Re: Olga's comments

[George Booth <booth@lvld.hp.com>]

Now that James is out taking a walk ...

Olga wrote:
> Yes... I think it is a good idea to separate the two things [Showcase and 
> Contest]. I think that we should judge planted aquascapes only and showcase 
> *everything*. I think this should be clear on the entry form. And yes, 
> it settles the issue of whether to include an entry in the contest.

Yes, agreed. Cast it in concrete. All except the loaded phrase "planted 
aquascape". 

> I believe this to be a fairer option than having everyone enter the contest   
> and weighting results towards planted tanks. 

I'm having trouble with "planted tanks only".  Olga and I both have the same 
style of tanks so I think we agree on what *we* think a planted tank should 
look 
like. Densely planted, appealing arrangement of diverse colors, textures, 
heights, etc. Nicely aquascaped in the Dutch school but not quite as static or 
manicured and with some interesting fish. 

But should this be the entry requirement in the judged contest?  This leads to 
a 
mess of rules such as "More than 10 plants per gallon", "2:1 ratio of green to 
red plants", "no more than 5% visible algae", "roots at least 2 cm long", etc. 
Ludicrous at best. 

I've seen a stunning tank with a single Echinodorus bleheri and nothing else. 
It 
inspired our obsession with planted tanks. Would not this be considered an 
"aquatic garden"?  

On the other hand, consider Steve Pushack's tanks. I consider his tanks as 
being 
the epitome of what the AGA stands for - "Growing Plants Underwater". Not much 
consideration given to aesthetics. I've heard of many senior members of the AGA 
that are as proud of their <aquatic plant> growing in a gallon jar on the 
window 
sill as they are of an Olga-George style tank. Maybe more so.  

As James points out: 

>To quote from the AGA website, the organization's stated Purpose is:
> - to disseminate information about aquatic plants.
> - to study and improve upon techniques for culturing aquatic and bog plants 
>   in aquariums and ponds.
> - to increase interest in aquatic gardening.
> - to promote fellowship among its members.

I'm having trouble spotting the "aquascaping" part there. I can't find much 
mention of creating appealing and artistic aquariums. All I see is "aquatic 
farming and having a good time".  This is one reason I think the AGA MC (Master 
Control?) is unsuited to sponsor this contest/showcase. Let them sponsor a 
competition for the "Best Fertilizer Recipe" or the "Best Lighting for Under 
$10". 

Oh, sorry, I forgot, the issue of AGA involvement is CLOSED!!!!! When did we 
vote on that? 

If I remember right, this whole idea started with a discussion of "What is the 
North American style of Aquascaping?" Shouldn't we stick more with that than 
"how well does your garden grow"?  Lean a bit more towards "Whoa! Cool tank, 
Dude!" than "H. polysperma grows 4.7 cm per week without CO2".  

George "now *I* need to take a walk"
Very much an ex-member of the AGA




 

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