Oyster Shells

K+ Sinking Filter Media

New advanced filtration media

Plastic media, for use in biological pond filters – specifically in moving bed bio reactors, was pioneered by Evolution Aqua, some 20 years ago. In recent years, other plastic media have come onto the market, usually with the aim of trying to get more and more surface area. However, one drawback to using plastic media has always been the time it takes to establish a stable biofilm – essential for good filtration.

After many years of research, Evolution Aqua have now developed a new media that not only gives class leading surface area, but also overcomes the problem of long maturation times.

Class leading surface area

K+ Sinking Filter Media is designed and manufactured in the UK by Evolution Aqua. This advanced media, with its innovative design, and class leading surface area provides enhanced biological and mechanical filtration.

As Evolution Aqua extrude K+ Media, Minerals and Enzymes are added to the raw material. The result of this process, unique to Evolution Aqua, is a filtration media that not only out performs most of it’s competitors due to its large protected surface area, but also answers the problem of how to speed up the time taken to mature your filter.

Minerals added for faster filter maturation

During the extrusion process, Evolution Aqua add a range of minerals, along with magnesium, calcium, enzymes and salt to the raw material that is used to manufacture K+Media. The result means that K+Media will mature much faster than many other types of media.

• The addition of these minerals creates a rough surface on the media. This textured surface has a microscopic honeycomb of peaks and craters that allow waste particles to collect, and nitrifying bacteria to form.
• The minerals act as a food source for the bacteria, helping the bacteria to develop and multiply at a faster rate, further improving maturation times.
• Calcium alone has proven advantages for developing and maintaining effective bio-films.
• The enzymes that are added also help to make the media “sticky” so waste particles can adhere to media easier.
• Salt is added during the extrusion process, which is dissolved during the cooling process, leaving a rough surface on which bio-film can easily adhere.

Increased surface area

With a new shape and profile, K+ Sinking Filter Media has also been designed to have an increased and class leading surface area, meaning an overall surface area of 1,350m2 per m3. More importantly for biological filtration, the protected surface area of K+ Media is 1,025m2 per m3. This allows a stable bio-film to form and remain intact when used in moving bed biological filtration, as in the new Nexus+.

Stable bio-film development

The shape of K+ Sinking Filter Media optimises the amount of “quiet zones” within the media where a stable bio-film can develop. Whilst K+Media keeps the integral profile of K1 Media at its core, there is an extra layer of cells and fins around the outside of each piece that enable microscopic organisms such as Rotifers and Vorticella to thrive. This is an additional benefit as competitor media do not have such “quiet zones” that would allow these higher lifeforms of filter feeders to develop. The bacteria and organisms that form within the bio-film ensure the media delivers optimum levels of biological filtration in the moving bed, which has been proven filtration technology for many years in the fishkeeping hobby.

Evolution Aqua also recommend using K+ Media in combination with the PURE Pond and PURE+ Filter Start Gel to boost bacteria levels which in turn will stick to the media and speed up the maturation process even more.

Kusuri Lithaqua

Kusuri Lithaqua is a marine mineral with a high content of minerals, trace elements and carbonates. It brings them into your pond and thereby adjusts the mineral balance and improves the water quality. Use it as pond substrate for bacteria to grow on and for fish to play in, or use it as a filter medium.

Modern multi-chamber filters contain mainly plastic media. Those are excellent supports for bacteria but they do not add anything to water quality. It is important to fill at least one filter chamber (preferably the last chamber) with Kusuri Lithaqua. It provides an enormous surface area for bacteria 10 to 20 times more than most plastic filter media) and provides the bacteria with essential nutrients.

Kusuri Lithaqua neutralises acid pH and helps to restore carbonate alkalinity.

Lithaqua is a marine mineral high in trace elements and carbonates, ideal for raising KH values. A superb filter media of porous construction, allowing a huge surface area for the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Modern filter chambers contain many and varied plastic media, these provide good support – but Lithaqua goes one stage further. Not only do the beneficial bacteria draw on nutrients from the mineral support, the media has a massive surface area up to 20 times greater than most plastic media.

Lithaqua is a biological media not intended for mechanical stages.

Use Lithaqua in a clean water chamber after mechanical removal of waste. Lithaqua is far more efficient than crushed oyster shells, and the high level of carbonates will improve carbonate alkalinity in soft water regions, neutralising low acid pH and buffer swings in pH.