Kaldnes K1 and K3 media has been scientifically tried and tested in fish farming and waste water treatment for over 10 years, is now available for koi hobbyists and is exclusively distributed in the United States by InMotion Aquatics via Evolution Aqua UK. The Kaldnes Moving BedTM process utilizes an air pump to fluidize the media, thus significantly increasing the nitrification potential of your bio-filter.
How It Works
Maturing the Kaldnes bio-media is important because a delicate eco-system is naturally developing for the bacteria involved in the nitrification process. Kaldnes media provides the maximum active surface area for the bacteria to colonize, more than other types of static media. It is this process which removes harmful ammonia and nitrite from the water.
As the Kaldnes media moves within the filter, it causes the old dead bacteria on the outside to be displaced. This makes space for younger, heavier feeding bacteria to rapidly colonize. Within the wheel is a protected surface, which enables colonies of bacteria to naturally follow their lifecycle of maturing, dying and then fueling the latter stages of the nitrification cycle. Kaldnes has been designed to provide the best possible habitat for both young and mature beneficial bacterial colonies.
Unlike foam, matting, or other forms of static filtration media, the Kaldnes K1/K3 media is designed to move freely within your filter. The constant chaotic movement of the air causes the media to self-clean and thus requires no maintenance. This allows the filter to reach optimum effectiveness without the disturbance of periodic cleaning, avoiding unnecessary loss of bacteria within the filter.
The main difference to K1/K3 is that the protected area or quiet zone in Bio Chip is designed to be the perfect environment for micro animals, not just bacteria. The extremely quiet zones created by the hydrophilic layer protecting every cavity in the Bio Chip is critical to allow these micro animals to flourish. With other types of media they will be flushed out.
These micro animals feed on small particles such as fish waste, dead bacteria, and algae. There are many different types of these micro animals as you can see from our micro-photographs. Consider that the Vortecilia are filtering 10,000 times their own volume per hour and are feeding on particles up to 5 microns in size. It is these small particles that are always difficult to remove by mechanical means and make our water cloudy!
Once fully colonized, the bio chip contains an army of these micro animals. All are filtering tens of thousands of times their own volume every hour, searching for these tiny particles. Gleaming, healthy water, high in oxygen content with low BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) will follow.
Add to existing K1/K3 moving beds in a ration of 1 part Bio Chips to 4 parts K1/K3. Kaldnes Bio Chips are available in sealed 25 liter bags (0.9 CF per bag). |
