Interview of Oliver Knott.
Posted: Sun Sep 02, 2012 1:30 pm
Interview of Oliver Knott.
Aquapetz: Hi Oliver, you are known as one of the most popular and famous aquascapers of the world. How and when you came to know about your extra ordinary abil-ity of aquascaping?
Oliver Knott: Thanks for your kind words! So I start to work 1988, when I was 16 years old, in a local pet store. I learn 2,5 year then I was a cer-tificated salesman for pet stores. The I work about 10 years in this business, at the end I was a shop manager from a 2.500 m² pet shop with 30 people employed. But the whole time my real passion was planted aquariums, so I decide to quit the job, to be own job. So I start 2001 with my own small com-pany, set up and maintain aquariums. Since this I created my own style of aq-uascaping: Be creative and different.
Aquapetz: Please tell us about your family background.
Oliver Knott: I have a small nice family with 5 year old boy and a 2 year old daughter. I am very proud and happy about it.
Aquapetz: Where were you born?
Oliver Knott: I am born 1972 in South-Germany, in the city named Karlsruhe (near the Frensh border)
Aquapetz: Which aquascaping style you like most? Your aquascaping style is little bit different from others. Can you please tell us which points do you keep in mind at the time of establishing an aquascape?
Oliver Knott: I do “free style” aquascaping
just create this word for you. I love to see the perfect great aquascape from Amano and the entries of the big aquascaping contest. It is great to see that so many people around the world do this fantastic hobby. For myself it is very important to have fun with my work, and for this reason sometimes I try to make different or spectacular aquascape. I am not a fan of too much rules and as artist I am lucky to work also against the rules. And this is also the goal for my future projects: be different...and enjoy what you make.
Aquapetz: Please tell us about your published books/papers etc.
Oliver Knott: I still have publish a small aquascaping book in German for beginners. And actually I work with Chris Lukhaup on a bigger one, where we show 30 different aquascapes for everybody. We hope to publish it at the end of 2012, first in German and second a little bit later in English.
Aquapetz: How and when you fell in love with planted aquariums?
Oliver Knott: When I set up my first planted tank 1988, as 16 year young teenager in the pet shop. It was like in paradise to use all the plant and technical stuff in the shop for free !
Aquapetz: Which one is your most favorite aquatic plant and why?
Oliver Knott: Ohhh...thats not an easy question, there are so many. For sure I love all the small foreground plants, especially the amazing Utricularia graminifolia. And my favourite stem plant is the absolute nice: Ludwigia “Cuba”.
Aquapetz: What should be considered by a newbie when he/she is making his/her first planted tank?
Oliver Knott:Start with a normal or low lighten tank with easy plants, like mosses and Cryptos. So you can make the first experience with aquascaping, with about 99% guarantee for success. After you can go step by step to higher lighten tanks and more skilled plants. One important note: Low light = low maintenance, Much light = much more maintenance.
Oliver Knott: Thanks for your kind words! So I start to work 1988, when I was 16 years old, in a local pet store. I learn 2,5 year then I was a cer-tificated salesman for pet stores. The I work about 10 years in this business, at the end I was a shop manager from a 2.500 m² pet shop with 30 people employed. But the whole time my real passion was planted aquariums, so I decide to quit the job, to be own job. So I start 2001 with my own small com-pany, set up and maintain aquariums. Since this I created my own style of aq-uascaping: Be creative and different.
Aquapetz: Please tell us about your family background.
Oliver Knott: I have a small nice family with 5 year old boy and a 2 year old daughter. I am very proud and happy about it.
Aquapetz: Where were you born?
Oliver Knott: I am born 1972 in South-Germany, in the city named Karlsruhe (near the Frensh border)
Aquapetz: Which aquascaping style you like most? Your aquascaping style is little bit different from others. Can you please tell us which points do you keep in mind at the time of establishing an aquascape?
Oliver Knott: I do “free style” aquascaping
just create this word for you. I love to see the perfect great aquascape from Amano and the entries of the big aquascaping contest. It is great to see that so many people around the world do this fantastic hobby. For myself it is very important to have fun with my work, and for this reason sometimes I try to make different or spectacular aquascape. I am not a fan of too much rules and as artist I am lucky to work also against the rules. And this is also the goal for my future projects: be different...and enjoy what you make.Aquapetz: Please tell us about your published books/papers etc.
Oliver Knott: I still have publish a small aquascaping book in German for beginners. And actually I work with Chris Lukhaup on a bigger one, where we show 30 different aquascapes for everybody. We hope to publish it at the end of 2012, first in German and second a little bit later in English.
Aquapetz: How and when you fell in love with planted aquariums?
Oliver Knott: When I set up my first planted tank 1988, as 16 year young teenager in the pet shop. It was like in paradise to use all the plant and technical stuff in the shop for free !
Aquapetz: Which one is your most favorite aquatic plant and why?
Oliver Knott: Ohhh...thats not an easy question, there are so many. For sure I love all the small foreground plants, especially the amazing Utricularia graminifolia. And my favourite stem plant is the absolute nice: Ludwigia “Cuba”.
Aquapetz: What should be considered by a newbie when he/she is making his/her first planted tank?
Oliver Knott:Start with a normal or low lighten tank with easy plants, like mosses and Cryptos. So you can make the first experience with aquascaping, with about 99% guarantee for success. After you can go step by step to higher lighten tanks and more skilled plants. One important note: Low light = low maintenance, Much light = much more maintenance.
