Water Conditioners & pH

API Quick Start

Freshwater & marineLive bacteria

API Quick Start is bottled nitrifying bacteria — the organisms that turn the ammonia fish excrete into nitrite and then into far less harmful nitrate. A new tank has none of them, which is why the traditional advice is to wait weeks before adding fish. Quick Start seeds the filter and substrate with live cultures so the cycle begins at once and fish can be added the same day. It is also the product to dose after a filter clean, a filter change, a large water change or a course of medication, in freshwater or marine tanks, and it is safe for soft corals. Sizes are 30 ml, 118 ml and 237 ml.

Size: 30 ml

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 Quick Start to use for each rate on the pack.

Aquarium volume

Measured in

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

Standard dose10 ml per 38 litres
Enter a volumeAt set-up, after water or filter changes and when adding fish

Dose the full tank volume at set-up; fish can be added immediately afterwards.

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	Live nitrifying bacteria, liquid
Sizes	30 ml · 118 ml · 237 ml
Dose	10 ml per 38 litres
Treats	30 ml → 113 litres · 118 ml → 416 litres · 237 ml → 870 litres
Suitable for	Freshwater and saltwater aquariums; safe with soft corals
When to use	New tank set-up, after water or filter changes, when adding fish, after medication
Wait before adding fish	None — fish may be added immediately
Made by	Mars Fishcare, USA

Keep the bottle out of direct sun and heat — it contains living cultures.

Can I really add fish on day one?

Yes, with care. Dose 10 ml for every 38 litres once the tank is filled, conditioned and running, then add a small group of hardy fish rather than the full stocking. The bacteria need ammonia to feed on, so a few fish give the colony a start without producing more waste than it can handle. Feed lightly, test ammonia and nitrite every day or two for the first month, and change some water if either reads above zero. A 118 ml bottle treats 416 litres — enough to start a 200-litre tank and dose it again after the first few water changes.

Starts the nitrogen cycle the day you dose it

Ammonia is the first thing that kills fish in a new aquarium and the bacteria that consume it take weeks to establish on their own. Quick Start adds those bacteria in quantity, so ammonia is converted to nitrite and then to nitrate from the first day rather than accumulating. API states fish may be added immediately after dosing.

Rescues a filter after cleaning or medication

Rinsing filter media in tap water, replacing a cartridge or running a course of antibacterial medication can wipe out much of a tank’s bacterial population, and ammonia creeps back. A dose of Quick Start after any of these restocks the colony before the fish notice.

Stock sensibly and keep testing

Bacteria can only process the ammonia the tank actually produces, so a same-day start works best with a modest first stocking of hardy fish. Test ammonia and nitrite every day or two for the first month with the Freshwater Master Test Kit; a reading above zero means a small water change and, if it persists, another dose.

Freshwater, marine and soft corals

Quick Start is labelled for both fresh and salt water and API confirms it is safe with soft corals, so it can seed a new marine system or help a reef tank recover from a filter disturbance as readily as a freshwater community tank.

Frequently asked questions

Does Quick Start work in a saltwater aquarium?

Yes. It is labelled for fresh and salt water, and API confirms it is safe with soft corals.

How often should I dose it?

At set-up, then after every water change or filter clean and whenever new fish are added. After a course of medication that may have harmed the filter bacteria, dose again.

Do I still need to cycle the tank?

Quick Start starts the cycle immediately rather than replacing it. Stock lightly, test for ammonia and nitrite for the first month and let the bacterial population grow to match the fish.

Can I use Quick Start with Stress Coat or a water conditioner?

Yes — API sells the two together as the Aquarium Start Up Pack. Condition the water first, then add Quick Start.

Is API Quick Start available in South Africa?

Yes — Jungle Aquatics in Fourways, Johannesburg stocks the 30 ml, 118 ml and 237 ml bottles and delivers nationwide; live pricing and stock are on jungleaquatics.com.

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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.

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