Buy online for best prices!

harrogate aquatic

tel: 01423 869590

Must I strip my tank down to start a Dennerle system?

For a full system, you MUST have the Deponit and cable to achieve the best results; which does involve a stripdown.

You can temporarily keep your fish alive in an old aquarium simply by using old tank water and using your existing heater and filtration. Try and save some old gravel and water to minimise any "new tank Syndrome" you may experience. If you are not ready yet to install the cable, deponit balls placed in the gravel will help grow plants in the meantime.

Can I use the Deponit without a heating cable?

Under no circumstances! Without a heating cable, the substrate will go anaerobic, leading to a system failure.

Once you have bought deponit and a cable, you are commiting yourself to a full system. If you fail to supply CO2 for example, the plants will not be able to utilise all the nutrients, and algae can take over your tank. However, you CAN use CO2 without the deponit and cable, providing you fertilise the water adequately.

Is Deponit the cheapest way to feed my plants?

Deponit fertilises the whole tank for between 4 - 7 years before it is exhausted. When you water change 25% every 2 weeks, you dilute the nutrients. Using E15 and V30 fertilisers, you top up the nutrients, BUT ONLY for the water you took out, NOT for the whole tank. Deponit saves a lot of money in the long run, as you use far less fertiliser over the years

I have seen cheap heating cables for sale, why are yours more expensive?

In the long term, a Dennerle cable actually proves to be the cheapest cable available. Most heating cables are designed for use in reptile tanks. They produce a lot of heat (far more so than a Dennerle cable of the same wattage). If you hold the cable in your hand, you will feel it for yourself. This heat can have negative effects, the first being damage to the roots, affecting the health of the plant. Worse than this though; the heat produces a current within the gravel that is too strong. This flushes too many nutrients out of the Deponit and into the water. The plants cannot use up all the available nutrients and so algae grows instead. Another consequence is your Deponit will be exhausted far quicker leading to a premature 'strip-down' of the aquarium. A large number of aquariums fitted with unsuitable cables have to be stripped down, and a Dennerle cable installed. This is not as cheap or as convenient as fitting the right cable in the first place!

Just how important is the Duomat?

Although the Duomat isn't necessary with the 4W or 8W cable it is of enormous benefit with cables of 25W or higher. If the cable was simply on all the time, excessive nutrients would be released into the water, shortening the life of the Deponit and perhaps even encouraging algae if the cable is on the powerful side. A Duomat controls the water heater AND cable heater at the same time. When the tank cools down, the Duomat will always give preference to the cable heater first. Only if that is insufficient will it turn on the water heater. The Duomat is extremely reliable and lasts for many years. An extra bonus is the prevention of your water heater "sticking-on" and overheating the tank. The Comfort model provides a beneficial "summer feature". During a prolonged heat spell, some tanks could have a higher temperature than set by the Duomat. This can lead to the cable being off for long periods, which affects the systems performance. The Comfort model supplies short periods of warmth to the gravel bed, which keeps the biological balance of the substrate intact

I already have a good filter, can I use that or do I need a Dennerle filter?

The best results will only be obtained a Dennerle unit because they have several unique features designed specifically for a Dennerle system, for example a CO2 diffuser, alternate sponge cleaning program and space for Biotrop stabiliser which reduces nitrates and algae. BUT, depending on the type of filter you own, you may get away with your old one. Juwel filters are fine. Most internal and external power filters are fine providing the flow rate is not too fast. You must turn off any aereation feature as this will expel the CO2 you are adding. Wet and Dry externals ARE NOT suitable as they expel CO2 and oxidize nutrients leading to poor plant growth and an increase in algae. Undergravel filters are totally unsuitable for all the aforementioned reasons.

Can I upgrade my tank in stages?

Ideally, not. We are not saying you have to go for the best in everything, but you do need to upgrade all parts of the system at the same time and to the same standard. In other words, do not use all your budget on some parts of the system, then neglect the lights for example. The lights will become the "weak link in the chain". There is no point buying a few Dennerle products and mixing them with what you already have. When plants don't grow properly and you get algae your reaction is 'Dennerle doesn't work'. Customers who go down this road are disappointed. The fault is with your old products not Dennerle's. Get the full system and see the results. Dennerle really have done their homework!

I already have fertilizers, lights, etc. made by other companies. Can I use those?

Preferably not. We do not advise "hybrid systems". There are countless variables within an aquarium, and different products have different effects. The Dennerle system guarantees success because its products are compatible with each other and are designed to work in tandem. As soon as you "mix and match" products you are moving away from their methods into "uncharted territory". This makes it very hard to diagnose any problems that
may arise. It is comparable to making your own car from a mix of Mercedes and Ford parts, for example. Will they fit together? Will the car start? If not, who's to blame? Mercedes or Ford? It would be a shame to spend a lot of money and risk everything because you are sticking with a light tube that will not grow plants as well as the Trocal.

Most makes of CO2 systems are compatible, and certain types of filter. Please seek our advice if uncertain, we would never try to make you buy anything you did not need, or could do without.

Do I need ALL the fertilisers, some seem to have a higher running cost than others?

The essential ones are E15, V30 and Avera water conditioner. All 3 of these involve low running costs because they are only added at the time of a water change, and for the amount of new water you add. A small V30 bottle would treat a 100-litre tank for 16 months! S7 is used weekly, but the regular addition of vitamins and trace elements is of enormous benefit to fish as well as plants! TR7 and Plantagold 7, while not essential, will benefit the plants further. If you suffer from algae problems these two additives are particularly useful.

My water is very hard, does it matter?

The harder the water, the more CO2 you need to add to get the desired results. Water that is very hard, say above 10 degrees KH, will not suit many fish and plants. In such cases, a Reverse Osmosis unit is advisable to both soften the water, and purify it of all pollutants. You can then re-mineralise the water using Flowtech's GH and or KH buffers.