Re: [AGA Contest] A straw dog

["S. Hieber" <shieber@yahoo.com>]

--- roger <roger@spinn.net> wrote:
> On Fri, 23 Apr 2004 12:02:32 -0700 (PDT), S. Hieber wrote
> > . . . a category where the entries are
> > intended to be only biotopes. . . is much narrower
> than
> > the original cat.
> 
> If you take Erik's recollection that by the original
> design "natural
> aquariums" were just poor-mans biotopes then it really
> doesn't narrow things
> down.  

Whatever Erik might have meant at the time, I think the
lesser biotopes are just the kinds of entries we're talking
about as regionally thematic or mutil-cross-biotope, etc.
So I think the  extent of loss could significant.


> If we are actually clear about the definition then
> it might narrow the
> scope a little because people who had a different concept
> of "natural
> aquariums" might not enter.  That might be a good thing. 

Yes, I curse the term ;-or haven't you guessed ;-)

> Losing a few entries
> would be a bad thing.  

You mean "would" or "wouldn't?" With only a handful to
start with, a few is like, maybe, the majority of them.
But maybe the cleanest thing is give the guidance and hope
to move the themers towards the other end of the spectrum.


> > . . .Dutch styles from American and Amano styles,
>> 
> I don't think those styles are defined well enough to
> separate them into
> categories.


Hmmm, I think we could do as good a job at that -- it's the
numbers that bother me.  There is probably nothing more
defined in aquascaping than the dutch tank -- rules enough
to fill yin and yang (just trying to keep with your Laotse
theme, Roger ;-)  ).

Amano style is one of those you you know it when you see it
things -- probably as well defined for some judges as any
specific biotope although certainly more a subjective
judgement.

But I'm not arguing that we make those diff cats. My point
is that it's not all that much easier to separate the
biotopes, etc. unless you're drawing a hard and fast line
at the perfect and near perfect, pure, whatever you want to
call the very narrow class.

Maybe the guidance will move the themers to be more
biotopotypical.  I see an improved Biotopish category with
the guidance and probably fewer entries. Maybe some of
those will go to the size cats, maybe they'll just choose a
diff tank.

Well, however narrow the category becomes, it will probably
still beat paludarium for number of entries -- especially
if Senske submits as heavily in one as the other.

Btw, are we going to create a Senske cat? We could limit it
to tanks designed buy the Senske's or their staff,
regardless of owner. I know that sounds like a narrowly
restrictive cat but in terms of number of entries . . . 
Naw, if we did that we'd lose half our paludariums and
biotopoes  ;-)

sh

=====
-  -   -   -   -   -   -   -
Field Trip to the Baltimore Aquarium and The Aquarium Center
First event of the AGA Annual Convention Nov 12, 13 & 14; 
Details & Registration at www.aquatic-gardeners.org  & www.gwapa.org


        
                
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