# A little perspective



## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

If you look at the banner of APC you see part of an aquascape by a Polish guy named Norbert Sabat. He used to frequent APC and starting with his first aquascape proved that he had and eye for this hobby that very few people have.

He has not come to APC for a long time now. I think he disappeared about the time this forum turned into what we have today. This morning I was looking for a specific setup that I knew he had done about 3 years ago and I found a full blown website that was new to me. I suspect it maybe new to many of us too. I don't know how Norber Sabat is connected to this site and that's not my point.

All I can say is that seeing the website was humbling (put nicely). It feels that in the last few years we all have more or less been spinning our wheels. And as far as aquascaping is concerned we have not accomplished too much. But... We do have a lot!

We have a very active club, creativity (both aesthetic + technical!), drive, new ideas, and quite a few resources. Where do you think that should take us? Here, get inspired:

http://www.naacademy.pl/Galerie,1,1,10,

On a personal note - for about 3 years now I've had the dream of adding a building to my big back yard. Being back there, all spacious for the dogs to roam, the yard just asks for it. I think you understand now what my dream is. A completely open space (about 700 sq. ft.) that is basically the DFW aquascaping gallery. Maybe that is a lofty dream, but I know you can't say you find it weird. Or impossible. ...Hey, Crown Man has one! 

--Nikolay


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

very interesting website. I like it.


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

i must apologize i thought this was on the general discussion threads. sorry Niko


Thanks
Elliot


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Doubleott05, I believe Niko was addressing the DFW club, not Aquatic Plant Central in general. And furthermore, I think his intent was to inspire, not criticize.

A gallery of aquascapes in Dallas! What an incredibly exciting idea! Aside from Amano's gallery, and the recent temporary aquarium art exhibit in the UK, I can't think of another place devoted completely to displaying the aesthetics of aquaria.

BTW, Niko, how many languages do you speak?!


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## niko (Jan 28, 2004)

Well, I do post here to motivate everybody in DFWAPC. But I said what I said about APC too. I guess I had enough ads for groupons and lowest refinance mortgage rates.

And we cannot deny that for a newbie any aquascaping forum is pretty disorienting. That goes for APC too. It'd be good if a decade after the resurrection of this hobby by the Japanese we had an organised source of information that does not need much explanations. What I see instead is new people introducing themselves with the question "Where do I start to look here?". Hope that's understood as constructive criticism for APC because it is. As I have said before - I'm not here to thrash things, but to nudge them to move. And I do that in a peculiar way. The result is - people come here, read and have an opinion. What a novel idea!  And click on ads....

Permanent showrooms that I know of that have to do with aquascaping specifically. Looking at the links is another cheap trick to inspire you:

Amano (scroll down):
http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=afa_portfolio

ADG in Houston, Texas (old link, maybe someone will put a new one)
http://www.aquatic-plants.org/gallery/HoustonTripMay2006

AquaForest in California (scroll down, yet it's a store but it is a gallery too):
http://www.adana-usa.com/index.php?main_page=afa_portfolio

Oliver Knot(in Germany):
http://www.pbase.com/plantella/aquascaping_seminar_131110

Polish gang:
http://www.naacademy.pl/Galerie/NA-Practice-Day,1,0,10,686.htm

Me:
I speak 4 languages, have 5 dogs, hugest yard in the neighbourhood, and many grandiose ideas. Then I stumble on a picture of a handful of folk in a small room somewhere in Poland full of beautiful aquascapes and my brain shorts out. Hope it's only me.

--Nikolay


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## Tex Gal (Nov 1, 2007)

Anyone that sees these tanks has to be inspired!! They are beautiful. Niko I say go for it! Your dogs could supervise. We will all help supply the plants. 

APC has thought about a beginner basics forum. We have stuff in the library like that. For the most part I think people want immediat answers. Research takes time and then you have to decide what applies to you and your set up. I love the Beginner Basics we have on our web site. I have directed people ther so many times.


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## doubleott05 (Jul 20, 2005)

why dont we put some of the sticky in a beginner basics thread. it would be a collaboration of all the good stickys in one place for all the beginners.

Thanks
Elliot


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

would a 55g be big enough for a yellow tang, HA HA oops wrong forum... yep I think a beginer forum would be good... because I still see the oh you need bla bla 1 to 2 watts for this, and 3-4 watts for this, and people are still going by the old t12 bulb standards and forgetting about lumens and p.a.r.. same thing with filters oh you need this super big mass fx5 on your 20g, and you will need this substrate or that substrate.


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## Ben Belton (Mar 14, 2004)

I saw Jeff Senske in one of those pics and a guy from Poland that Ricky and I met when we were in Japan in 2005


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## houseofcards (Feb 16, 2005)

I actually think the tropica website is pretty well laid out.

http://www.tropica.com/home.aspx

It separates 'scapes' into beginner, intermediate and advanced and gives good clear information with visuals.

I don't really consider APC an aquascaping website since it has to cater to so many parts of the hobby any aquascaping-related information will be limited which might be a turnoff to advanced scapers.


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## fishyjoe24 (May 18, 2010)

/\-------- I forgot about that side I like thes photos


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