:29:00.000+08:00

Happy New Year everyone!!!

Posting my last scape for the year 2014. Its an office nano tank. Tank size 1.3ft, roughly around 40x20x20cm (16 liters or 4.2 gallons). Substrate using ADA Amazonia as usual, I don't trust any other brand. For the light, I'm using 20W LED flood light. It does not look pretty but sufficient for the job.

Front tank shot:

Some snapshots

Flora:
- Fissidens fontanus
- Bucephalandra Catherinae
- Hemianthus micranthemoides
- Monte Carlo
- Utricularia graminifolia
- Spiky moss
- Bolbitis
- Ludwigia sp super red

Fauna:
- Hyphessobrycon amandae (Ember tetra)
- Neocaridina heteropoda var. 'red'

AGA 2014 Present

2014-11-28T09:26:00.002+08:00

Received early Christmas present from AGA.

My AGA ribbon collection so far

AGA participants from Singapore:
< 28L:

28L to 60L:

60L to 120L:

120L to 200L:

200L to 320L:

Biotope:

NA Party 2014

2014-11-24T15:20:00.000+08:00

Some pictures of me taken during NA party 2014

3ft - Hope FTS

2014-11-03T17:11:00.000+08:00

IAPLC 2014 NA party was offer, below is my tank front tank shot rank #16 out of 2320 participants from 64 countries.

3ft - Hope

2014-09-20T21:07:00.003+08:00

This is my IAPLC 2014 submitted tank. I was shock when IAPLC committee decided to change the rule so late. Normally in any competition that I knew of, judging rule was finalize before the competition start, so that the participant can scape their tank according to the rule. Never the less, I considered my self lucky to be able to get rank #16.

Unfortunately I cannot post the FTS (Front Tank Shot) now, at least until 26 October 2014 after the IAPLC party. It is nothing new, something that ADA have been requested to all high ranker tank. Be patient and wait, in the meat time I post some snap shot of the tank.

Some mini fern.

US fissiden sticking on the rock with male cherry shrimp grassing on it.

Unknown plant from Borneo, in between Staurogyne and rock. Come together hitchhike on the Bucephalandra shipment. It has been with me for 2 years and its growing despite very slow.

edit: friend told me it is Aridarium caulescens var. angustifolium

Lone Trigonostigma espei lost in the jungle.

Closed up of one of the Trigonostigma espei

Water fall

2ft - Tranquillity

2014-09-16T12:37:00.002+08:00

I was give some special rocks from Borneo, nice rocks but the color kind of yellow-orange bright make it difficult to scape. So I try to make Iwagumi scape using it, with bright color plants.

Flora:
- Glossostigma elatinoides
- Staurogyne repens
- Ranunculus inundatus

Fauna:
- Sundadanio axelrodi
- Neocaridina heteropoda var. 'red'

This is what the rocks look before cover by algae which make it slightly greenish.

3ft - Jungle

2014-09-16T12:32:00.000+08:00

My 3ft Jungle scape. I was experimenting with a mountain behind seeing trough the jungle canopy but it fail. Does not get the look what I want.

Flora:
- Anubias nana petite,
- Bolbitis heudelotii,
- Eleocharis parvula,
- Fissidens fontanus,
- Fissidens sp. mini,
- Glossostigma elatinoides,
- Microsorium pteropus 'narrow'
- Myriophyllum mattogrossense,
- Rotala sp. goias,
- Sagitaria subulata,
- Staurogyne repens,
- Taxiphyllum sp. (spiky moss),
- Taxiphyllum sp. (flame moss)

Fauna:
- Caridina japonica,
- Hemigrammus rodwayi,
- Neocaridina heteropoda var. 'red',
- Sundadanio axelrodi

Some close snap shots

IAPLC 2014 Official Result is Out

2014-08-26T16:07:00.000+08:00

IAPLC result is out http://en.iaplc.com/results14/index.html

Mine highlighted in red

Below are the list of participants from Singapore, congratulation to all participants

16 Mine
243 Roger Goh
304 Wan Ling Kau
306 Eric Tay
347 Terence Tan
831 郑伟樑
854 Yew Kiat Tan
1161 Kenny Ong
1184 Victor Lee
1274 Zhao Peng
1351 陆庆文
1395 Cindy Ting
1492 Emmanuel Woon
1513 Tai Leong Lee
1516 Yvonne Sequerah
1530 Anne
1652 張良意
1668 Shaogong Ivan Sng
1676 林庆文
1748 Felix Goh
1809 Su Chai Ngu
1838 Kenny Oh
1898 Bryan Teo

IAPLC 2014 New Judging Criteria (Non Official)

2014-08-17T09:06:00.002+08:00

Since ADA have not publish the new criteria in English, I asked Karen Randall via facebook if she can share the new criteria.

Below are the new criteria:
50 points: recreation of a natural habitat for fish
10 points: long term maintenance of layout work
10 points: creator's technical skill
10 points: originality and impression of layout work
10 points: presentation of natural atmosphere in layout work
10 points: overall composition and planting balance

Edit 26 August 2014:
The official grading criteria is out http://en.iaplc.com/about/grading.html

Cut and Paste below:

The New IAPLC Judging Criteria effective from IAPLC2014

The IAPLC Steering Committee reviewed the judging criteria and revised them effective from IAPLC2014, which is considered to be a good timing since the contest received a record number of entries. We did so also for the reason of returning to the basics to rethink how planted aquarium should be.

For the parameters in the judging criteria, a focus is placed on “recreation of fish habitat” which is deeply associated with the origin of planted aquarium.

These new judging criteria do not limit the scope of layout expression of contestants. Their objective is to clearly define an essential feature of planted aquarium; recreating within a tank an environment conducive to fish survival.

Total Score (100 points)
* Each work is scored on “Recreation of natural habitat for fish” (50 points) and 5 other components (10 points each, total of 50 points).

① Recreation of natural habitat for fish (Maximum 50 points)
・Evaluation of layout work as healthy fish habitat
・Expression of underwater environment in layout work
・General condition of fish and aquatic plants in layout work
・Evaluation of layout work if corresponding type, size, physiology and ecology of fish

② Long-term maintenance of layout work (Maximum 10 points)
・Chance of maintaining the aquascape for a long period of time
・Screening of whether or not the expression shown in the layout photo is a temporary one which was produced only for photographing.

③ Creator’s technical skills (Maximum 10 points)
・Evaluation of comprehensive techniques in creating and maintaining layout work

④ Originality and impression of layout work (Maximum 10 points)
・Evaluation of creator’s originality and creativity
・Perfection and attractiveness of layout work

⑤ Presentation of natural atmosphere in layout work (Maximum 10 points)
・Expression of layout work concerning natural ecosystem
・Presentation of a sense of time’s passage
・Evaluation of creator’s interpretation of nature

⑥ Overall composition and planting balance (Maximum 10 points)
・Completeness of layout composition
・Evaluation of the balance of planting

[Disqualified Works]
- Same work as past years
Based on the contest rules and regulations, “It shall be unpublished work, created by the applicant him/herself, and photographed within a year”.

-Duplicate application
Based on the contest rules and regulations, “Only one work can be submitted by one person”.
As it was found to be duplicated, IAPLC steering committee contacted the applicant to confirm just one entry of work.

- Same work registered under several different applicant names (e.g. same photo, or same layout photographed from different angles)
Based on the contest rules and regulations, “It shall be unpublished work created by the applicant him/herself”. IAPLC steering committee contacted the applicant to confirm just one entry of work.

- Entry works which are hard to identify as planted aquarium.
Based on the contest rules and regulations, “A work which could hurt the dignity of this contest may be disqualified”.

IAPLC 2014: My Rank

2014-08-16T10:48:00.001+08:00

My 2014 rank. I was worry for a second because of the new judging criteria. You can read the new criteria in Japanese (http://jp.iaplc.com/about/grading.html). The English version not out yet though

IAPLC 2014: I Received My Letter

2014-08-15T22:44:00.000+08:00

Finally received my rank letter, need to be mentally prepared before I open.