Dimensions 59 × 20 × 15 cm
Title By the Sea
Volume 17.7L
Background Frosted window film
Lighting Chihiros RGB60
Filtration Eden 501
Plants Riccardia chamedryfolia, Bucephalandra sp. 'Kedagang Mini type 3', Utricularia graminifolia, Eleocharis acicularis, Myriophyllum sp. 'Guyana'
Animals Sundadanio axelrodi 'Blue' (15), Neocaridina davidi var. 'Blue Jelly' (20+), Clithon corona (5)
Materials Seiryu stones, Lava rocks, sand, gravel, peat
I am amazed at how you managed to pack all aspects of a majestic Iwagumi into such a small space.
The balance of structure and free space is extremely important. You give the viewer a lot of freedom. A good Iwagumi is in a sense a celebration of emptiness. It is empowered by its peaceful calm and simplicity.
The planting follows this agenda and so everything fits together to form a very pleasant overall picture.
Great and not at all ridiculous!
A classic iwagumi-style layout which draws more attention due to the slender and elongated proportions of the display.
A simple and elegant design but it could have been better if the rocks were more connected to each other especially the set on the left with the main stone (Oyaishi). The same applies to the big stone on the far right which has an inconvenient reflection on the right side glass.
Just one more comment about the pruning technique which let the cutting point pass a little making the bushes a little more rounded than necessary and a little higher than they should be as they even cover the rocks in some places unnecessarily.
In order to create a good iwagumi it takes more than anything else a great aesthetic sense and valuing the simplicity of things... less is more.
This is a work that has these characteristics and that fills my eyes and makes me very happy to see a beautiful iwagumi like this still participating in contests so dominated by dioramas and forests.
Amano Sensei is happy too.
My sincere congratulations.