Help / FAQ

Here you'll find some frequently asked questions, regarding more specific topics:

How long can Dennerle Plantit cups last?
- It depends on the plant type and the growth rate inside the cup. On average,  a minimum of 2-3 weeks under optimum conditions. Slow growing species like Cryptocorynes can last up to several months.

How can you best store the Plantit cups at home, if you don't use them right away?
- Avoid direct sunlight and keep cups approximately 30cm away from an artificial light sources.

What is the best temperature for the Plantit cups if kept in a Fridge?
- To extend the storage lifespan of the cups, 14-16°C is recommended.

Are the Plantit cups really 100% free from algae and snails?
- Yes they are. They are produced in a lab under sterile conditions.

How should I handle invitro plants from Plantit cups?
- Keep the lid closed until you are ready to use the plant. Once ready, remove the plant from the cup and wash off the liquid or gel medium from the plant. Use lukewarm water and do not apply too much force, so as not to damage the plant.

How should I handle potted plants?
- Store in humid conditions, ideally in a sealed plastic bag or in a container. Once ready to use, remove the plant from the pot and clean off the rockwool. Use sharp tweezers or a fork to clean off the rockwool from the plant roots. Remove as much rockwool as possible and give the plant a quick rinse in lukewarm water before planting.

Why so much plastic?
- We at Dennerle Plants constantly aim to minimise the amount of plastic used. For this reason our packaging includes only the minimum required amount. We have recently replaced styrofoam pot trays by new paper ones and got rid of styrofoam boxes all together. All dividers inside our shipping boxes are made from recycled paper. Our purchase team is constantly looking into possiblities to further reduce the amount of plastic. What might look unnecessary are the clear plastic sleaves. These are protecting the plant and keeping them moist during packaging and transport. Without the clear plastic sleaves the plants would easily get damaged or dry out completely. 

Can you recycle the packaging?
- Yes you can. PLANTIT In-Vitro cups: You can wash off the gel medium with tap water in your sink. The cup, the lid and the label can be recycled according to your local rules for recycling plastic (i.e. yellow bag). Dennerle potted plants: Same as for our PLANTIT cups you can recycle the plastic, but please separate the rockwool. Actually rockwool can be collected and recycled via construction recycling. If you only have small quantities of rockwool please dispose them according to your local rules for other waste materials (i.e. mixed container).

What's the difference between a plant in a pot vs a cup?
- Potted plants are usually grown above water and for this come in their emersed form. They are more robust and larger in size. PLANTIT In-Vitro plants in a cup are reproduced in a lab under sterile conditions. Which means In-Vitro plants are 100% free of algae, snails and pests. Plants grown in a cup with liquid medium, come in their submersed form and for this do not require to transition for underwater growth. Plants grown in a cup with gel medium are in a in-between emersed and submersed state. In-Vitro plants are smaller to start with but often times come in a larger quantity compared to the potted version. Read more about In-Vitro plants in this article - click here.

What should I do if the plants keep floating up?
- It is possible you have planted too many plants at once. In other words, use smaller portions and dividide the large ones into several small ones. Use aquascaping tweezers for planting, this way you can securely insert your plant into substrate without damaging it and its more likly to stay there. For new setups we reccomend planting with little to no water inside the aquarium, this way the plants simply cannot float up. When filling the aquarium with water, do it slowly and do not disturb the substrate. Do no introduce digging fish if your plants are not rooted yet. In general do not keep digging fish in an aquarium with carpeting plants. For larger plants, such as Echinodorus we reccomend to remove old leafs and reduce the upfloating this way. Finally you can use rocks to secure large plants until they have rooted well by themselves. 

Is the lamp xy strong enough for the plant zy?
-  In our Plant Database you can find light requirements for all plants. Our plants are classified as Easy, Medium and Advanced plants. As you can assume the later require more light to thrive. For this reason we can reccoment following rule of thumb: <20 lumen or <0.5w/liter is ok for Easy category plants. Medium category plants require 20+ lumen or >0.5w/liter to achieve nice colors and healthy growth. Most Advanced plants have an inceased requirement of light and for this values up to 40 and more lumen or approximately 1w/liter is required.

How much substrate do I need for an aquarium sized LxWxH?
- You can calculate the minimum required total amount of substrate by using the following formula: 
(L x W x 5)/1000 = ? liter of substrate for a total height ot 5cm. For more more complex calculations including slope in the back, use our substrate calculator.

How big of an area can I cover with a single Dennerle pot, Plantit cup?
- Depends on final size of the plant, i.e. Echinodorus can grow big are planted as individual plants. Stem plants are planted in groups and carpeting plants are divided in as many small portions as possible and spread evenly over a larger area. Rule of thumb is, you can cover 10x10cm out of one cup/pot. The more plants and more densely you plant from the beginning, the better it is and and less chance for algae. You will also achieve the mature look a lot faster.

Which plants can I keep without Co2 injection?
- In general all plants require Co2 for growth. This is what their cells are build from. There is always little amount of Co2 present in the water. The fish and bacteria are breathing oxygen in and breath Co2 out. In nature its mostly bacteria living in the detritis that is producing large amounts of Co2. However, if you for whatever reason doesnt have a Co2 injection yet, following plants can be kept with acceptable results: Anubias species, Microsorum species, Bucephalandras, Cryptocorynes and moss. In general one can say Easy category plants that doesnt require high light. But the same species will benefit from Co2 injection and grow a lot better at higher Co2 levels.

Which plants can I keep in a discus aquarium? (28, 29, 30+ °C)
- 30°C and more over longer period of time will make all aquatic plants suffer. Temperature around 28-29°C which is suitable for most captive bred Discus fish can be well tolerated by the following plants: most Echinodorus species, aspecially the Echinodorus grisebachii 'Bleherae', Valisneria spiralis, Vallisneria australis 'Gigantea', Althernathera reneckii species, Pogostemon deccanensis 'Erectus', most Cryptocoryne species, Microsorum and Bolbitis ferns, Taxiphyllum and Vesicularia moss. As for carpeting the Helathium species are perfect choice for Discus aquarium. For more information we reccomend to check out our dedicated page about Discus Aquariums.

Which plants are best for a planted aquarium beginner?
- Use a mix of 80% fast growing plants, ie. Hygrophila corymbosy 'Thailand', Limnophila sessiliflora, Hydrocotyle leucocephala, und 20% slow growing plants from Easy category ie. Anubias, Microsorum or Cryptocoryne species. 

Which algae is this and how can I get rid of it?
- There is a myriad of different algae species on our planet. We classify algae in some main categories, to do so check out our Algae Guide.

How do I best start an algae-free aquarium?
- Start by reading our step by step beginner guide. Further follow these tips: cover 70-80% of the ground with fast growing plants, perform plenty of waterchanges in the beginning. Do not add too many fish and dont overfeed them. Pay attention to have a good amount of algae eaters from the beginning. You can also use floating plants and helping plants in the early phase and remove, or replace them once your aquarium matures.

Does a midday light break really make sense?
- Yes it does, it extends the viewing period of your aquarium between early morning and late afternoon, ie. before work and after work, without exposing your aquarium too much light. Further it can also have a beneficial effect on the plant health and minimize risk of algae, as there is a correlation with clouds and rainfall in the tropic reageon in the midday period.

How long should the light be on during the day?
- Start short with as little as 6 hours/day and increase gradualy to 8 hours/day once the algae phase is over. When the aquarium has matured and the plants are growing really well and no algae is visible, you can increase the light period to up to 10 hours/day. 

How many liters/hour turnover rate should my filter provide?
- 5-10x tank volume as hourly filter turnover rate os a rule of thumb for planted aquariums. In smaller aquariums, specialkl nano tanks you should aim to have 10x turnover and in larger aquariums a 5x turnover rate is enough. Of course the ideal value depends on how densely your aquarium is planted and if there is very bulky hardscape that is potentially blocking the flow. In later scenarios working with multiple filters is reccomended.

What should I do if there are too many snails in the aquarium?
- Too much fish food leftovers and organic wastes (ie. dead plants) will let your snail population explode. To stop this trend, simply reduce the amount of food and remove as much organic wastes as possible. You should also remove as many of the pest snails as possible as they breed quite rapidly.

_____________

Couldn't find what you've been looking for?

Submit your question via E-Mail. If we publish the answer,
there is a chance for you to win a little souvenir! 🎁