Conclusion

Aquascaping is getting more and more popular, and new people are drawn to aquaristics this way. The leeway you have when creating a layout and the easy access to decorative materials enable aquascapers to put many great ideas into practice. The principles and guidelines we have presented here are just food for thought and should in no way be taken as a fixed set of regulations. Surely they might be of help of one beginning aquascaper or the other, but they do not have to be followed to the last detail. There is a great number of aquascaping contests with a wide range of submissions every year, and especially the new, unconventional layouts are most admired.

After all, breaks in style are great opportunities to create a new look. These new layout styles have brought a freshness to the hitherto rather similar-looking submissions and inspire further scapers to create their own. Even though some may deem aquascaping just a fad we hope for aquaristics as a whole that this branch continues to thrive, since it is not only a way to express one?s creativity but also focusses the awareness on the keeping of aquatic plants. Moreover, it can be considered a great way to win over new people for this fascinating hobby.