I think it is a little bit of both, but without talent, availability is not important at all.

I've seen very very very beautiful tanks just using 1 type of plan or using plants that can be bought at any aquarium shop in NZ

IMO we have a good range here, you should be able to make something outstanding (and many people do) with what we have.

its more a "it would be nice" thing with more range.

I agree with both of these. We have a sufficient range of plants in NZL, any plants you see overseas can be substituted for one from our local range.

remember that one of the really popular ones "Cobra Grass"

is actually a NZ native, Lilaeopsis novozealandae

remember that one of the really popular ones "Cobra Grass"

is actually a NZ native, Lilaeopsis novozealandae

Remember that the even more popular one "Glosso"

is actually a NZ native, Glossostigma elatinoides.

hrmmm did not know that one....

wonder how many more are floating around

I have heard there is a range of native crypts as well

I have heard there is a range of native crypts as well

What!!! Gimme Gimme Gimme!

How do people scape a tank when entering a competion? is it all set up months in advance and maintained, this is something that has always confussed me

How do people scape a tank when entering a competion? is it all set up months in advance and maintained, this is something that has always confussed me

Most enter with the competition in mind and try to replicate a nature scene found terrestrially. Then about a month before the competition they make sure the scape is looking clean, trim the plants back into shape and wait for them to grow a little so it doesn't look too artificial. There's a rule in some competitions forbidding photos of the aquarium to be reproduced before the competition which leads to much secrecy and ruins the fun of aquascaping IMO.

so they take photos of there tanks at home/work/display etc?

Most are home aquariums but there are a few professionals that do it for a job alongside their aquascaping business, Takashi Amano, Oliver Knott, etc.

I see, is there competions that are run in big halls, like bird and cat shows? if there is how do they sort there tanks, plants and fish then?

Not that I know of. It's very difficult to transport established tanks without disturbing the layout. At the aquascaping parties they simply display the photos on a large screen and sometimes have hardscape layout competitions for fun.

Thats what I thought as well. moving a fully established tank must suck! Hence why I have been so confuzzeled on the whole situation

I always thought they send in an independent photographer for the final entry pics

I always thought they send in an independent photographer for the final entry pics

Not always possible with international competitions, the logistics and expense of that would be crazy. There have been a few (rare) cases of people editing their photos, not just colour balancing and light correction either, adding more plants and/or fish which is against the rules.

I think the layout is quite cool in this tank, but look at the fish! Wow

http://www.barrreport.com/showthread.ph ... phone-pics

they had to have been added just for the photo.

awesome tank though

I don't think that they were added just for the photo. Although he did end up removing them and put cardinals in the tank instead

They look so out of place, not to mention ugly :lol:

Yeah I must admit that they are a bit ugly in a planted tank, but it is still pretty cool that he is having success with them. In the thread he said that they are breeding in there and that he has lots of fry.

120x45x45cm

180x60x60cm Iwagumi by George Lo

120x45x60cm by Amano

ooooh thats nice, whats the light green plant poking up through the moss??

Thats real pertty !drool: !drool:

ooooh thats nice, whats the light green plant poking up through the moss??

Looks like Hydrocotyle but click the image to go to the thread it's in 8)