Amount of media per litre/gallon?

[boshk]

Is there a rough guide to how much media one should use per litre/gallon?

My system is 525L, minus the sand etc, probably around 450L

I currently have:
2L Eheim Substat pro
1 Marinepure Block
2L Sera Siporax
1 black coarse sponge

Is that enough for an average planted tank with no discus or large fish?
Someone mentioned if I did not use my sump, I should be using 2 big canisters like Eheim 2217/oase 600, how much media do they hold?
(It was previously a reef tank and that was relatively easy since they had a guide of x kg of coral/live rock per litre)

 

[AbbeysDad]

It is a myth that beneficial bacteria only lives in/on the commercial media in the filter. It lives on any hard surface in the aquarium, ESPECIALLY in the substrate. As far as commercial bio-media, don't be fooled by the marketing hype. Bio-media's are often rated on their surface area...consider the surface area of your substrate, be it sand or gravel - and I refer to the surface area of each piece of aggregate down to about 1" deep or so. Also consider the many large fishrooms that rely solely on air driven sponge filters. All of my filters (HOB's and canister) are totally filled with sponge material.
In the established tank, there is more than enough BB in the substrate and the filter can primarily serve as a mechanical filter.
So no, you would not need multiple filters if you didn't have a sump.