Most Important Aquascaping Contests that Exist Today
1. The International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest
Put together by ADA, the International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest or IAPLC, is the most important international aquascaping contest.
With a great number of participants from around the world, in 2013 there were 2164 applications from 57 countries. You can see all the previous rankings here.
At the end of each contest, the IAPLC publishes a booklet containing pictures of all the entries submitted.
Among the jurors of the IAPLC we find great aquarists like:
- Adam Paszczela / Poland – Owner of Aquarius & Aquadam
- Adip Sajjan Raj / India – President of Still Water Aquatics
- Albert Connelly, Jr. / U.S.A. – Publisher of Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine and TFH Publications
- André Longarço / Brazil – Business manager of Aquabase Aquapaisagismo
- Gireg Allain / France – Chief editor of AQUAmag magazine
- Jiangang Diao / China – President of Beijing ADA Nature Aquarium World Gallery
- Oliver Mengedoht / Germany – Chief editor of aquaristik magazine
- Shogo Yamaguchi / Japan – Chief executive of AQUA LIFE magazine
- Yu-Fa Huang / Chinese Taipei – President of Easy Trading Co.,Ltd.
- Yusuke Homma / Japan – ADA SUIKEI Creator
The application for the 2023 edition is now close on May 31, 2023. The grand prize will be JPY1,000,000 (9556 USD). You can submit your aquascape on their website.
2. AGA Aquascaping Contest
One of the most prestigious aquascaping contests is run by the Aquatic Gardeners Association, an international nonprofit organization of aquatic plant enthusiasts.
Their online aquascaping contest has been going on for 14 years now. Check out the latest results here.
3. CBAP – The Brazilian Aquascaping Contest
Taken from their website:
The Brazilian Aquascaping Contest or CBAP is a contest created by Aquarismo Online [AqOL] Portal. Its first edition was in 2004, currently the most important aquascaping contest in Latin America. Besides its huge representativity in Brazil, CBAP is one of the first aquascaping contest worldwide, behind only IAPL Contest created by ADA from Japan and AGA Contest created by Aquatica Gardeners Association from the USA.
Since its creation, the contest grows every year. In 2012, it confirmed its position in the international calendar of aquascaping contests, getting international entries in a specific foreigners category.
In 2010, the CBAP overcame the virtual world with the publishing of its results in a annual awards celebration. This results are kept in confidence up to that moment. After this publishing, the results are shared in the official contest website, social networks and a lot of aquarium websites that follow the CBAP along the year.
In 2013, the annual awards celebration was named EBA (Aquarium Brazilian Convention) and gathered not only aquascapers but also aquarists from different fields among freshwater and saltwater hobbyists. At EBA the are lectures, workshops, mini courses among others for aquarists, a true brazilian aquarium party! The first EBA edition was held in Campinas city, since then, every year, after a careful analysis, a brazilian city is chosen to be the EBA party host.
More info on their website.
4. IIAC – ISTA International Aquascaping Contest (Taiwan)
Taken from their website:
ISTA is one of the most well-known Taiwanese brands in the world, and we consider ourselves as the leader in the aquascaping field. Promoting aquascaping is always one of our missions.
Taiwanese hobbyists have won many awards in several world-class competitions, so we feel the need of hosting an international aquascaping contest in Taiwan. ISTA International Aquascaping Contest is the very first time Taiwan launching a worldwide contest, which opens to everyone and free of charge.
More info here.
5. Korea Aquascape Association
Taken from their website:
KIAC (Korea International Aquascaping Contest) is an aquascaping contest organized by KAA (Korea Aquascape Association) since 2018. It was a Korean-only event until 2021 and has expanded to an international event from 2022.
We hope it will be a festival that recognizes it as a field of art beyond a hobby and grows together by enjoying each other’s works rather than competing. Please enjoy the work of the artist’s philosophy and visual beauty with other participants.
More info here.
6. EAPLC – European Aquatic Plants Layout Contest
Goals of the EAPLC Contest:
- Fostering the trend of Nature Aquariums and Aquascaping within Europe and Inspiring more young people to take on the hobby of a Aquaristics.
- Promotion of the partnership and exchange between European Aquascapers
7. Hungarian Aquascaping Contest
This contest is held once a year and the jurors are 3 known hungarian aquascapers: Neder Attila, Balázs Farkas and Viktor Lantos.
More info on their website: hac-aquascaping-contest.com.
8. The Great Indian Aquascaping Contest
An annual national aquascaping awards show which recognizes India’s best aquascapers in many different categories. More info here.
9. Romanian Aquascaping Contest
The Romanian Aquascaping Contest is at it’s first edition and hoping to become an early competition starting with 2014. You can submit pictures to one of the following 3 categories:
- Planted Aquariums
- Cichlid Aquariums
- Reef Aquariums
The total value of prizes amounts to over 1500 euros and lucky winners will receive plant fertilizers, lighting bulbs, external filters and many other aquatic goodies.
The jury comprises of well known romanian aquarists like: Alex Veres, Radu Carburean, Lucian Cumpata, Lazar Ginel, Ricardo David and many others.
The submission period starts on May 1st and ends on June 30. The month of July will be reserved to the judging process and in August the winners will be presented.
More info here.