APSA 2014 Aquascaping Competition

APSA 2014 Aquascaping Competition


Hi Everyone, first off, thank you Rory for letting us post our competition here on TASA.

I would like to announce APSA's 2014 Aquascaping Competition!

This will be the first aquascaping competition of this scale to be held in SA and we would like to invite everyone who is interested in planted tanks to enter.

Amazing prizes to be won:
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd and honorary prizes available! Prize list will be uploaded once we have confirmed with our sponsors
- 1st place will win the APSA aquascaping floating trophy
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd and honorary prize ribbons will be sent to the respective winners!!

Please click on the banner for more information - detailed rules are being finalized but please do read through the thread to gather more information about this competition.


Submission deadlines for this competition is 1 Feb 2014 so get planning and planting!

One tank entry per person and entry is free!

Regards,
Richard & the APSA team

 

That sounds awesome!!! Aquatic plants here i come

 

hi @shihr,

What about Bio-types and hard-scapes? Is this aimed at the high-tech plant guys?

 

Its open to any kind of scape i would imagine but you probably stand a better chance if you emulate the scape in the above pic.

 

From what I can see biotopes would be fine, but hardscape-only tanks would fall foul of the "live aquatic plants" rule. This time round at least there aren't any separate categories, but if enough people send in biotopes maybe the next time there will be enough for a separate biotope category!

 

Count me in....Bazil nice tank

 

Hi Everyone,

No, there are no categories what so ever. as long as your tank is planted and has been growing so for a while, you are welcome to enter.

This definitely is not only for the high tech guys. Though your plants normally look better in a high tech environment, there are some awesome low tech's out there. The level of aquascaping isnt that high in SA so the whole point of this competition is to gain greater exposure for our hobby as well as to get people to gain greater experience in comps like this.

Please don't be discouraged if you have a low tech tank. Entry is free and its fun! Also, if we have a good amount of people entering good classic scapes this year, this event can grow bigger and bigger every year!

By the way, here are some tips though to get a good entry pic:

The day before the shoot you should:
1. scrub the whole tank to get it algae free.
2. Clean the glass
3. do a water change

this ensures that on the day of the shoot, your tank is settled..

on the day of the shoot
1. add more light
2. remove all the equipment
3. shoot when the leaves have all opened
4. take multiple shots and chose the best one with the fish looking the most natural
5. use a nice background so that the scape can be seen properly

these are just off the top of my head but following these steps will ensure a good entry!

just rem, judges have never seen your tank so you have to look at the pic and think "if someone who hasnt seen this tank sees this pic, does it properly depict what i have? " as long as you keep that in mind you should be ok

 

Good luck guys! If my tanks have grown in by then I will try submitting one of them. The one tank doesnt photograph well at all, I have even tried middle of the night photos.

 

What is the issue @Wyvren? is it reflections? u should try building a light box to block out all the reflections

 

@shihr - yea that is one of the issues the other is it is a dark tank
Those are the best I have managed so far.

 

pop on some cheap DIY CFL lights for the shoot! works awesome!

those clip on lamps work best!

 

Hmm I will see if I can get one to use

Thanks

 

I'm assuming getting some air movement from a fan, on the water surface, for a ripple effect isn't illegal either?

 

Use a hairdryer, not a fan. LOL!

 

But I have lots of fans, they ask for my autograph everyday.

 

wow.. that was quite corny one hehe..

no it isnt illegal. just no photochopping please colour adjusting and cropping is ok

 

I am keen on entering this tank Catch 22s cousin - Page 4 not sure about the outcome, but I am trying to fix the mistakes I made while doing this one F-fish's TPT Nano Dec2011


@shihr can I just keep updating the thread till 15 Jan 2014 or so, or would I need to stop posting any pics from the time of entry?

Later Ferdie

 

post as much as you like. the only picture you cant post is your entry pic

 

@Wyvren turn flash off, take the photo at night in a dark room, add more light inside the tank for the shoot watch your shutter speed, if it's too slow you will get blurry fish. hope it helps a little.

 

Rules, entry details etc available.. please go to the thread:
APSA 2014 competition!

here is the summary:

deadline for submissions is 1 March!! so get entering!!