BY YUSUF MARIO GERMINO
In an effort to promote the hobby of making and designing plant aquariums to a wider audience and allow more people to discover the beauty and simplicity of these creations, the first ever Saudi Arabia Open Aquascaping Contest was held from January to March 2021. Entries from locals and expats in Saudi Arabia were received. Because of the pandemic and the current restrictions for events, the contest was done online with locals and residents in KSA sending photos of their entries. It was sponsored by SERA (Germany) and OASE (UK), together with local brands Shamim Aquatic and Saudi Arabia Planted Tanks and Aquascapes.
The most impressive entries in the competition came from Tayyab Manzoor, a senior engineer in Riyadh who believes that designing aquariums with plants promotes relaxation and calmness. His Classic Scape entry was described by judges as well-balanced and has a great flow. Edward Fernandez’ entry named “Tree on the Rock” has a lot of details and uses the space effectively. Another favorite is the “Dutch Garden” of Sinoj Ambujakshan, a software engineer who used healthy plants for his aquascaped tanks.
Classic Aquascape by Tayyab Manzoor, 2nd Prize
Contest judges included Dave Chow (Hong Kong), Felipe Oliviera (Portugal), Viktor Lantos (Hungary), and Jurijs Jutjajevs (Germany). All are considered as bigwigs and experts in the international aquascaping scene. For the winners, they were: Untitled rock aquascape by Tayyab Manzoor, 1st Prize; Classic Scape by Tayyab Manzoor, 2nd Prize; and Untouched Jungle Island by Shihab Khan, 3rd Prize
If you are interested in creating, keeping, and maintaining gardens in your homes in Saudi Arabia, read the article “Start Sowing” in DQ Living Magazine Volume 4, Issue 4.
