BAC2026 Ranking

BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest 2026 Ranking

8 Categories – 24 Winners

We are proud to announce the final results of the BAC2026. Thank you all the participants for your great job, BAC Jury members for your valuable inputs and our sponsors for support!

BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest 2026 Criteria

BIN (BIOTOPE IN NATURE) – 20 points  Evaluation Criteria (#) Points max.
Quality and reliability of the information about the original biotope 1. Description of the location: Environment; Terrestrial vegetation; Surrounding area; Treats to ecology incl. Photos/Video. 5
  2. Variety of fish, invertebrates, plants mentioned in the biotope meet the specified category and biotope type. 5
  3. Description of the aquatic habitat: Water chemistry, Substrate, Riparian zone, Underwater landscape. 5
  4. Bibliography/Sitography: quality of the resources. 5
BAM (BIOTOPE AQUARIUM MODEL) – 80 points    
Variety and System’s viability 5. Fishes, plants and decorations are selected properly to exist together for a long period of time in the aquarium: the aquarium size matches up with the species choice, their quantity and size. 20
Conformity to the BIOTOPE IN NATURE 6. Decor in the aquarium look as close as possible to stones, driftwood, soil, and other natural elements in the biotope. Aquarium space is used effectively, each species has its niche. Decor elements and plants are placed according to the biotope. 20
Natural beauty 7. The composition in the aquarium is balanced. The natural beauty of the biotope represented successfully. The accents are placed properly. 10
Quality and accuracy of the aquarium data 8. The description of the tank, incl. external resources, is accurate and can guide other aquarists through the re-creation of a similar biotope models (BAM). 10
Visual support 9. Quality of the visual support (foto, video). 20
MAX TOTAL SCORE   100
BAC: Northern America.

Category 1: NORTH AMERICA

JURY: LAWRENCE KENT, FRITZ ROHDE & JOHN T. BAXTER

AWARDS BY: FLUVAL, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL Score Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9
1 Duck Creek Quarry, Howard, Wisconsin Luke Manty Lawrence Kent 5 5 5 5 17 20 10 10 18 95 92.7
Fritz Rohde 5 5 5 4 18 20 10 8 20 95
John T. Baxter 5 4 4 3 18 19 9 9 17 88
2 Mobile River basin, Alabama, USA Sebastián López Lawrence Kent 5 5 4 4 18 20 10 10 18 94 85.3
Fritz Rohde 3 5 3 5 18 20 10 8 20 92
John T. Baxter 3 4 3 2 15 14 8 7 14 70
3 Cabin John Creek, Potomac River, Maryland Ryan Wright Lawrence Kent 4 5 4 5 16 17 5 9 15 80 84.7
Fritz Rohde 5 5 5 5 18 18 5 6 18 85
John T. Baxter 5 5 5 4 18 18 9 9 16 89
BAC: Central America, Caribbean.

Category 2: CENTRAL AMERICA

JURY: MICHAEL KÖCKJAIRO ARROYAVE

AWARDS BY: BAP logo official
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL   Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 Score
1 Laguna El Arco, Ocoyoacac, México Amadeo Hernández Pérez Michael Köck 5 5 5 5 15 20 9 10 18 92 86
Jairo Arroyave 4 4 4 3 18 16 8 8 15 80
2 Cueva de El Pachón, San Luis Potosí, Mexico Shivansh Rajpoot Michael Köck 4 5 5 5 18 18 9 9 19 92 85
Jairo Arroyave 3 4 4 4 15 18 7 8 15 78
3 Spring near Balneario de Almoloya, Jalisco, México Roberto Villalobos Michael Köck 0 0 0 0 20 18 10 9 19 76 70.5
Jairo Arroyave 0 0 0 0 16 14 9 9 17 65
BAC: South America.

Category 3: SOUTH AMERICA

JURY: ROBERTO E. REIS, PABLO C. LEHMANN & ANTONIO MACHADO-ALLISON

AWARDS BY: SICCE, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL Score Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9
1 Igapò, Lago Maqui, Rio Demini, Amazonas, Brazil Asier Murga Arteta Roberto E. Reis 5 5 5 5 20 18 6 10 20 94 90.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 5 4 4 4 18 18 9 9 18 89
Antonio Machado-Allison 4 4 3 2 15 20 10 10 20 88
2 Maquari Creek, Rio Branco basin, Brazil Kishalay Das Roberto E. Reis 5 5 3 4 18 20 6 10 10 81 85.7
Pablo C. Lehmann 5 4 4 4 18 17 8 9 19 88
Antonio Machado-Allison 5 5 5 5 15 20 10 8 15 88
3 Rio Siapa, Rio Casiquiare tributary, Venezuela Logan Judd Roberto E. Reis 1 4 2 2 15 16 8 10 16 74 79.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 3 3 1 4 16 17 8 7 16 75
Antonio Machado-Allison 4 5 4 3 15 20 10 8 20 89
4 Forest stream, Puca Urco area, Rio Nanay affluent, Peru Jacek Pietrzak Roberto E. Reis 4 3 4 3 20 20 10 10 20 94 76.0
Pablo C. Lehmann 4 2 4 4 14 15 6 7 12 68
Antonio Machado-Allison 2 2 3 3 15 10 8 8 15 66
5 Rio Nanay, Loreto region, Peru Vedran Cuncic Roberto E. Reis 3 3 4 0 16 14 7 9 16 72 75.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 4 4 4 0 18 18 8 8 18 82
Antonio Machado-Allison 4 3 4 0 15 15 8 8 15 72
6 Lagoa Lua de Prata, Guarapari, Espirito Santo, Brazil Franttiesco P. Muciaccia Roberto E. Reis 5 4 5 5 10 15 8 10 7 69 74.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 4 4 4 4 15 16 5 5 14 71
Antonio Machado-Allison 5 3 4 3 15 20 8 10 15 83
7 Igapó, Upper Rio Negro tributary, Brazil DionTre Speller Roberto E. Reis 3 4 4 3 15 18 8 7 15 77 71.0
Pablo C. Lehmann 3 3 3 1 15 14 6 7 16 68
Antonio Machado-Allison 3 5 5 2 15 15 5 8 10 68
8 Igarapé Tucano, Rio Negro, Brazil Luis Sequeira Roberto E. Reis 4 1 4 0 18 18 6 8 6 65 68.0
Pablo C. Lehmann 3 1 4 0 17 18 7 8 17 75
Antonio Machado-Allison 3 3 4 3 10 15 8 8 10 64
9 Rio Negro tributary, Amazonas, Brazil Zhang PengFei Roberto E. Reis 3 4 2 0 18 14 6 9 15 71 67.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 2 3 2 0 14 15 7 5 16 64
Antonio Machado-Allison 4 4 3 0 15 10 8 8 15 67
10 Unnamed Igarapé, Río Tahuayo affluent, Loreto, Peru Fordin Laskar Roberto E. Reis 5 1 5 2 15 18 6 10 8 70 66.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 4 2 3 3 14 16 7 7 16 72
Antonio Machado-Allison 5 3 3 3 10 10 8 5 10 57
10 Río Mamoré basin, Bolivia Stephen Dsouza Roberto E. Reis 1 2 3 3 16 18 6 8 14 71 66.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 3 3 3 5 15 16 7 7 15 74
Antonio Machado-Allison 3 3 2 3 10 10 8 5 10 54
11 Igarapé do Daracua near Barcelos, Brasil Debojyoti Mondal Roberto E. Reis 4 1 4 2 15 15 8 5 5 59 62.3
Pablo C. Lehmann 2 2 2 0 17 16 7 6 15 67
Antonio Machado-Allison 3 4 3 5 10 10 8 8 10 61
12 Marshland, lower Rio Nanay, Loreto, Peru Nuno Ribeiro Roberto E. Reis 2 3 2 2 18 16 8 6 10 67 59.0
Pablo C. Lehmann 2 2 2 0 17 16 7 6 15 67
Antonio Machado-Allison 0 0 0 0 10 10 8 5 10 43
13 Lago Iripixi, Rio Trombetas basin, Pará, Brazil Gianmarco Di Serio Roberto E. Reis 0 0 0 0 15 18 8 3 5 49 50.7
Pablo C. Lehmann 0 0 0 0 15 15 7 6 12 55
Antonio Machado-Allison 0 0 0 0 10 15 8 5 10 48
14 Igarapé de Jamaraquá, Belterra, Rio Tapajós tributary, Brazil Pawel Lukasz Kocik Roberto E. Reis 4 4 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 7.0
Pablo C. Lehmann 3 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 8
Antonio Machado-Allison 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Igarapé do Aturiá, Rio Negro Basin, Amazonas, Brazil Arthur Carvalho Valgueiro Roberto E. Reis 4 1 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 11 7.0
Pablo C. Lehmann 3 1 4 2 0 0 0 0 0 10
Antonio Machado-Allison 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BAC: Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe.

Category 4: EUROPE

JURY: MARKKU VARJO, FRANCESCO DENITTOALEXEY MALYSHEV

 

AWARDS BY: DOHSE AQUARISTIC, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL Score Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9
1 Orcia River, Tuscany, Italy Pawel Lukasz Kocik Markku Varjo 5 4 5 2 17 17 9 8 16 83 86.7
Francesco Denitto 5 5 5 3 18 18 9 8 16 87
Alexey Malyshev 3 5 4 5 18 20 8 10 17 90
2 Třeboradice Stream, Prague, Czechia Matěj Novák Markku Varjo 4 4 4 3 14 16 8 6 15 74 75.0
Francesco Denitto 4 3 4 3 13 18 8 7 15 75
Alexey Malyshev 5 5 4 4 10 17 8 7 16 76
3 Travagliola Farm, Onsola Creek, Tuscany, Italy Pawel Lukasz Kocik Markku Varjo 4 4 4 2 17 17 9 8 16 81 74.7
Francesco Denitto 4 3 4 3 18 18 9 8 16 83
Alexey Malyshev 4 5 3 3 2 15 7 7 14 60
BAC: Eastern Africa, Middle Africa, Northern Africa, Southern Africa, Western Africa.

Category 5: AFRICA

JURY: AD KONINGS & ANTON LAMBOJ

AWARDS BY: AQUAEL, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL Score Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9
1 Clearwater Forest Creek, Southern Province, Sierra Leone Kishalay Das Ad Konings 5 5 5 5 19 19 9 10 18 95 91
Anton Lamboj 4 5 4 5 17 18 8 8 18 87
2 Pombo Rocks, Lake Malawi, Tanzania Liu Tianhao Ad Konings 4 1 4 3 15 18 9 8 18 80 85.5
Anton Lamboj 5 3 5 3 18 20 10 8 19 91
3 Cape Kabogo, Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania Rens van Duren Ad Konings 5 4 5 5 18 16 9 9 18 89 83
Anton Lamboj 4 3 4 3 15 15 8 8 17 77
4 Lion’s Cove, Lake Malawi, East Africa, Malawi Marco Antonio Cunha Ad Konings 4 4 4 3 15 18 9 8 17 82 78.5
Anton Lamboj 3 5 4 3 10 17 8 8 17 75
5 Intermediate zone, Kipili Basin, Lake Tanganyika, Tanzania Vinicius Costa Santos Ad Konings 4 4 2 3 15 16 7 10 15 76 75.5
Anton Lamboj 4 5 3 5 17 10 6 8 17 75
6 Kapampa Rocky Shore, Lake Tanganyika, DRC Vinicius Costa Silva Ad Konings 3 3 4 3 8 14 7 9 18 69 68
Anton Lamboj 4 5 4 4 12 8 6 8 16 67
7 Shallow Forest Pool, Upper Guinea Rainforest, Sierra Leone DionTre Speller Ad Konings 5 3 4 5 16 16 6 5 15 75 67.5
Anton Lamboj 3 2 2 0 15 12 5 5 16 60
BAC: Eastern Asia.

Category 6: EASTERN ASIA

JURY: WEI-CHENG JHUANG, SUN KAI & ZHOU HANG

AWARDS BY: NIXO, China, Sponsor BAC2026
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL Score Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9
1 Unnamed Stream, Shiwandashan Mtns., Guangxi, China Yunfei Long Sun Kai 5 5 4 5 15 15 8 10 18 85 84.0
Zhou Hang 5 5 5 5 15 14 7 7 14 77
Wei-Cheng Jhuang 3 5 4 5 18 20 8 10 17 90
2 Wetland area, Li-cun River, QingDao, China XinYi Huang Sun Kai 5 5 4 5 18 15 8 10 18 88 77.3
Zhou Hang 5 5 5 3 15 19 8 8 16 84
Wei-Cheng Jhuang 2 2 3 3 10 13 7 5 15 60
3 Wugoushui Stream, Donggang River Basin, Pingtung, Taiwan Kuo-Ching Chen Sun Kai 5 5 4 0 18 15 7 10 15 79 76.3
Zhou Hang 5 5 5 4 17 16 7 8 18 85
Wei-Cheng Jhuang 4 5 3 2 9 13 7 9 13 65
4 Hegu River, Heshan City, Jiangmen, Guangdong, China Tan Junqi Sun Kai 2 5 4 0 18 15 7 10 15 76 65.7
Zhou Hang 4 4 5 4 12 14 6 7 13 69
Wei-Cheng Jhuang 2 2 2 0 8 15 6 7 10 52
BAC: Central Asia, Southern Asia, Western Asia.

Category 7: SOUTHERN, CENTRAL & WESTERN ASIA

HANS-GEORG EVERS & FRIEDRICH BITTER

AWARDS BY: JBL, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL   Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 Score
1 Chaliyar River, Western Ghats, Kerala, India Juhász-Tóth Gábor Hans-Georg Evers 5 5 4 5 19 19 10 9 18 94 94.5
Friedrich Bitter 5 5 5 4 19 19 10 9 19 95
2 Clearwater stream, Brahmaputra tributary, Assam, India Fordin Laskar Hans-Georg Evers 5 5 3 5 18 18 8 7 17 86 88.5
Friedrich Bitter 4 5 4 4 19 19 9 9 18 91
2 Seetha River, Udupi, Karnataka, India Shubbam Bhaalke Hans-Georg Evers 5 5 3 3 16 18 8 10 15 83 88.5
Friedrich Bitter 5 5 5 4 19 19 9 9 19 94
3 Neyyar Dam, Neyyar River Basin, Western Ghats, Kerala, India Anandhu M. Hans-Georg Evers 5 5 4 0 14 18 8 10 10 74 81.5
Friedrich Bitter 4 4 4 3 19 19 9 9 18 89
BAC: Southeastern Asia, Oceania.

Category 8: SOUTHEASTERN ASIA & OCEANIA

HEOK HEE NG & GREG MARTIN

AWARDS BY: BAP logo official
Entry # Entry name Participant’s name Judges BIN BAM MATERIAL Score Final Score
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9
1 Don Cat stream, Phong Thai district, Vietnam Nguyễn Quốc Điền Lương Heok Hee Ng 3 4 3 4 14 15 15 7 16 81 87.95
Greg Martin 4.8 4.8 4.8 4.5 19 19.5 9.5 9.5 18.5 94.9
2 Sungai Kaligesing, Bogowonto River, Central Java, Indonesia Imanul Khakim Heok Hee Ng 3.5 4 4 4 12.5 16 15 7 16 82 83.8
Greg Martin 4.7 4.7 4.7 0.5 18 19 9 8 17 85.6
3 Flooded Canal Margin, Chao Phraya Basin, Ayutthaya, Thailand DionTre Speller Heok Hee Ng 3.5 3 3.5 4 13.5 15 14 7 16 79.5 82.2
Greg Martin 4.8 4.7 4.4 4 17.5 16.5 7.5 8.5 17 84.9
4 Peat Swamp Forest Ditch, North Kuala Langat, Malaysia Matěj Novák Heok Hee Ng 3 4 4 3 14 15 15 7 14 79 81.9
Greg Martin 4.5 4.8 4 4.5 17 17 8 8 17 84.8
5 Flooded fields, Thailand Mainak Sen Gupta Heok Hee Ng 3 3 3 3.5 14 14 14.5 7 15.5 77.5 79.75
Greg Martin 4.8 4.6 4.6 0 17 17 8.5 8.5 17 82
6 Sebuku River drainage, East Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia Klementina Keresztes-André Heok Hee Ng 3 3 3 4 14 14 14 7 14 76 76.2
Greg Martin 4.6 4.8 4.5 4.5 16 15 5 7 15 76.4
7 Bensbach Creek, Western Province, Papua New Guinea Shivansh Rajpoot Heok Hee Ng 5 3 4 5 16 16 6 5 15 75 74.75
Greg Martin 3 4 3.5 3 14 14 12 7 14 74.5
8 Da Nhong Stream, Phuoc Binh National Park, Vietnam Nguyễn Thành Khang Heok Hee Ng 3.5 4 4 4 13 16 16 7 16 83.5 71.95
Greg Martin 2.5 4.8 4.8 4.8 10 10 5 8.5 10 60.4
9 Upper Thu Bồn River, Da Nang, Vietnam Luis Sequeira Heok Hee Ng 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Greg Martin 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sponsored by
Fluval, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
JBL, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
NIXO, Technical Sponsor TiCinema 2026
AQUAEL, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest
SICCE, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest 2020
DOHSE AQUARISTIC, Sponsor of the BIOTOPE AQUARIUM Contest