Heyo! I want some data from you guys if possible.
I want to see how much ammonia your feeding is producing. Could you describe:
1. How often you feed.
2. How much ammonia is produced from your feeding.
To calculate the latter, for each type of food multiply amount fed (in mg) x % protein (should be stated on label) x 16% (nitrogen in protein) / tank volume (in litres).
For example, I feed 0.2 grams of NLS pellets a day, i.e. 200 mg pellets. The protein content listed on the container is 39%. My aquarium is 20 gallons, i.e. around 75.7 litres, though actual water volume is only 57 litres. I'd prefer you'd calculate based on true water volume, but tank volume works too.
So for me, it'd be 0.2 x 0.39 x 0.16 / 57 = 0.22 mg/L (ppm) ammonia a day.
Credit for the formula goes to @taricha. I don't know enough about this to come up with it myself. If you feed multiple foods, well here's Taricha's calc:
Note #1: No I don't have problems with feeding or looking to change my feeding schedule, this is more so out of curiosity than anything.
Note #2: Yes it is all just an estimations. Still very valuable data though.
I want to see how much ammonia your feeding is producing. Could you describe:
1. How often you feed.
2. How much ammonia is produced from your feeding.
To calculate the latter, for each type of food multiply amount fed (in mg) x % protein (should be stated on label) x 16% (nitrogen in protein) / tank volume (in litres).
For example, I feed 0.2 grams of NLS pellets a day, i.e. 200 mg pellets. The protein content listed on the container is 39%. My aquarium is 20 gallons, i.e. around 75.7 litres, though actual water volume is only 57 litres. I'd prefer you'd calculate based on true water volume, but tank volume works too.
So for me, it'd be 0.2 x 0.39 x 0.16 / 57 = 0.22 mg/L (ppm) ammonia a day.
Credit for the formula goes to @taricha. I don't know enough about this to come up with it myself. If you feed multiple foods, well here's Taricha's calc:
I would like to know what people's actual food inputs are. It's not hard to know - foods say right on the label what % is protein.
If I feed a cube of mysis, a cube of brine, and a pinch of flake...
mysis: 3.3g x 7.6% protein x 16% N in protein = 40mg N
brine: 3.3g x 3.7% protein x 16% N in protein = 20mg N
pinch of flake: 0.5g x 53% protein x 16% N in protein = 42mg N
Total = input of 40+20+42 = 102mg N in 260L system = 0.39 mg/L of N
if 100% of that protein N went into NH4 that'd give 0.39 x (18 mass NH4 / 14 mass N) = 0.50 ppm NH4
Note #1: No I don't have problems with feeding or looking to change my feeding schedule, this is more so out of curiosity than anything.
Note #2: Yes it is all just an estimations. Still very valuable data though.