[TheStoriesOfTop7] Summertime - Luis Carlos Galarraga / Brazil - IAPLC 2017

Mr. Luis Carlos Galarraga received the 4th place award with his "Summertime". With beautifully arranged rocks with varieties of stem plants, the entry generated a lot of attention amongst other entries which mainly consisted of driftwood, ferns and mosses. ADA (Japan) picked "Summertime" as its Best Aquarium

IAPLC 2017 Gallery - Look back history - World Ranking 0004 - SilverPrize

Summertime

Author: Luis Carlos Galarraga / Brazil

Aquarium Size/W120×D60×H45(cm)

Aquatic Plants

Rotala sp. Hra

Rotala indica

Rotala rotundifolia

Rotala macrandra (Green)

Rotala wallichii

Rotala nanjenshan

Scrophulariaceae sp.

Blyxa japonica

Myriophyllum sp. Red

Myriophyllum sp. Guinea

Hydrocotyle tripartita

Hygrophila pinnatifida

Eleocharis minima

Callitriche sp.

Micranthemum sp.

Hemianthus callitrichoides "Cuba"

Bucephalandra sp.

Penthorum sedoides

Echinodorus tenellus

Marsilea angustifolia

Vesicularia dubyana

Fissidens fontanus

Fish & Invertebrates

Microgeophagus ramirezi

Hyphessobrycon flammeus

Hyphessobrycon elachys

Hyphessobrycon montagi

Oryzias woworae

Nannostomus eques

AWARDS

World Ranking 0004 Silver Prize IAPLC 2017

2nd Place AGA Aquatic Garden > 320L

Comments

My layout for this year was inspired in my friend Adriano Montoro's 2016 layout, who achieved the 5th position in IAPLC 2016. I tried to rescue the essence of the planted aquarium, where the plants are very important and determining role. For sure the placement of stones was also done with extreme care, thinking it causes a great deep impression, but my bet was mostly in the planting plan. I wanted to achieve a healthy and colorful planting, the "Brazilian Style" as some people start to say... When I saw the final photo, the warm colors remind me the Summer. So, "Summertime" was my choice for the title. In Brazil, it was almost 6:00 am. I was awake since 5:20, but in fact it was the second night that I couldn't sleep well, waiting for the release of the ranking. When I accessed the IAPLC website, the PDF archive was there to download! But I had tried several times until I succeeded to download it. All the aquascaping world was probably trying to open it at the same time! Finally I was able to access the file. I found my name very fast, in the beginning of the first column, unbelievable, 4th position!!! It was a very happy morning in my house!

Comment of ADA (JAPAN)

The entry represents, more or less, a popular layout style in the recent aquascape trends in Brazil - a stable concave composition with a sense of depth crated by strips of cosmetic sand running up to the center while drawing vertical lines with stem plants. This layout work, however, goes beyond the ordinaries with higher levels of sophistication in the layout composition and expression; it is filled with pleasure and appreciation for beauty of clusters of aquatic plants. In addition, the entry is surely a great work, qualified as Best Aquarium for Mr. Galarraga's brilliant aquascaping skills and sensitivity found in every element of the layout, including the solid composition and trimming of plants. It's also a wonderful photography demonstrating his photographic techniques. Mr. Galarraga is one of the contest's regular top prize winners who has developed his own layout style while being faithful to the basics of Nature Aquarium. It is one of the notable achievements of this contest that aquascapers with new and more effective means of expression, like Mr. Galarraga, have increased their presence globally.

Comment of André Longarco

Very colorful and natural layout. The reflections and shadows are perfect and the movement of the hardscape invites us to walk through the layout. I also liked the Ramirezis. The bushes in the back of the black stone in the front/right could be trimmed more naturally. But anyway a great Nature Aquarium layout.

Comment of Kam Wong

Beautifully crafted great plant growth... Well done!

Comment of Shawn McBride

One of the best uses of color in this contest. The health and vibrancy of the plants is exceptional and the most captivating aspect of this well executed aquascape. The impression of a shallow flowing river painted with plants and fish is achieved nicely.