Aga has a new category that I agree needed to be done years ago "the classic" aka the old school, For me it was the 2000s simple layouts, plants and wood. It was more about who could grow / had the cool looking plants other than v shapes and golden ratios. That's made aquascaping today more of an art class now imo. Way before diorama and jungle moss man took over moss was on top of wood not covering 90% of the tank.
The classic
This category emphasizes the types of aquariums that celebrate the very element that the Aquatic Gardener’s Association was founded on: aquatic plants. Planted and cultivated with skillful care, these compositions differ from the contest’s existing Aquatic Garden category in that while they still incorporate hardscape elements, there is a foundational focus on the plants, which welcomes a broad range of artistic approaches.
Current aquascaping trends lean towards dramatic scale, extensive forced perspective, and highly stylized compositions. These layouts will still apply to the Aquatic Garden category, but are not components of this new Classic category. Classic Style entries are judged by their quality of plant husbandry, balance, and overall natural impression, rather than visual illusion or perceived size. Classic layouts should be more representative of a 1:1 scale, where the layout is close to the same size as it would be found in nature.
