NEWS＆TOPICS
- 2016.03.22
- About Bio Sponge
The history of development with Bio Sponge has begun after struggling to sort out when one of my friend in Koi business consulted me with the problems caused by ammonia, Nitrite for breeding Koi.
When I visited the customers place where they keep the Koi, most of them use Filter mat, Brush-like filtering materials to filter the water into.
At that time, I was confident in my experience that neither Filter mat nor Brush materials is capable of biotic filtering because in principle, physical filtering is what those filter system are designed.
Thus, I have picked up variety of filter materials to see which ones is most suitable.
As a result, I have come to the conclusion to single out original special hydrophilic urethane as the best materials.
I did not think that usual hydroohilic urethane fully meet with requirement, which is why I have created the foundation of Bio Sponge by adding, mixing special ingredients to the urethane.
The material of Bio Sponge has good hydrophilic nature in such way that the water contains organic substances tend to remain onto its surface.
The longer those water ramains, the higher leeway the bacteria has to decomposes organic substances.
On the other hand, prodcts like Filter mat, brush tend to shed water especially when beginning to use, that keeps water from remainng onto the surface.
That means bacteria is not staying there.
In that sense, Filter mat and brush are only capable of temporaliry pile up the falling leaves, feed left-over, feces of carp for filtering.
As filtering material, the most important bio-filtering is not fit for purpose as far as Filter mat and brush are concerned.
Bio Sponge has similar structure inside to loofah.
Thus, the water contains organic substances is getting through slowly enough so that bacteria can decompose the organic sustances, ammonia, Nitrite..etc.
The development of Bio Sponge is established based on Biofilm theory.
Bio-film is likened to residential area, condominium where the bacteria is living.
Approx. 99 per cent of microbe lives in the Bio-film society and bacteria which elutriate the water is one of them.
Take sewage treatment plant for example, Bio-film is the most important factor for elutriate the water and those plant is heavily dependant on Bio-film.
In order to keep the water in good condition, Bacteria and good filtering material where the bacteria lives are inevitable
combination.
We can see the outbreak of disease if the inappropraite filtering materials are applied to the pond.
The followings are the causes of diseases as a whole and its coutermeasures I can think of.
(Cause)
1. The water does not fit for keeping the koi.
2. Breeding method is incorrect.
3. Rapid change of water condition (what we call as pH shock).
4 Mucosa is peeled off by pulling out the Koi by the net.
(Counter-measure)
A. Maintain optimum water condition for Koi (bacteria is fully in active).
B. Use filtering system and materials fit for the capacity of the pond.
Minimize the span of changing water to keep the water in good condition.
C. When transpoting the Koi, use Skin water (medication for protection of mucosa).
Finally, to summarize what separates Bio Sponge from other producs such as Filter mat,
(1) Water perviousness
With Filter mat, the water goes straight throuh without staying.
Bio Sponge has higher hydrophilic nature.
(2) Surface area
Quality and structure are different between the products and manufactures, thus
it is not necessarily certain, but Bio-sponge has 5 times lager surface area per cubic volume than
Filter mat has.
(3) Bacteria persistence
Filter mat has higher perviousness, but, in terms of biotic filtering, it does not work that much.
it is not until the foreign substances (falling leaves, feces..etc.) are laying up that biotic filering starts working.
On the other hand, in a couple of days after Bio Sponge is set up with filering tank, bacteria starts living
there and that leads to high performance with biotic filtering for a long time which bacteria is capable of.
We would say that Filter mat is the filering materials which only stores foreign objects temporalily.
Bio Sponge is easy to clean up and it makes biotic filtering work for a long time.
That makes it easier for maintenance in that respect.
It would be recommended that use Bacto Power and Bio Sponge in combination as these work in favour each others.
Quantity of Bio Sponge to be used is mentioned as 1～2 packs per 1 ton water.
Having said that, using 5～6 packs per 1 ton water can be recommended for higher performance with biotic filtering.
