Surface Area and Packing Density (Properties)
While surface area measurements will give you some information, the way the media packs into a container, should also be taken into consideration. Strapping tape, for instance, is impossible to pack efficiently, whereas nylon pot scrubbies will pack much better into a container resulting in more surface area with less space.
Type of Bio-Media
If you like Math
Japanese mats have a specific surface area of about 275 m2/m3. So one mat of 2x1x0.04m is about 80 liters and has a total surface area of 22m2.
Depending on a lot of factors bacteria are able to convert between 0.2 and 1 gram ammonia per m2 surface area per day. When you calculate with 0.2 you are pretty safe.
We already calculated that the japanese mat had a surface of 22 m2, so one mat is able to convert about 4.4 gram ammonia per day.
About 2-4% of the amount of food given per day is coming back as ammonia in the pond water, depending on protein level among other things. Calculating with 4% gives a good safe margin.
So one Japanese mat was able to convert 4.4 grams ammonia per day. This 4.4 grams is 4% of the amount of food given. So total food given per day can be 110 grams per one Japanese mat.
for more information visit. http://wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm
While surface area measurements will give you some information, the way the media packs into a container, should also be taken into consideration. Strapping tape, for instance, is impossible to pack efficiently, whereas nylon pot scrubbies will pack much better into a container resulting in more surface area with less space.
Type of Bio-Media
If you like Math
Japanese mats have a specific surface area of about 275 m2/m3. So one mat of 2x1x0.04m is about 80 liters and has a total surface area of 22m2.
Depending on a lot of factors bacteria are able to convert between 0.2 and 1 gram ammonia per m2 surface area per day. When you calculate with 0.2 you are pretty safe.
We already calculated that the japanese mat had a surface of 22 m2, so one mat is able to convert about 4.4 gram ammonia per day.
About 2-4% of the amount of food given per day is coming back as ammonia in the pond water, depending on protein level among other things. Calculating with 4% gives a good safe margin.
So one Japanese mat was able to convert 4.4 grams ammonia per day. This 4.4 grams is 4% of the amount of food given. So total food given per day can be 110 grams per one Japanese mat.
for more information visit. http://wernersponds.com/biofiltermedia.htm
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