aquascaping.am/Competitions/Winning entries

Winning entries · 2000 to 2025 · Four contests

Հաղթող աշխատանքները

Aquascaping winners and contest results

This is the index of every contest placing this site can verify from an official source. A person's name, country and every fact attached to them comes from the competition record and from nowhere else. Where the record carries a name and a placing and nothing more, the person is listed here and no page is built. That is not neglect. It is the difference between a reference and a rumour.

A placing in italics with no number is not a placing. The AGA ranks only its top three and shows entries 4 to 10 in tank volume order1. Those records carry no rank on this site and never will.

Time
Time, an aquascape by Jaesun Cho.조재선 · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized; uncropped.

The rule that governs this section

Միայն պաշտոնական գրառումից

Names come from the contest record, exactly as the contest wrote them.

Nothing here is inferred. Nothing is merged across spellings. Nothing comes from an interview, a forum post or a social account. Names keep their original script, their capitalisation and their diacritics, and we do not tidy them.

So "liang jin" stays lower case, "赵刚" stays in characters, and the Turkish spelling Serkan Çetinkol and the cedilla-less form the AGA database stores are both on record21 and neither is corrected into the other. IAPLC writes "Chinese Taipei" and "Hong Kong, China"6 and we reproduce those too, because a record is a record.

The hardest part of this rule is what it forbids. The research judged that "Josh Sim" and "Sim Kian Hong" are one person, and that "Dave Chow" and "Chow Wai Sun" are one person. Both were called strong inferences from the record rather than verified facts. Under this rule they are two records each, not one person, until a contest publishes the equivalence itself. Michael G.W. Wong is recorded as Hong Kong in one year and China in another1, and we print both without choosing.

A page is built only where the official record supplies at least four substantive fields beyond a name and a placing: tank dimensions, volume, plant or animal lists, hardscape, judge comments. Forty nine people clear that line. Forty five do not13, and their names are below with no link, which is the honest outcome rather than a stub page padded out with guesses.

The dataset, 2000 to 2025

117
verified placings
94
distinct names in the records
49
whose record carries real detail13
45
recorded and left alone13
12
records with no published placing1
6
pages built, the ones with the most official detail13
The counts differ slightly from the 94 distinct aquascapers in the eligibility file because a handful of records share a spelling within one contest year13. The eligibility file is the authority and it is published with the site data.
Cho Jaesun’s planted landscape
A planted landscape by Cho jaesun.Cho jaesun · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized; uncropped.

Pages

Էջեր

The ones with the most on record.

Chosen by counting, not by taste. These are the aquascapers with the highest number of substantive fields in the official record13, so anybody can rerun the selection and get the same names. Every one of them has tank dimensions, a plant list, an animal list and signed judge comments on at least one entry, which is the difference between a page worth reading and a name with a rank next to it.

Լուիս Կառլոս Գալառագա

Luis Carlos Galarraga

Five verified placings, two contests, eight years, and one tank footprint used over and over.

AGA, IAPLC · 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024 · 42 official fields13

Մայքլ Ջ. Վ. Վոնգ

Michael G.W. Wong

Two placings three years apart, and the contest records his country differently in each.

AGA · 2010, 2013 · 19 official fields13

Լիանգ Ջին

liang jin

Second place twice, two years apart, in the same tank, and the entry forms are filled in in Chinese.

AGA · 2021, 2023 · 19 official fields13

Ֆրոդե Ռո

Frode Roe

He took first and second place in the largest class of the very first contest, with two tanks the same size.

AGA · 2000 · 18 official fields13

Լուիս Կարդոզո

Luis Cardoso

Two Top Ten entries, and this site will not tell you where either of them placed, because the contest does not.

AGA · 2022, 2023 · 18 official fields13

Չժաո Գանգ

赵刚

First place in 2022 and third in 2023, filed under a name written only in Chinese characters.

AGA · 2022, 2023 · 18 official fields13

Everything held

All 117 placings, by contest.

Coverage is uneven and this site says so rather than hiding it. IAPLC before 2018 is Grand Prize only. The AGA is fourteen years of twenty six, but those fourteen carry more detail than everything else put together. CIAC is two years read off images. The biotope contest is one final, from a partner source.

AGA, 55 records

Fourteen years captured in detail. This is where every plant list, animal list, tank dimension and judge comment on the site comes from. An italic entry with no number finished somewhere between fourth and tenth and the contest does not say where1.

AGA placings held, as each contest recorded them1243
YearPlacingAquascaperCountryLayoutTankRecord
202531stMuhammad YusufIndonesiaVeins Of Nature 2120 x 50 x 50 cm, 300 LOfficial
202532ndDarushmarchianoIndonesiaBorneo120 x 45 x 45 cm, 243 LOfficial
202533rdLuis Carlos Ardid GalarragaBrazilGalaxy120 x 60 x 50 cm, 360 LOfficial
202534thMawan HudaIndonesiaSpring120 x 50 x 50 cm, 300 LOfficial
202441stLuis Carlos GalarragaBrazilGreat Wave120 x 60 x 45 cm, 324 LOfficial
202442ndIsmael Aguilar SoriaSpainRolling River120 x 60 x 55 cm, 396 LOfficial
202443rdDong Jin ShinSouth KoreaMeteor150 x 60 x 60 cm, 540 LOfficial
202311stJuan PuchadesSpainRadiance150 × 65 × 55 cm, 536LOfficial
202312ndliang jinChinazenith120 × 60 × 50 cm, 359LOfficial
202313rd赵刚China向往120 × 60 × 45 cm, 323.9LOfficial
20231Top TenLuis CardosoPortugalFlow of Nature120 × 60 × 45 cm, 323LOfficial
202211st赵刚China未知的家园 (The Unknown Home)120 × 60 × 45 cm, 323.9LOfficial
202212ndIvan TanclerBrazilWave155 × 55 × 45 cm, 383.6LOfficial
202213rdLuis Carlos GalarragaBrazilSamurai120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
20221Top TenLuis CardosoPortugalCradle of Nature120 × 60 × 45 cm, 323LOfficial
202111stPavol KulandaUnited KingdomForest in the wind120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
202112ndliang jinChinaInvite the moon120 × 60 × 50 cm, 360LOfficial
202113rdEakthanat IsarathikulThailandRevolve pluse120 × 60 × 50 cm, 360LOfficial
20211Top TenZhao gangChina听瀑120 × 60 × 50 cm, 359.9LOfficial
202011stLuis Carlos GalarragaBrazilWhispering Shadows120 × 60 × 45 cm, 323LOfficial
202012ndLU CHENG YUTaiwanTraverse120 × 60 × 50 cm, 359LOfficial
202013rdDouMing Adrian MokCanadaScalare Summit150 × 60 × 60 cm, 540LOfficial
20201Top TenJae-Sun ChoSouth KoreaPositive nihilism120 × 60 × 45 cm, 320LOfficial
201911stGUAN LIWEIChina漫林碧透120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
201912ndMiguel Ángel GarcíaSpainLive on Fallen Tree130 × 55 × 65 cm, 460LOfficial
201913rdfernando boturao francischelliBrazilNintai120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
20191Top TenFabricio Rufino de SouzaBrazilCores no Horizonte120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
201711stRoger Goh Yu QuanSingaporeBreath Of The Wild150 × 60 × 55 cm, 495LOfficial
201712ndLuis Carlos GalarragaBrazilSummertime120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
201713rdLIN, TING-CHUANTaiwanUncharted127 × 60 × 50 cm, 381LOfficial
20171Larry Lampert Most Innovative Award刘勇ChinaNot published120 × 60 × 50 cm, 360LOfficial
201511stFernando Boturao FrancischelliBrazilSilent Awakening120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
201512ndAndre Luiz LongarcoBrazilFaith120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
201513rd刘勇China神奇的世界180 × 60 × 60 cm, 648LOfficial
20151Top TenNartoIndonesiaThe Fallen Tree120 × 60 × 45 cm, 324LOfficial
201311stSim Kian HongMalaysiaDestiny150 × 60 × 60 cm, 540LOfficial
201312ndlao chan feiMacau秋意110 × 55 × 55 cm, 332LOfficial
201313rdMichael G.W. WongChinaEruption120 × 50 × 60 cm, 360LOfficial
20131Larry Lampert Most Innovative AwardWang ChaoChina天空120 × 60 × 50 cm, 360LOfficial
201011stMichael G.W. WongHong KongEnchanted Forest120 × 60 × 60 cm, 432LOfficial
201012ndPasquale BuonpaneItalyThe world before Columbus160 × 52 × 60 cm, 400LOfficial
201013rdKam WongHong KongSimba's Peak150 × 50 × 55 cm, 412LOfficial
20101UnrankedKonrad SzumilasPolandHelm's Deep115 × 60 × 60 cm, 414LOfficial
200511stOliver KnottGermanyIn the shadow of the trees450 × 120 × 100 cm, 5400LOfficial
200512ndEric ChengChinaChill Out Island150 × 50 × 57 cm, 428LOfficial
200513rdDave ChowChinaNature, Endure forever...165 × 60 × 65 cm, 640LOfficial
20051Honorable MentionAviel LivayIsraelThe promised Land250 × 50 × 60 cm, 750LOfficial
200111stJacian HoSingaporeNot published120 × 60 × 60 cm, 432LOfficial
200112ndSteven T. DixonUnited StatesNot published183 × 61 × 74 cm, 662LOfficial
200113rdJeffery SenskeUnited StatesNot published183 × 76 × 76 cm, 983LOfficial
20011Honorable MentionIlkka KallioUnited StatesNot published122 × 61 × 61 cm, 450LOfficial
200011stFrode RoeNorwayNot published160 × 55 × 60 cm, 530LOfficial
200012ndFrode RoeNorwayNot published160 × 55 × 60 cm, 530LOfficial
200013rdTolis KetselidisGreeceNot published140 × 40 × 60 cm, 336LOfficial
20001Honorable MentionRon BarterCanadaNot published152 × 46 × 61 cm, 378LOfficial

IAPLC, 49 records

Grand Prize every year from 2001, plus the top places from 2018 onward67. ADA publishes the layout title only for the winner, and publishes no tank dimensions online at all except in the 2021 Best Aquarium column68.

IAPLC placings held, as each contest recorded them678
YearPlacingAquascaperCountryLayoutTankRecord
202561stJosh SimMalaysiaA River......SomewhereNot publishedOfficial
202572ndGang ZhaoPeople’s Republic of ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202573rdKatsuki TanakaJapanNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202574thHIDEKAZU TSUKIJIJapanNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202461stLuis Carlos GalarragaBrazilGreat WaveNot publishedOfficial
202472ndKam Pui KwongHong Kong, ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202473rdQi LinPeople’s Republic of ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202474thBernat Hosta RoviraAndorraNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202361stZhemin FanPeople’s Republic of ChinaPlace of originNot publishedOfficial
202372ndGang ZhaoPeople’s Republic of ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202373rdJosh SimMalaysiaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202374thNobphacha YimyouThailandNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202261stMatthew Israel ManesPhilippinesAscendNot publishedOfficial
202272nd范 哲敏People’s Republic of ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202273rd赵 刚People’s Republic of ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202274th富宏 观People’s Republic of ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202161stYOYO PRAYOGIIndonesiaAncient TreeW120 x D50 x H50 cmOfficial
202172ndMinh Toan NguyenVietnamStormingW120 x D50 x H50 cmOfficial
202173rdCHAN HEE BOONMalaysiaIMAGINEW120 x D60 x H50 cmOfficial
202174thEakthanat IsarathikulThailandNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202061stSiak Wee YeoMalaysiaEdenNot publishedOfficial
202072ndSteven ChongUnited States of AmericaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202073rdSim Kian HongMalaysiaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
202075thRoger GohSingaporeNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
201961stJosh SimMalaysiaDream OnNot publishedOfficial
201972ndTakayuki FukadaJapanNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
201973rd富宏 观People’s Republic of ChinaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
201974thMartial HervyFranceNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
201861stHironori HandaJapanYururi (relaxing)Not publishedOfficial
201872ndMinh Toan NguyenVietnamNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
201873rdTakayuki FukadaJapanNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
201874thHiep HongUnited States of AmericaNot publishedNot publishedOfficial
201761stJosh SimMalaysiaCongoNot publishedOfficial
201661stTakayuki FukadaJapanMighty CaveNot publishedOfficial
201561stTakayuki FukadaJapanLongingNot publishedOfficial
201461stGregoire WolinskiFrancePassageNot publishedOfficial
201361stTruong Thinh NgoVietnamEvergreenNot publishedOfficial
201261stZhang JianfengPeople's Republic of ChinaAmazonNot publishedOfficial
201161stLong Tran HoangVietnamDelicate WorldNot publishedOfficial
201061stPavel BautinRussiaForest ScentNot publishedOfficial
200961stNguyen Tien DungVietnamMoment in TimeNot publishedOfficial
200861stCheng Siu WaiHong Kong, ChinaMount. DonhaNot publishedOfficial
200761stChow Wai SunHong Kong, ChinaAshy RangeNot publishedOfficial
200661stChen You LinChinese TaipeiAutumnal coloursNot publishedOfficial
200561stChen De QuanChinese TaipeiTowering Strange PeaksNot publishedOfficial
200461stLee Jong KiRepublic of KoreaPining for home town IIINot publishedOfficial
200361stHidemasa OkudaJapanA scene of the FireflyNot publishedOfficial
200261stTakehiko HonokiJapanThe summer of einthoveniiNot publishedOfficial
200161stMitsuhiro MachidaJapanLittle NegroNot publishedOfficial

CIAC, 8 records

Two years. CIPS publishes its ranking as a photograph of a table rather than as text910, so every name below was read off an image by eye and is marked for a second check before it is treated as settled.

CIAC placings held, as each contest recorded them91011
YearPlacingAquascaperCountryLayoutTankRecord
2025101stMuhammad YusufIndonesiaVeins of Nature 2Not publishedOfficial
2025102ndZhao Gang (赵刚)China生命的脉动 (Pulse of Life)Not publishedOfficial
2025103rdGuan Liwei (关利伟)China层林尽染 (Layered Forest in Full Colour)Not publishedOfficial
2025104thDarushmarchianoIndonesiaBorneoNot publishedOfficial
202491stAcho ChokyIndonesiaBORNEO LIFENot publishedOfficial
202492ndShin Dong JinSouth KoreaMeteorNot publishedOfficial
202493rdLin Qi (林齐)China轨迹 (Trajectory)Not publishedOfficial
202494thChangho AhnSouth Koreax roofNot publishedOfficial

BADC, 5 records

The 2015 final only, held at ZooSphere in Saint Petersburg12. The source is JBL, a partner of that edition, because the contest publishes no account of its own. Layout titles, tank sizes and species lists were not obtained and the rights position is unknown.

BADC placings held, as each contest recorded them12
YearPlacingAquascaperCountryLayoutTankRecord
2015121stSvetlana KirillovaRussiaBackwaters of a Rio Guapore tributary, Noel Kempff Mercado National Park, BoliviaNot publishedOfficial
2015122ndAlexey ShabalinRussiaStony tributary of the Tariku river, New GuineaNot publishedOfficial
2015123rdVictor Manuel Ortiz CruzMexicoFormer Ambystoma mexicanum habitat, Lake XochimilcoNot publishedOfficial
2015124thTimur TekbasTurkeyThe Sangha river at Loukela, Cuvette, CongoNot publishedOfficial
2015125thDavid MilosevicSerbiaShady shallows, Khao Sok National Park, ThailandNot publishedOfficial
Peter Kirwan’s Mountainscape
Mountainscape, by Peter Kirwan.Peter Kirwan · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Resized; uncropped.

Recorded and left alone

Գրանցված, բայց առանց էջի

Forty five names, and nothing else is known about them officially.

These people placed in a major contest. That is a real achievement and it is recorded here. But the official record carries a name and a placing and nothing more: no tank, no plant list, no judge comment, nothing that would support a page13. Rather than pad a profile out with material from interviews and social accounts, which this site does not use, they are listed and left alone.

Several of them are among the most successful competitors in the sport. Grand Prize winners appear on this list. The list is a statement about what IAPLC publishes, not about who these people are. Buying two or three recent IAPLC result books would move a number of them across the line, and that is the single most useful thing anyone could do for this section.

None of these names is a link, deliberately.

Acho ChokyCIAC · 2024
Alexey ShabalinBADC · 2015
Bernat Hosta RoviraIAPLC · 2024
CHAN HEE BOONIAPLC · 2021
Changho AhnCIAC · 2024
Chen De QuanIAPLC · 2005
Chen You LinIAPLC · 2006
Cheng Siu WaiIAPLC · 2008
Chow Wai SunIAPLC · 2007
David MilosevicBADC · 2015
Gang ZhaoIAPLC · 2023, 2025
Gregoire WolinskiIAPLC · 2014
Guan Liwei (关利伟)CIAC · 2025
HIDEKAZU TSUKIJIIAPLC · 2025
Hidemasa OkudaIAPLC · 2003
Hiep HongIAPLC · 2018
Hironori HandaIAPLC · 2018
Kam Pui KwongIAPLC · 2024
Katsuki TanakaIAPLC · 2025
Lee Jong KiIAPLC · 2004
Lin Qi (林齐)CIAC · 2024
Long Tran HoangIAPLC · 2011
Martial HervyIAPLC · 2019
Matthew Israel ManesIAPLC · 2022
Mitsuhiro MachidaIAPLC · 2001
Nguyen Tien DungIAPLC · 2009
Nobphacha YimyouIAPLC · 2023
Pavel BautinIAPLC · 2010
Qi LinIAPLC · 2024
Roger GohIAPLC · 2020
Shin Dong JinCIAC · 2024
Siak Wee YeoIAPLC · 2020
Steven ChongIAPLC · 2020
Svetlana KirillovaBADC · 2015
Takehiko HonokiIAPLC · 2002
Timur TekbasBADC · 2015
Truong Thinh NgoIAPLC · 2013
Victor Manuel Ortiz CruzBADC · 2015
YOYO PRAYOGIIAPLC · 2021
Zhang JianfengIAPLC · 2012
Zhao Gang (赵刚)CIAC · 2025
Zhemin FanIAPLC · 2023
富宏 观IAPLC · 2019, 2022
范 哲敏IAPLC · 2022
赵 刚IAPLC · 2022

Image rights

Պատկերների իրավունքները

See the layouts in the official galleries.

Follow each contest record to its official gallery. The licensed photographs on this page are identified in their captions.

IAPLC. The entrant keeps copyright and ADA holds a use right for a year after the ranking. Two parties would have to agree.

AGA. Copyright stays with the aquascaper and the association holds an irrevocable, perpetual, sub-licensable licence5. Because it may sub-license, the AGA alone can grant permission. This is the only obtainable route we found.

CIAC. CIPS states that copyright of the top hundred entries belongs to CIPS and CFAA. The aquascaper cannot grant it.

BADC. Not established: no statement of the terms was found. Assume nothing is free to reuse.

The five contests Why the AGA data is the best IAPLC in full
  1. AGA Aquascaping Contest showcase archive, 2000 to 2023. Aquatic Gardeners Association. https://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  2. AGA showcase search index, aquascapes.json. Aquatic Gardeners Association. https://showcase.aquatic-gardeners.org/aquascapes.json. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  3. 2025 results. AGA International Aquascaping Contest, 2025. https://agaiac.org/2025/results. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  4. AGA International Aquascaping Contest 2024 results. AGAIAC, 2024. https://2024.agaiac.org/results/. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  5. Photo release agreement. AGAIAC, Inc., no date. https://agaiac.org/photo-release-agreement. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  6. Grand Prize works, 2001 to 2025. IAPLC, Aqua Design Amano. https://iaplc.com/e/grand_prize_works/. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  7. Past works gallery, 2018 to 2025. IAPLC, Aqua Design Amano. https://iaplc.com/gallery/en/. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  8. IAPLC 2021 best aquarium selection by each judge. IAPLC column, 29 December 2021. https://iaplc.com/e/2021/12/29/best-aquarium/. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  9. The final scores and ranking of CIAC 2024. CIPS, 28 August 2024. https://en.cipscom.com/ShowNews/25073.htm. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  10. 2025 CIPS International Aquascaping Contest top 30 results announced. CIPS, 22 October 2025. https://en.cipscom.com/ShowNews/25258.htm. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  11. Exclusive interview with the champion of CIAC 2025 and judges’ comments. CIPS, 23 December 2025. https://en.cipscom.com/ShowNews/25346.htm. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  12. Biotope Aquarium Design Contest 2015, the final. JBL blog, JBL GmbH and Co. KG, 2015. https://www.jbl.de/en/blog/detail/57/biotope-aquarium-design-contest-2015-the-final. Accessed 8 September 2026.
  13. Profile eligibility record. content/winners/profile-eligibility.json, generated 8 September 2026. 94 distinct aquascapers, 49 with a record detailed enough to support a page, 45 with a name and a placing only.

Continue

Where to go next.

The world competitions

The two contests these placings come from, and what each one scores.

IAPLC

One list, no categories, and fifty of the hundred points on habitat plausibility.

The AGA contest

Scored categories, printed judge comments, and the one thing the AGA will not publish.

Styles and history

The schools these tanks are built in, with founders and dates.

Fish in a competition layout

Half the marks in an IAPLC tank go to the fish. What the podium actually stocks, why it is two hundred of one species rather than six of seven, and which of them are sold here.