Online Competition Schedule

• System opens for registration:May 21

• Registration deadline:September 15

• Judges' scoring deadline:October 15:

• Competition results announced:October 20

On-Site Event Arrangements (During CIAC 2025)

• November 13oCIAC International Master Aquascaping Showcase
  oBiotope Aquascaping Master Show (Hall 11.3)
  oOpen Category Aquascaping - Live Finals Begin!

• November 14oCIAC 2025 Awards Ceremony (Hall 11.3) - Award presentations, judge critiques, winner interactions, etc.
  oCIAC 2025 Celebration Dinner

• November 15Industry Knowledge Training

• Nov. 16Sponsor Booth Visits & Networking

• November 16Visit Sponsor Exhibition Booths

• Post-Event ActivitiesGuangdong Region Aquaculture Business Tour

CBAC Awards

Hobbyist Group

Champion (1)
RMB 5,000 + Trophy + Certificate;
Round-trip domestic airfare to Guangzhou + 2 nights hotel accommodation;
Guangdong Region Aquaculture Business Tour.

Runner-up (1)
RMB 2,500 + Trophy + Certificate;
2 nights hotel accommodation in Guangzhou;
Guangdong Region Aquaculture Business Tour.

3rd Place (1)
RMB 1,000 + Trophy + Certificate;
2 nights hotel accommodation in Guangzhou;
Guangdong Region Aquaculture Business Tour.

Merit Award (7)
Certificate.

Hobbyist Group Entry Requirements

1.The entry must include a complete aquarium setup specification list, including:
    ✓ Water parameters (dimensions, pH, hardness, etc.)
    ✓ Species and quantities of flora and fauna used
    ✓ Equipment specifications (filtration, lighting, etc.)
2.Submit a video or photo/text documentation showcasing the activity of organisms within the landscape and the overall harmony.

Professional Group

Champion (1)
RMB 10,000 + Trophy + Certificate;
Round-trip domestic airfare to Guangzhou + 2 nights hotel accommodation;
Guangdong Region Aquaculture Business Tour.

Runner-up (1)
RMB 5,000 + Trophy + Certificate;
Round-trip domestic airfare to Guangzhou + 2 nights hotel accommodation;
Guangdong Region Aquaculture Business Tour.

3rd Place (1)
RMB 2,500 + Trophy + Certificate;
Round-trip domestic airfare to Guangzhou + 2 nights hotel accommodation;
Guangdong Region Aquaculture Business Tour.

Merit Award (7)
Certificate.

Professional Group Entry Requirements

1.The entry must include a complete aquarium setup specification list, including:
    ✓ Water parameters (dimensions, pH, hardness, etc.)
    ✓ Species and quantities of flora and fauna used
    ✓ Equipment specifications (filtration, lighting, etc.)
2.Submit a video or photo/text documentation showcasing the activity of organisms within the landscape and the overall harmony.
3.Additionally, provide the following professional information:
    ✓ Habitat Theme:
        The theme MUST include: 1) Name of the water body type, 2) Country/location of the natural habitat being replicated.
    ✓ Natural Habitat Description:
        Reason for choosing this natural habitat theme; how knowledge learned from nature was applied to recreate the habitat within the aquarium.
        (e.g., fish habitat, behavior, water quality characteristics, etc.)
    ✓ Reference Sources

Trade Professional Exchange Group
This category is designed for industry professionals to exchange techniques and showcase commercial aquascaping projects. Business license verification is required.

Several awards will be presented, including trophies and certificates.

Trade Professional Exchange Group Entry Requirements

1.Business license of the aquarium/pet shop.
2.The entry can be an aquarium setup within the store or a biotope landscape created by the store for a customer.
3.Provide a complete aquarium setup specification list, including:
    ✓ Water parameters (dimensions, pH, hardness, etc.)
    ✓ Species and quantities of flora and fauna used
    ✓ Equipment specifications (filtration, lighting, etc.)
4.Submit a video or photo/text documentation showcasing the activity of organisms within the landscape and the overall harmony.

Judging Process

1.Preliminary Screening: The organizing committee will screen entries to ensure they meet basic ecological requirements.
2.Expert Judging: A panel of judges consisting of aquatic ecology experts, landscape designers, and aquatic biologists will score the entries according to the judging criteria.

Competition Rules

1.The competition is open to biotope aquascaping enthusiasts worldwide. Entries completed between 2023 and 2025 are eligible. The same entry may only be submitted to one competition group.
2.Submitted competition photos must be high-resolution, front-view, fully-scaped images. Photos taken from an angle or showing only part of the tank are invalid. Photos must not be edited or modified and must be at least 300 DPI.
3.Submit one photo of the entry and one photo of the entry with the author (under each category). File size must not exceed 5MB.
4.Entries must use high-resolution color photos in JPEG format, with a file size between 3MB and 5MB.
5.After registration, the organizer may compress or adjust the size of submitted photos. Therefore, please ensure you keep the original high-resolution version. For printing award-winning works, the organizer will use the high-resolution original file.
6.The copyright of the top 100 entries belongs to CIPS and CFAA, the organizers of CBAC.
7.The "CIPS" International Aquascaping Competition reserves the right to the final interpretation of all matters related to this event.