Dimensions 150 × 60 × 50 cm
Title The serenity of Giethroon village
Volume 450L
Lighting Chihiros WRGB 120 1 set
Filtration Canister : Crazy Stone CS-1400 1 set
Plants 1.Eriocaulon Vietnam
2.Bacopa colorata
3.Lobelia cardinalis ‘Drawf’
4.Ludwigia inclinata var. verticillata ‘Cuba’
5.Pogostemon erectus
6.Limnophila aquatica ‘Giant Ambulia’
7.Hygrophila corymbosa
8.Aponogeton crispus
9.Myriophyllum sp. Guyana
10.Staurogyne repens
11.Cryptocoryne wendtii brown mini
12.Cyperus helferi
13.Juncus repens
14.Ludwigia sp.’Mini super red’
15.Hydrogotyle tripartita
16.Bucephalandra pygmaea ‘Wavy green’
17.Rotala macrandra green
18.Vallisneria nana
Animals 15 Paracheirodon axelrodi
10 Hemigrammus rodwayi
5 Trigonostigma heteromorpho
5 Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
2 Macrotocinclus affinis
1 Carinotetraodon travancoricus
Neocaridina denticulata
Materials Substrate : Crazy Stone Amazon Soil + Raw Base
Additional Information Pressurized CO2, Fertilizers : TARA Fertilizers A,B and TARA Bio-Stimulants, Seachem Flourish Excel
As such it is a pity that the patch of Buce is not fully grown out yet. One other thing that strikes me here is that many of the plant groups appear to be squares. Try to make the groups more rounded it will bring a much smoother effect to the overall impression.
Well done though on many of the basics of the Dutch Style!
Plant health and composition are nearly perfect. The Lobelia street is executed beautifully. Very well developed mid ground. Good balance of stems and grasses. The aquarist could have easily added more red plants - but fortunately didn't! The trimming and plant groups are almost perfect.
I have a few minor complaints: the external lighting used to illuminate the Vallisneria used as a left curtain plant is distracting. There is an unintended mirroring effect with the Vallisneria + Aponogeton and the right curtain plant Cyperus + Cryptocoryne - this is causing symmetry. Also these four plants are grasses...it's generally a good idea to keep two grasses or rosette plants away from each other. The left quarter of the tank (Vallisneria Apogonogeton Bucephalandra and Rotala) seems somewhat blended into and undefined. The Hygrophila corymbosa appears freshly planted and somewhat ruffled as a result. I'd also like to see a hint of moss attached to the top of the back wall adding some texture to and covering part of the opaque slate colored wall. A black back wall would have reduced the need for a moss wall. And finally there is a general front left to top right flow in most of the plant groups - I've heard this is an unconscious bias amongst right-handed aquarists. I'm pointing out these trivial issues not because they are bothersome but because I think beginner and intermediate aquarists can learn from them.
It's clear that much thought and effort went into this entry. I hope the other judges agree with me and give it the top prize. I also hope this aquarist returns year after year with entries.
Congratulations!