Water Conditioners & pH

API Aquarium Start Up Pack

Freshwater & marineTwo-bottle kit

The API Aquarium Start Up Pack bundles the two bottles a new aquarium needs on day one. Stress Coat neutralises chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals in the tap water and protects the fish with aloe vera; Quick Start adds live nitrifying bacteria so the nitrogen cycle begins immediately and fish can go in the same day. Dose two teaspoons — 10 ml — of each product for every 40 litres when filling the tank, and use the same pair at water changes and when adding fish. It works for freshwater and marine tanks and is the simplest first purchase for a new fish keeper.

View at Jungle Aquatics

Live pricing and stock on jungleaquatics.com — purchase through Jungle Aquatics, with delivery across South Africa.

Dosage calculator

Enter your aquarium volume and the calculator works out how much API Aquarium Start Up Pack to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

Use the water the tank actually holds, less substrate and decor.

Stress Coat10 ml per 40 litres
Enter a volumeAt the first fill and every water change
Quick Start10 ml per 40 litres
Enter a volumeAfter the conditioner, at set-up and after filter changes

Condition the water first, then add the bacteria.

A guide only — always follow the dosing instructions printed on the pack, and measure with the bottle's cap or a syringe rather than by eye.

Technical details

Product type	Two-bottle starter kit: Stress Coat + Quick Start
Dose	10 ml (two teaspoons) of each product per 40 litres
Stress Coat does	Removes chlorine, chloramine and heavy metals; aloe vera protects fish
Quick Start does	Adds live nitrifying bacteria to start the cycle
Suitable for	New freshwater and saltwater aquariums
When to use	First fill, water changes, adding fish
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Is this all I need to start a tank?

For the water, yes: Stress Coat makes the tap water safe and Quick Start starts the biological filter, and 10 ml of each per 40 litres covers the first fill. What the pack cannot do is shortcut the biology. Add a few hardy fish first rather than the whole stocking, feed lightly, and buy a test kit — the Freshwater Master Test Kit reads ammonia and nitrite, the two numbers that tell you whether the cycle has caught up. When the pack runs out, the same products come in larger bottles; on a tank above about 100 litres it is worth buying them separately from the start.

Safe water and a working filter in two steps

Fill the tank, add Stress Coat to make the tap water safe, then add Quick Start to put the bacteria in place. In that order the conditioner has already removed the chlorine that would otherwise harm the bacteria. Both doses are 10 ml per 40 litres, so a 100-litre tank takes 25 ml of each.

The same two bottles for the first weeks

Keep using them: Stress Coat for the new water at each water change, Quick Start after any water change, filter rinse or new fish while the tank matures. Test ammonia and nitrite every couple of days for the first month and stock gradually — the pack gets the cycle started; your feeding and stocking decide how quickly it finishes.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Start Up Pack work for a marine tank?

Yes. Both Stress Coat and Quick Start are labelled for fresh and salt water; condition the fresh water before mixing salt, then add Quick Start to the finished saltwater.

Can fish go in straight away?

API states fish may be added immediately after dosing Quick Start. Start with a small number of hardy fish and let the bacterial colony grow with the stocking.

What size tank is the pack for?

The bottles in the pack are small, so it suits a first tank of up to roughly 100 litres; larger tanks are better served by the full-size bottles sold separately.

Is the API Aquarium Start Up Pack available in South Africa?

Yes — Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg stocks the pack and delivers nationwide; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

Stocked & supported by Jungle Aquatics

South Africa's leading pet and aquarium store since 2007 — with the API range on the floor in Fourways, advice from people who test water every day, and easy ordering from anywhere in the country.

Visit or contact the store Shop online →