About CIAC:

CIPS (China International Pet Show) and CFAA (China Fisheries Aquascaping Association) aim to bring people together in their passion for the freshwater aquarium and the aquascaping hobby. It is our goal to make the freshwater aquarium hobby grow by inspiring people worldwide and creating a bigger awareness for nature. Aquascaping contests motivate contestants to be creative and inventive. They help inspire other hobbyists in developing and enjoying the aquascaping hobby.

In 2017, CIAC received almost 1000 works from participants in 24 nations/regions. The Grand Champion, Mr. Josh Sim from Malaysia, with his work ‘Congo’, was crowned with RMB 100.000, trophy, certificate and applause. CIAC’s total cash prize of over RMB 250.000 set a world record.

During CIPS 2017 leading aquascapers from 11 nations/regions worldwide were invited to Shanghai for the CIPS Live International Aquascaping Contest (CLIAC), also known as the Champion of Champions Contest. It was the very first time that 35 international top aquascapers were organized into 11 teams, each representing their country/region, competing against each other on the same stage. In 2018 the top 100 contestants of the CIAC medium to large aquarium category will have the opportunity to show their skills during CLIAC at CIPS 2018 in Guangzhou.

CIAC Rules and Regulations for 2018:

In 2018 contestants can participate in 3 different categories:

1. NANO AQUARIUM

Aquascape with live aquarium plants

No minimum size

Maximum size 60cm length

1. MEDIUM TO LARGE AQUARIUM

Aquascape with live aquarium plants

Minimum size 61cm length

No maximum size

1. PALUDARIUM

Rain Forest scape with live aquarium and terrarium plants

Combination of under water and above water

Minimum 25% and maximum 50% of the paludarium must be under water

Minimum 50% and maximum 75% of the paludarium must be above water

No minimum/maximum size

Entry rules:

• CIAC welcomes contestants of all nationalities, age and level of aquascaping experience

• Registration deadline: July 15^th, 2018

• Registration should be done online, via the designated online registration form on this website. If you experience any problems please do not hesitate to contact us

• Contestants can enter in 1, 2 or all 3 categories

• Only one single work can be submitted per category, please choose your best work!

When more than one work per category is submitted, the organizer will randomly choose one work and disqualify the extra work(s)

• Entries for CIAC that are also sent in for other aquascaping contests in 2018 or previous years, can not be accepted.

• It is not allowed to submit work under a pseudonym or false name, like for example your nickname or your sister’s, husband’s or friend’s name. 

• Contestants of the medium to large aquarium category ranked in the top 100 will automatically have a chance at being nominated and invited for an all expenses paid participation in the live aquascaping contest that takes place at CIPS 2018!

This year CIPS 2018 takes place in Guangzhou, China from September 27-30.

Theme:

• The theme of CIAC is a landscape planted aquarium and a rainforest planted paludarium

• For categories nano and medium to large aquarium, only planted tanks/aquascapes with true live aquatic plants will be accepted. The aquarium can have live animals. The selection of the type and size of the animals should be in relation to the layout and tank size.

• For category paludarium, only rain forest scapes with true live aquatic and terrarium plants will be accepted. The paludarium can have fish in the underwater part however no live animals in the above water part

• Hardscape-only entries and marine tanks will not be accepted

•  A combination of true live plants and hardscape is allowed, as long as the focus is on live  plants

• For open top aquariums submitted in the category nano and medium to large aquarium, only the under water part will be judged. Paludariums will be judged both under and above water

Photo rules:

• You can send in one photo for each category

• Photos need to be taken of the entire aquarium/paludarium and from the front side only

• Please make sure that there are no accessories/equipment visible on your photos

• Only photos in color can be accepted

• Only photos of good quality can be accepted (high resolution, 3-5 MP)

• Please upload your photos in JPEG format

• It is not allowed to submit photos that are edited, modified, photo-shopped etc.

• After registration the organizer might have to compress the size of the photos. Please make sure to save the original photos. Winning works will be published in high resolution

• The copyright of the top 100 entries belongs to CIPS/CFAA, the organizers of CIAC

• Photos or videos of all works submitted for this contest can not be published till after the award ceremony

Disqualification:

We trust contestants to submit their works in good faith and in a correct an honest way. Organizing a big contest however asks for clear regulations and rules. Contestants that submit work that is in conflict with the purpose and/or rules & regulations of our contest will therefore be disqualified

• Disqualification can follow both during and after the contest within 1 year till after the award ceremony

• Disqualified contestants lose their ranking and prize(s), prize money included

• Prizes need to be returned to the organizer within 1 week after disqualification

After the registration deadline on July 15^th a special team of selected international judges will make a pre-selection to choose the top 100. Then our official international team of professional CIAC judges will judge the top 100 according to set grading guidelines. Information about our judges and grading guidelines will be released soon.

Contacts:

Ms. Yoko Wang (participation)

Ms. Lisa Pang (sponsorship & marketing)

Phone: +86-10-88102271, 86-10-88102346;

Mobile: +86-15711075025, +86-18511301838

Email: wsyz@chgie.com ; panglx@chgie.com

www.cipscom.com