gnatster
Active Member
Interzoo is a trade-only event.
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Aquashella Dallas 2026
- Thread starter BenB
- Start date
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BranchScape
Active Member
Saw it too from OK and I would kill for it. My house is hard modern by southern standards. Aka lots of windows and endless reflections. I also only have my phone so quality images are a battle I lose.
Capraquaria
Active Member
Why did this not happen sooner?! Makes perfect sense. I've been using antireflective glass and acrylic on picture frames for years to eliminate reflections. Just imagine how many black sheets/curtains you could empty out of a closet if you had a tank like this
JayP
Valuable Member
So are we going to get a rundown of how things went at Aquashella?
BranchScape
Active Member
Yeah I got back and sadly jumped straight back to long hours at work. I need to clean up my tanks and do some plant swaps tomorrow. But as a teaser here is part of my haul. Cody needs to post his story too as an apprentice since I was a general show assistant. The Shizuku pot was part of the workshop I sat next to Hiep Hong and Luca Galaragga during it which is a bit surreal cooking next to them even if it is tiny terrarium.
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JayP
Valuable Member
Why did this not happen sooner?! Makes perfect sense. I've been using antireflective glass and acrylic on picture frames for years to eliminate reflections. Just imagine how many black sheets/curtains you could empty out of a closet if you had a tank like this
I am kinda surprised I am not seeing more about this outside of a few limited circles (MJ Aquascaping showed it off in a video). Looks really good, and I wish I had one because my tanks are in a spot with the worst photo glare possible. I have to mount up a blanket/sheet in order to get any good pics.
I wonder how much they will cost.
- Thread starter
- #28
When I've been to these type things in the past, there hasn't really much much for sale. Mostly companies demonstrating their products. I'm glad you were able to get some stuff.
BranchScape
Active Member
Most every booth was selling everything on display. Only Caribsea had nothing for sale. ADA and AFA mostly sold out. The Mini NA kits were gone in a few hours. I can't do tiny tanks and had no space in my luggage but I became tempted when everything is included for $400. I only paid for about 5 or 6 plants.
ADA Mini NA Set 150 (with Cube Garden W150xD150xH220mm / 4mm) – Aqua Forest Aquarium ADA Mini NA Set 150 (with Cube Garden W150xD150xH220mm / 4mm)
Better late than never, I suppose! I'll try to provide a brief overview of the aquascaping competition.
First off, the equipment, hardscape supplies, and plants were all simply incredible. Aqua Forest Aquarium was the primary sponsor and provided a TON: a tank, a filter, a stand, a light screen, a light, and some of the most beautiful tissue culture cups I've come across. Aqua Naturals provided the bulk of the hardscape, and there was no shortage of cool-looking rock and wood; the "kid in a candy store" adage is overused, in this author's humble opinion, but the phrase feels appropriate here. Ryan Noel did an outstanding job of organizing the vendors and venues, and this organization was evident throughout the contest.
There were 17 competitors, most of them solo with a handful of teams and a handful of apprentices (myself included). As I mentioned earlier, I had the honor of watching Austin Kwan work, and I was struck by how different his process was from the other scapers'; it was methodical when most around me seemed to get caught up in the "mad dash" that often accompanies these competitions. Truly, all scapes were exceptional, and it was clear that the competition had grown much more skilled than in prior years. In fact, I had very little idea of who would take home the top awards. To the surprise of no one, Hiep walked away with first place for his inspired speech. I have included all here for y'all to reference; if you want more details on who designed a particular scape with what materials, I can do my best to answer in tihs post or through a DM.
I have included a Google Drive link to the scapes here.
First off, the equipment, hardscape supplies, and plants were all simply incredible. Aqua Forest Aquarium was the primary sponsor and provided a TON: a tank, a filter, a stand, a light screen, a light, and some of the most beautiful tissue culture cups I've come across. Aqua Naturals provided the bulk of the hardscape, and there was no shortage of cool-looking rock and wood; the "kid in a candy store" adage is overused, in this author's humble opinion, but the phrase feels appropriate here. Ryan Noel did an outstanding job of organizing the vendors and venues, and this organization was evident throughout the contest.
There were 17 competitors, most of them solo with a handful of teams and a handful of apprentices (myself included). As I mentioned earlier, I had the honor of watching Austin Kwan work, and I was struck by how different his process was from the other scapers'; it was methodical when most around me seemed to get caught up in the "mad dash" that often accompanies these competitions. Truly, all scapes were exceptional, and it was clear that the competition had grown much more skilled than in prior years. In fact, I had very little idea of who would take home the top awards. To the surprise of no one, Hiep walked away with first place for his inspired speech. I have included all here for y'all to reference; if you want more details on who designed a particular scape with what materials, I can do my best to answer in tihs post or through a DM.
I have included a Google Drive link to the scapes here.
