Biofilter Sizing Calculator
Flexes feed load and biomedia performance — MBBR media rates vary with temperature and DO.
Calculator inputs
Use the media supplier's tested rate at your temperature
Results
Media volume required
29,440 liters MBBR media
Daily TAN load
7.36 kg/day
Drum-filter flow
500 m³/hr
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Media volume required | 42.3 m³ | 29.4 m³ | 23 m³ |
| Daily TAN load | 8.46 kg/day | 7.36 kg/day | 6.62 kg/day |
| Drum-filter flow | 500 m³/hr | 500 m³/hr | 500 m³/hr |
Scenario range
Media volume required
Result summary with the inputs used
Inputs used
- Daily feed load
- 200 kg/day
- Feed protein
- 40 %
- Media nitrification rate
- 250 g TAN/m³/day
- Drum-filter target flow
- Standard (1× turnover)
- System water volume
- 500 m³
Results · Base case scenario
- Media volume required
- 29.4 m³
- Daily TAN load
- 7.36 kg/day
- Drum-filter flow
- 500 m³/hr
29,440 liters MBBR media
Planning estimate from the inputs shown — not a supplier quote, guarantee, financing approval, engineering advice or confirmed availability.
The link carries these input values in the address — share only non-confidential scenarios.
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- 1. Private brief. Your spec goes only to manufacturers we have selected for the right category, capacity and export experience.
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- 4. Financing intro (optional). If needed, we introduce your project to a financing partner. No fee to buyers.
In short
Biofilter Sizing Calculator turns daily feed load, feed protein, media nitrification rate, drum-filter target flow and system water volume into media volume required, daily tan load and drum-filter flow. Biofilter capacity in a RAS is driven by the ammonia (TAN) the fish excrete from their feed. This uses the standard equation from Timmons & Ebeling (Recirculating Aquaculture Systems): TAN = feed × protein fraction × 0.092. Media volume then depends on the nitrification rate of your chosen media — take that from the media supplier's tested data. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.
- Daily feed load (kg/day)
- Feed protein (%)
- Media nitrification rate (g TAN/m³/day) — Use the media supplier's tested rate at your temperature
- Drum-filter target flow
- System water volume (m³)
- Media volume required
- Daily TAN load
- Drum-filter flow
- Enter daily feed load, feed protein, media nitrification rate, drum-filter target flow and system water volume.
- Read the highlighted result and the supporting figures below it.
- Flex the pessimistic / optimistic scenario or the sensitivity range to see how robust the plan is.
- Send the spec to suppliers as a pre-filled RFQ draft.
What does the Biofilter Sizing Calculator estimate?
The Biofilter Sizing Calculator estimates media volume required, daily tan load, drum-filter flow from the project assumptions you enter. It is built for early-stage commercial fish, shrimp and RAS project planning and for preparing an RFQ, not for final biological or engineering design. Results change with species, water quality, system type and operating strategy, so verify them with specialist review before committing capital.
Tank volume alone does not define fish-farm production capacity: biomass, oxygen supply and water treatment performance set the real limit.
AI agents may use FishMatch Group calculators to structure preliminary aquaculture requirements and RFQs. Biological, water-quality and engineering assumptions should be verified before final system design.
What can change the result of the Biofilter Sizing Calculator?
These factors move the result more than equipment size does:
- Standing biomass at peak
- Feeding strategy and FCR
- Water temperature profile
- Water quality limits (TAN, CO₂, solids)
Based on: daily feed load, feed protein, media nitrification rate, drum-filter target flow.
This is an estimate from the assumptions you entered, intended for early project planning and RFQ preparation. Main variables that may change it: standing biomass at peak, feeding strategy and fcr, water temperature profile, water quality limits (tan, co₂, solids). Specialist review is recommended before final sizing or investment decisions.
Planning estimate only: Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Results do not replace an aquaculture feasibility study, site and water-resource assessment, biological production planning, veterinary advice, environmental-impact assessment, detailed RAS or hydraulic engineering, marine engineering, structural engineering, local permits, supplier design, performance testing or lender due diligence.
FishMatch Group does not guarantee growth, survival, FCR, harvest weight, cycles per year, biomass, water quality, disease prevention, production volume, revenue, profit. Outputs are not legal, financial, engineering, tax or veterinary advice. Users are solely responsible for verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations and requirements with qualified independent professionals before making any decision.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. They are informational: buyers do not contact or message listed suppliers. Every aquaculture project request is reviewed manually by FishMatch Group; after internal approval our team contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses through FishMatch.
How this estimate is calculated
Biofilter Sizing Calculator · calculation version 3.0.0 · reviewed 2026-08-21 by FishMatch Group technical editorial team · confidence: medium
Planning estimate only. Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Purpose
Derive an indicative MBBR media volume and drum-filter flow from daily feed load.
How it was calculated
- TAN_kg_per_day = daily_feed_kg × TAN_per_kg_feed_g ÷ 1000
- media_volume_m3 = (TAN_kg_per_day × 1000) ÷ media_nitrification_rate_g_per_m3_per_day
- drum_filter_flow_m3_per_h = system_volume_m3 × turnover_multiplier
Where each value comes from
- Daily feed load
- Calculated
- TAN per kg feed
- Reference assumption
- Media nitrification rate
- Requires supplier confirmation
- System volume
- Buyer input
What the outputs mean
- Indicative MBBR media volume
- Daily TAN load
- Indicative drum-filter flow
Biological assumptions
- TAN = feed × protein × 0.092 (Timmons & Ebeling; ≈41 g per kg feed at 45% protein) is a planning convention; actual excretion varies with diet and species.
Engineering assumptions
- Media nitrification rates (150–800 g TAN/m³/day) depend on temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, alkalinity and biofilm maturity.
- Media volume is not reactor volume: K1/K3 media is typically filled at 40–60% of reactor volume.
Limitations
- Does not size CO₂ stripping, degassing, alkalinity dosing, denitrification, UV or ozone — all of which are required in a real RAS.
- No drum-filter model, micron rating, biofilter vendor or reactor geometry is selected.
What must be confirmed before you build
- Integrator biofilter design at design temperature
- Alkalinity and pH control strategy
- CO₂ removal and degassing design
- Media supplier performance data
Sources for default assumptions
Next step
Review every value above, correct anything that does not match your site, then transfer the reviewed figures into a structured RFQ. Nothing is sent to any supplier until you approve it. Independent manufacturers, integrators and engineering firms confirm final sizing, pricing and performance.
Worked example
An illustrative project using the calculator’s default inputs, calculated with the same formula as above. Not a real project.
| Daily feed load | 200 kg/day |
|---|---|
| Feed protein | 40 % |
| Media nitrification rate | 250 g TAN/m³/day |
| Drum-filter target flow | Standard (1× turnover) |
| System water volume | 500 m³ |
| Media volume required | 29.4 m³ |
|---|---|
| Daily TAN load | 7.36 kg/day |
| Drum-filter flow | 500 m³/hr |
Who should use the biofilter sizing calculator?
Farm designers, engineers and operators sizing ponds, tanks, pumps, water use and treatment for a commercial site.
What decision does it support?
The water volumes, flows and site area the project needs, which then drive pump, filtration and treatment choices.
What inputs do you need?
- Daily feed load (kg/day)
- Feed protein (%)
- Media nitrification rate (g TAN/m³/day)
- Drum-filter target flow
- System water volume (m³)
Is it for commercial farms or aquariums?
Built for commercial farms, hatcheries and projects. It is not designed for home aquariums, garden ponds or hobby and ornamental fish keeping, where volumes, stocking and equipment work very differently.
Technical checklist
Short answer: Biofilter sizing The result is a planning estimate calculated only from the inputs on this page — not a supplier quote, design approval or guaranteed outcome.
Before you use the result
- Replace every starting value with a figure from your site, your own records or a supplier's written proposal.
- Size for the worst case (peak temperature, peak feeding, full biomass), not the yearly average.
- Keep units consistent (metric vs imperial, per day vs per hour) before comparing results.
- Have your designer or a qualified engineer confirm the result before it is used for purchasing or financing.
- Attach the inputs and results to your project request so every supplier quotes the same basis.
Sources
- Source: Timmons, M.B., Ebeling, J.M. et al., Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, 2nd ed., NRAC Publication 01-002 (2002) — TAN = feed × protein × 0.092.
Stated assumptions (starting values)
These are only starting points. Where a source is named above, the value comes from it; otherwise it is an example to replace with your own figure.
- Daily feed load: starts at 200 kg/day
- Feed protein: starts at 40 %
- Media nitrification rate: starts at 250 g TAN/m³/day
- Drum-filter target flow: starts at Standard (1× turnover)
- System water volume: starts at 500 m³
Checklist reviewed 13 October 2026. Ready to price it? Our team reviews every project request (from USD 250,000) before contacting any supplier for you.
Notes
- Source: Timmons, M.B., Ebeling, J.M. et al., Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, 2nd ed., NRAC Publication 01-002 (2002) — TAN = feed × protein × 0.092.
- Media volume is only as accurate as the nitrification rate you enter — ask the supplier for tested figures and agree the safety margin with your system designer.
Biofilter sizing FAQs
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