interview with Oliver Knott 
First about yourself. What's your name? how old are you? where are you from? Than what you work for? Did you find the Aquascaping other hobbies? Oliver Knott, 36 years old, place of birth: Karlsruhe (Resident of Baden)
main job: self-employed aquarium designer, also project presentation live stock for the Kölle-Zoo group
hobby: my free time is my family
When and how did you first hear of Aquascaping and when it has packed up himself?
Did the age of 16 (1988) started an apprenticeship in the pet trade and have since then been in the industry. The focus was always working the aquarium and to the first book by Takashi Amano (1994), I caught myself more and more into the area planted aquariums. Takashi Amano in 1999 I visited the pet store where I was working as a manager was and then it was done completely by me, especially since I have sold with the first in Germany at all its products.
What makes Aquascaping for you so interesting?
The variety in the design and development, particularly in plants aquariums from planting to the perfect growth.
Do you have a specific favorite style?
I try as often as possible to try new things do not always fall back into the same scheme. So I would consider myself a "freestyle".
Do you have a favorite decorative element, favorite fish or plants?
decoration: Exceptional stone types and abstract fine root locations, but always on the lookout for possible new cases.
favorite fish: very difficult to come to the pool size. I like the natural colors of fish and prefer as Puntius denisonii for larger pools or several small Zwergrasbora Salmerarten or small pool.
plants: foreground plant I love, especially so exceptional as Utricularia graminifolia. My favorite was a long stem plant Ludwigia 'Cuba' or Limnophila aromatica. But you can almost any plant to "seem" teach the proper care and in the correct placement of the pelvis.
holst How do you look at the inspirations for your aquarium?
The global competitions around aquarium designs, particularly in the Asian region. From nature and from my own imagination.
Do you have any tips for beginners, such as how you're going against algae?
The most important is the right choice of plants for the planned pool, as for lighting and water parameters. For beginners, I recommend actually always first with a "low light" Pool to begin and begin as plants such as Cryptocoryne and mosses. There, algae problems are relatively rare and easy to get a grip. Then you can ranwagen still at the "upper" class.
How many tanks do you run at the moment? As many already established in your life?
have at home the moment I test 3-4 small pool of the various plants. In the various Kölle-Zoo (6 markets) run at the moment about 4-5 tanks of me which are maintained largely by the staff on site. Every year I set up to time about 50-60 pools for long-term operation, to come to the 20-25 Short-term fair to pool.
Overall, I guess I have since my playing days 20 years ago set up at the 1,000 tanks and maintained largely by themselves.
What are your biggest successes?
The Overall Winner of the AGA Contest 2004, first place AGA 2005 and 10th place in IAPLC (ADA) in 2005.
Do you have role models or people you admire much? Clearly Takashi Amano absolutely exceptional talent and a pioneer of Naturaquaristik. Also operate all aquarium designer in the world that your hobby with so much passion and commitment. This gives us hope for many an "eye candy" in the future.
In the major competitions we see clearly that the Asian participants are often higher than those in the West, where do you think is the difference?
naturally has a Takashi Amano already made a big impact n. Be it through the wider distribution his articles in the region and its allies of achievements in the division. In addition, the Asian cultural reasons alone probably a slightly different relationship to nature and the creative ability. I admire the Asi atic culture and strive for perfection, especially in Japan. However, I think d ie western countries will be able to catch up in the next few years as it is improving here every year more and more.
looks like your planning for the future? And how do you think the Aquascaping will develop in the future, what styles, distribution, etc? 
I will for my part, continue to try to inspire the people for the aquarium hobby to . Although some criticize my "outliers" in the aquarium design sometimes, I'll still try to go to the limits of taste and to dare new things. When you talk about it and discussed it at least is moving in the matter.
In the future, win the smaller tanks in my opinion, still more important. From technical point of view of energy and cost reasons.
the style will probably pretend again that Asians. And it lies at any if he himself not its own distinctive style invented. Every success to all!
