With both competitions scheduled to reveal their 2026 results on October 10, this is a timely moment to look at the people who connect these two international stages. A familiar name in one results list can become an invitation to explore another part of that creator's work.
This feature follows five aquascapers whose published records include both contests: Josh Sim, Gang Zhao, Kawin Arponiam, Antonio Nikolic and Lich Do. The selection combines an important historical milestone with examples from 2024 and 2025, using archived photographs and linked AquaRank profiles.
Five creators, two competition records
| Aquascaper | Country | Season compared | IAPLC result | CIAC result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Sim | Malaysia | 2017 | World Rank 1 — Grand Prize | Rank 1 — Champion |
| Gang Zhao | China | 2025 | World Rank 2 — Gold Prize | Rank 2 — Runner-up |
| Kawin Arponiam | Thailand | 2025 | World Rank 178 | Rank 7 |
| Antonio Nikolic | Croatia | 2025 | World Rank 231 | Rank 16 |
| Lich Do | Vietnam | 2024 | World Rank 125 | Rank 45 |
Each row pairs results from the same season. The CIAC 2024 and 2025 positions refer to the Aquascaping Group; the 2024 figure follows the final CIPS ranking.
These are separate competitions with separate fields and judging processes. The numbers identify each published finish; subtracting one from the other would not measure an improvement. The connection examined here is the creator, and the photographs show why that distinction matters.
1. Josh Sim: a double championship worth revisiting
Malaysia · IAPLC 2017, World Rank 1 · CIAC 2017, Rank 1
Josh Sim offers a powerful historical starting point. His Congo won the IAPLC 2017 Grand Prize, and CIPS also identified Congo as his championship-winning work when looking back on the inaugural 2017 contest.
Congo — Josh Sim, Malaysia — CIAC 2017, Rank 1. Archived contest photograph. ADA's official IAPLC 2017 gallery also identifies Congo as the Grand Prize work.
The archived scene draws the eye through a dense network of wood and planting toward a bright opening. Large foreground structures establish scale, while smaller branches and fine foliage make the distance feel much deeper than the aquarium itself.
Its two titles make Congo a memorable example of recognition across competitions. The image also offers something more lasting than an award count: a composition that still rewards a careful look at how foreground detail, shadow and distance work together.
Open Josh Sim's AquaRank profile to follow the wider career around that season. For the work itself, explore the CIAC 2017 gallery and AquaLibs' feature on Congo.
2. Gang Zhao: matching finishes, contrasting landscapes
China · IAPLC 2025, World Rank 2 · CIAC 2025, Rank 2
Gang Zhao's 2025 results look remarkably symmetrical: second place at IAPLC and second place at CIAC. The photographs introduce a much less symmetrical—and more interesting—visual story.
灵境 — Gang Zhao, China — IAPLC 2025, World Rank 2, Gold Prize. Title reproduced from the archived contest image.
The Pulse of Life — Gang Zhao, China — CIAC 2025, Rank 2, Runner-up. Archived contest photograph; the Chinese title is 生命的脉动.
The IAPLC image is organised around sweeping wood, moss-covered surfaces and a forest-like opening. The CIAC image presents a different composition, with rock ledges framing a bright passage. They demonstrate how following one author can lead us to contrasting approaches to structure and depth.
There is a useful viewing exercise here: follow the line that takes your eye into each scene. In one, wood creates much of that movement. In the other, the shape of the open space becomes especially prominent. Similar placements in the results do not make the works visually interchangeable.
Explore Gang Zhao on AquaRank to keep both records together, then open the IAPLC 2025 gallery and CIAC 2025 gallery for a closer look.
3. Kawin Arponiam: discovering Longevity through another stage
Thailand · IAPLC 2025, World Rank 178 · CIAC 2025, Rank 7
Kawin Arponiam's Longevity appears by that title in both archived contest images. Its published positions—178th at IAPLC and seventh at CIAC—show why browsing a second competition can change which works reach a reader's attention.
Longevity — Kawin Arponiam, Thailand — IAPLC 2025, World Rank 178. Archived contest photograph.
Longevity — Kawin Arponiam, Thailand — CIAC 2025, Rank 7. Archived contest photograph.
The wood remains the central attraction. A substantial trunk on the left and a web of exposed roots establish a sense of age and character. Plant cushions settle around those forms, allowing the hardscape to retain its bends, hollows and direction.
A reader who stops at IAPLC's leading hundred would miss this result. A reader exploring CIAC's leading ten would encounter it almost immediately. That difference in visibility is a good reason to follow creators across galleries, while allowing each result to retain its own context.
Visit Kawin Arponiam's AquaRank profile and the step-by-step feature on Longevity to continue from the finished images to more of the work behind them.
4. Antonio Nikolic: a sheltered world beyond the headline places
Croatia · IAPLC 2025, World Rank 231 · CIAC 2025, Rank 16
Antonio Nikolic's Dark provides another reason to keep exploring. The title is printed on both archived images, alongside World Rank 231 at IAPLC and 16th place at CIAC.
Dark — Antonio Nikolic, Croatia — IAPLC 2025, World Rank 231. Archived contest photograph.
Dark — Antonio Nikolic, Croatia — CIAC 2025, Rank 16. Archived contest photograph.
Heavy wood and green growth frame a shaded interior, where a group of pale fish becomes particularly noticeable. The contrast between shelter and open swimming space gives the scene a strong sense of an underwater habitat.
Look at the dark gaps beneath the branches as carefully as the planted surfaces. They help separate the layers and make the fish readable. This is the kind of detail that becomes easier to appreciate when an image is opened at full size rather than viewed as a small results thumbnail.
Follow Antonio Nikolic on AquaRank to explore the broader record. Dark is a rewarding entry point into a creator's work even when the first place we encounter his name is well down a ranking list.
5. Lich Do: two views of a Vietnamese creator's 2024 season
Vietnam · IAPLC 2024, World Rank 125 · CIAC 2024, Rank 45
Lich Do's 2024 record brings the feature back to the importance of reading the archive carefully. The IAPLC image is titled Ramble, while the CIAC image is titled Millennium. We retain those published titles and present the photographs under their respective contest records.
Ramble — Lich Do, Vietnam — IAPLC 2024, World Rank 125. Archived contest photograph.
Millennium — Lich Do, Vietnam — CIAC 2024, Rank 45 in the final Aquascaping Group results. Archived contest photograph.
Both views reward attention to the relationship between large wood forms and the space within them. The IAPLC photograph makes its blue fish particularly prominent against the green interior; the CIAC photograph shows fish spread across the middle water beneath a heavily framed canopy.
For readers following Vietnamese aquascaping, the pair offers a reason to explore beyond one annual list. It also illustrates how the title, photograph and contest label all contribute to a faithful account of an author's career.
Open Lich Do's AquaRank profile, then browse the IAPLC 2024 and CIAC 2024 galleries. The profile uses the name Do Lich; the contest images identify him as Lich Do.
Follow the creator, keep the context
These five examples offer several ways into the archive. Josh Sim provides a double championship. Gang Zhao connects matching positions with contrasting compositions. Kawin Arponiam and Antonio Nikolic show how a second gallery can bring a work into view. Lich Do reminds us to preserve the details attached to each record.
The ranking alone cannot explain why a work received a particular position. Establishing the reasons would require the relevant judging records and commentary. What readers can do immediately is explore the photographs, compare visible design decisions and follow the author's recorded history.
AquaRank brings those histories together through linked profiles and competition records. Start with an aquascape you admire, open its creator's profile, and choose another recorded work. That small step can turn one results announcement into a much longer discovery.
Two announcements, more creative journeys to discover
ADA has scheduled the IAPLC 2026 Top 100 photographs and ranking reveal for October 10 at 1:00 PM JST, with the complete ranking list to follow the livestream. The official CIAC schedule also lists October 10 for its results announcement, without specifying an hour on that page.
The examples in this article are completed historical results. The new lists will give us the evidence to see which authors appear across both competitions in 2026 and which works deserve a closer look.
When the results arrive, keep a name that interests you in mind as you explore the second gallery. The next discovery may be another approach by a familiar creator—or a creator you will want to follow for years.
Which aquascaper would you like us to explore across IAPLC and CIAC next? Share a name and a favourite work in the comments.
Photographs are drawn from AquaLibs' contest archives and linked profile galleries. Artwork titles follow the published images where profile records leave a title blank. Visual observations are editorial readings of the photographs, not explanations of official judging scores. AquaRank is AquaLibs' independent ranking and profile resource.
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