Everything that governs the contest.

Open to aquascapers resident in India, from first-timers to seasoned hobbyists. The aquascape must be physically located in India.

Only freshwater planted aquariums qualify. Marine tanks and terrariums are not eligible. For open-top tanks, only the underwater portion is judged.

Each account may submit up to two entries: one Nature Aquarium and one Iwagumi. One entry per category, with no duplicates.

Every entry must be your own original aquascape, designed and maintained by you, and not previously published or entered.

Layouts copied from another aquascaper, or substantially derived from a published work, are disqualified. Reusing motifs from your own past entries, or a layout closely resembling a previous top winner, may lead to point deductions.

Apply under your real name only.

Submit high-quality JPEG photographs of your own aquarium as it was physically set up. RAW files are not accepted.

Shoot from the front only; side or partial angles are penalised. Remove all visible equipment before photographing, and take the photo within one year before submission.

Do not trim, reverse, or retouch the image, and keep its EXIF metadata intact. Basic colour and exposure correction is allowed; anything that changes the layout or its contents is not.

Copyright of submitted entries rests with Still Water Aquatics, ADA India, and Aqua Design Amano Co., Ltd.

Do not publish or share your entry on any media until after the awards ceremony concludes. Early publication may lead to disqualification.

Submitted images are not returned. Entries may be displayed across the gallery, Hall of Fame, photobook, and event and social channels, with attribution to you where shown.

Shortlisted entries are evaluated by the panel, with no participant identity visible to judges.

Each category is scored against its own weighted criteria, shown below. The judges' decision, subject to administrative review, is final, and no queries on grading are entertained.

India's 28 states and its union territories are grouped into four regions. Your region is set by the state you register, and it decides your Regional Aquascaper of the Year grouping.

A Regional Aquascaper of the Year is recognised in each of the four regions, and one national champion is chosen across all regions.

Winners must attend the ceremony in person to receive their awards; those who cannot attend receive their certificate only. All entries are ranked, and qualifying entrants receive certificates.

Build and edit your draft across multiple sessions until the deadline. Make sure every detail is correct, then confirm the declarations to lock your entry.

Entries are disqualified for submitting the same or an existing work, duplicate or multi-name applications, false names or email addresses, tagging the aquarium to the wrong state, or entries that cannot be identified as a planted aquarium.

Any attempt to manipulate screening, judging, or People's Choice voting, publishing an entry without consent, or abusive behaviour toward organisers, judges, or participants, results in removal from the contest.

The personal information you provide is used solely to administer the contest and communicate with you about it.

We do not sell your data. You can request access or deletion by contacting the organisers.