Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
You can easily calculate this using the following formula:
L x D x H x 1.5
L = pool length
T = pool depth
H = desired height of substrate
1.5 = GRANOFLOUR® natural sand bulk density factor
Example
Tank length = 60 cm
Tank depth = 40 cm
Desired substrate height = 4 cm
60 cm x 40 cm x 4 cm x 1.5 = 14.4 kg
You therefore need approx. 14-15 kg.
Or you can simply use our sand quantity calculator.
No, in our experience Granoflour® natural sand can also be used without hesitation for armoured catfish. If you are still unsure and would prefer to get a picture (or feel) of our sand for yourself, simply ask us for a free sample!
Granoflour® natural sand can be used in shrimp tanks without hesitation.
No, all our natural sands are water-neutral. They do not affect the water values, i.e. neither the hardness nor the pH value.
For example, with the brown ones, sometimes almost black and other times more of a mid-brown colour? Or with "Supernova" sometimes very dark and sometimes much lighter?
This is due to the different clay batches, which take on a different colour intensity at different kiln firing temperatures. For reasons of space and time, it sometimes happens that raw materials from different clays are fired together at the same temperature, making some pieces lighter and others darker than average. However, this has no influence on the quality of the clay pieces, as the firing temperature is always above 1090 °C.
These are traces of the fireclay brick of the kiln. This is not harmful. Simply wipe/brush it off briefly if it is visually annoying.
Yes, we only have real moorwood from German moors. We know this for a fact because we have taken the roots from the bog ourselves (from peat extraction areas). 🙂
No, under no circumstances should you boil them, wash them with hot water or scrub them vigorously with a brush! This will destroy the already biologically treated surface of the root! The previously formed and now destroyed biofilm must now be broken down in the aquarium and a new biofilm formed, which leads to increased oxygen consumption in the aquarium. This in turn can cause problems for your animals if the ratio of root surface area to water volume becomes unfavourable in terms of oxygen content.
So please only wash them under cold or at most lukewarm water. Peat residues can be carefully removed with a brush, but please do not scrub everything too hard.
Granoflour® natural sand can be used in shrimp tanks without hesitation.
Yes, that is completely unproblematic. There is no interference.
No, at least not in quantities that could affect invertebrates. Small amounts of copper are also vital for them, but it is the amount that makes something toxic or not. Here is a more detailed explanation:
The University of Cologne, for example, has been using brass in its test facilities for over 30 years and therefore has excellent experience with this related material. There is no type of corrosion under freshwater conditions and therefore no major forms of "solubility". Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and is therefore comparable to bronze, which is known to consist of copper and tin. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of individual metal ions dissolving from alloys, but if there is no major corrosion, then the amount can only be considered absolutely marginal, if present at all. Furthermore, this sintered bronze diffuser has also been used for several years by someone who also produces hanging rearing boxes, mainly for L-catfish. Even with these tanks - which are usually operated at low pH values - there have never been any signs that would indicate a stronger solution of metal ions.
So the answer is clearly "no". We are certain that there is no influence here, otherwise, as responsible biologists, we would not offer such products for aquariums.
Incidentally, tin, copper and zinc are all essential trace elements, and not just for plants. Many of these trace elements are also toxic, depending on the concentration (Paracelsus). And the discussion between fertiliser and shrimps, to give just one example, showed that you would have to tip a whole bottle of copper-containing fertiliser into a 100 l aquarium to get anywhere near concentrations that would cause discomfort to shrimps.
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Our floating rearing box is primarily used for rearing young fish. It can of course also be used for individual fish, shrimps or crayfish, e.g. for targeted short-term medical treatment with a subsequent fresh water supply.
The rearing of juvenile fish and especially L-catfish requires a relatively large amount of high-quality food.
Yes, that is completely unproblematic. There is no interference.
No, at least not in quantities that could affect invertebrates. Small amounts of copper are also vital for them, but it is the amount that makes something toxic or not. Here is a more detailed explanation:
The University of Cologne, for example, has been using brass in its test facilities for over 30 years and therefore has excellent experience with this related material. There is no type of corrosion under freshwater conditions and therefore no major forms of "solubility". Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and is therefore comparable to bronze, which is known to consist of copper and tin. Of course, we cannot rule out the possibility of individual metal ions dissolving from alloys, but if there is no major corrosion, then the amount can only be considered absolutely marginal, if present at all. Furthermore, this sintered bronze diffuser has also been used for several years by someone who also produces hanging rearing boxes, mainly for L-catfish. Even with these tanks - which are usually operated at low pH values - there have never been any signs that would indicate a stronger solution of metal ions.
So the answer is clearly "no". We are certain that there is no influence here, otherwise, as responsible biologists, we would not offer such products for aquariums.
Incidentally, tin, copper and zinc are all essential trace elements, and not just for plants. Many of these trace elements are also toxic, depending on the concentration (Paracelsus). And the discussion between fertiliser and shrimps, to give just one example, showed that you would have to tip a whole bottle of copper-containing fertiliser into a 100 l aquarium to get anywhere near concentrations that would cause discomfort to shrimps.
A standard diaphragm or other air pump, air hose and possibly an adjustable T-piece/distributor to connect both air pipes.
No, our rearing box is designed to be completely free-floating, i.e. it is self-supporting (as long as the maximum load is not exceeded).
The length of the air hose then determines the radius of movement in the aquarium, so that you can determine the position of the box in the tank to a certain extent.
Not during a normal water change. The box floats with the water level (as long as the air hose is long enough...). It only falls dry if the tank runs completely empty or the air hose is too short so that it gets caught in the air. So make sure the hose is long enough and don't let the tank run dry...
Of course, it depends on the size of the container - ok, you would have guessed that too... 🙂
So, first of all - our FERMENDO is really highly dosed compared to many other aquatic plant care products on the market. Right from the start, we didn't think it made sense to package and sell an unnecessary amount of water. The high dosage reduces packaging and weight and therefore also shipping costs. Last but not least, parcel carriers and, of course, customers are happy about less weight during transport...
Now to the question, how much care product do I order for my needs?
Our FERMENDO WATER PLANT BOOSTER BASIS is dosed at 10 ml per 100 litres of aquarium water, or 1 ml per 10 litres.
A 1 litre bottle is therefore sufficient for 10,000 litres of aquarium water.
For example, if you have a 100 litre tank and dose according to the instructions after a weekly partial water change of approx. 30 %, your 1,000 ml bottle will last 100 weeks. That would be almost 2 years... Ok, no problem, the active ingredients will last that long. In this case, however, it would perhaps make more sense to order a smaller bottle, e.g. 500 ml (for the 100 litre tank this would be around 50 weeks, i.e. just under a year).
This calculation then also puts the price into perspective, which some people will initially think, oh, but it's much more expensive than the competitors' products... :-).
FERMENDO DAY is even more highly dosed: 1 ml per 100 litres of AQ water.
DAY is designed as a daily fertiliser. This means that you could add approx. 1 ml of DAY to your 100 litre tank every day and a 500 ml bottle would last around 500 days...
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No, no chlorine is added to the water during nitrate removal with our nitrate resin. The resin is in the chloride form (Cl-) and acts as an ion exchanger. During the ion exchange process, the resin exchanges nitrate (NO₃-) and nitrite (NO₂-) ions for chloride (Cl-) ions from the resin. However, the chloride ions are generally not harmful to aquarium inhabitants as they are naturally present in small quantities in the water.
The chloride in the resin is not released directly into the water, but is merely used as an exchange ion to bind the nitrates. Therefore, no free chlorine is released into the water. The chloride ions released by the resin are not chlorine (Cl₂), which is toxic to fish. As chloride ions are common in fresh water, they are generally harmless to most aquarium inhabitants. The resin can therefore slightly increase the chloride concentration in the water. If you are concerned about chloride levels, you should monitor them in the aquarium.
After ion exchange, the resin can be recharged by regeneration with saline tablets (containing sodium chloride), using the chloride ion as the regeneration medium.
Yes, humic substances are harmless in the right dosage and can even have a positive effect on the aquarium climate. They support the health of fish and invertebrates, have a slight antibacterial effect and can stabilise the water in a natural way.
They can slightly lower the pH value and colour the water brown, which many fish from soft, acidic waters prefer.
However, less is often more - overdosing can impair plant growth or lower the pH value too much. Therefore, make sure you use the product in moderation and use high-quality products.