Hi when do you add fish when using aquastart?

I add it the same day I add the fish, as it needs the ammonium from the fish to feed it & keep it alive. I put some directly in my filter, and the rest all over the gravel. If I'm starting a new tank, I will add the whole bottle in one go. Just don't go vrazy and add a massive bioload, or you'll need a much larger bottle. Also used these to cycle a new air filter sat in a bucket, and added a large pinch of crumbled fish food to feed it ammonia. Tested daily with API test kit, all levels settled exactly as they should do for completing a cycle.

My tank has a 12L capacity how much should I use 10ml?

It is advised on the back of the bottle, 5ml for every 10ltrs of water, as this is a conditioner to remove chemicals such a chlorine, I can advise that for a 12ltr tank, 10ml is fine, just make sure you let it sit for at least 5-10 minuets to make sure the solution has done its job, this goes the same for changing your water, fill the container used to top the tank up with fresh water and add the solution, mix well and let it sit, then just add in, if your fish are tropical, I would advise making the solution a few hours before so it can get up to room temp and this will then be tempred water, your fish can sometimes be shocked by the sudden change in temperature. Hope this helps

Im currently using api quick start without much of a result, can i also use this product or will i have to perform a huge water change before hand

I think you should be okay to use this without a water change, as the bacteria won't harm the fish and will just die if there isn't enough ammonia to feed them.

Is this product similar to/same as api stress zyme?

Not really. SafeStart includes bacteria to help with 'new tank syndrome' by breaking down ammonia and nitrite, allowing introduction of fish much quicker and kick starting the nitrogen cycle. Stresszyme claims to breakdown ammonia and nitrite somewhat, but it is mainly composed of bacteria which breaks down organics (sludge) in the filter and tank, helping to keep the filter, substrate and glass clean (enabling less maintenance). Stesszyme can be helpful as a weekly maintenance boost product but isn't really worth the money (your aquarium and filter will already have the bacteria to breakdown organics). You should only need to use SafeStart when starting up a new aquarium (if you insist on adding a few fish straight away), but it is expensive. SafeStart should not be needed for maintenance unless you are doing something wrong, or your filter is not up to standard. It may however be useful after using antibiotics etc. Hope this helps.

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Reviews

S**L

Just works

Does the job , helped with our cloudy water in my new 57 litre setup after a couple of days the cloudy water was clear. Just follow the diluting instructions and it works . Great value

18.11.2025

T**N

Fish are ok with this product.

Good product

11.12.2025

C**1

Does the job

Good for those that don't want to wait 2-4 weeks to cycle there tank before adding fish. Seems to have done the job. I added it the day before I added fish and left the filter running. Water levels were all good fish doing well.

23.10.2025

S**J

Not enough in the bottle

Very little liquid for the money

26.11.2025

M**S

Great product

10.10.2025

A**R

Good

Great value

19.09.2025

L**N

Works as long you follow the directions to the letter..(plus its mislabeled, its not a conditioner)

Works perfect as always! This is my second time using this and it does what is says. You must follow the instructions or it wont work. That means NO water changes for two weeks. Do not use this the same day you add water conditioner or it will kill the bacteria. This product is actually mislabeled.. it is NOT A WATER CONDITIONER but a bacterial additive so you must buy conditioner separate and wait 24 hours before adding the bacteria additive. You must have fish in the tank or provide it with a constant ammonia source to feed the bacteria or they die in about 24 hours. Best to add the fish within the hour of adding this and dont fully stock your tank straight off. Add a few every 2 weeks or the bacteria hasnt grown enough to handle the amount of ammonia so many fish produce. If you wonder what on earth I am talking about you must research the Nitrogen Cycle so you know how to safely care for your fish.

11.07.2017

N**E

Sets tank up perfect

Perfect, 1 day after using my tank is testing the right ammonia, nitrite and nitrate, definitely recommend!

12.06.2025

M**A

Produit cher qui arrive á la moitié....

23.09.2023

A**O

E' un prodotto indispensabile per chi desidera introdurre i pesci in un acquario senza lunghe attese. Grazie alla sua formula con batteri vivi, accelera il ciclo dell'azoto, garantendo un ambiente sicuro e bilanciato per i nuovi ospiti. Facile da usare e altamente efficace, riduce lo stress sia per i pesci che per i proprietari. Ideale per principianti e appassionati esperti, trasforma l'allestimento dell'acquario in un'operazione rapida e senza problemi!

2.12.2024

G**L

Buen producto

10.01.2026

B**H

Gutes Ergebnis

10.03.2025

C**E

Perfect

29.06.2025

ASIN	B002B8E6RC
Batteries Included	No
Batteries required	No
Best Sellers Rank	1,365 in Pet Supplies ( See Top 100 in Pet Supplies ) 10 in Aquarium Water Treatments
Customer Reviews	4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,948)
Date First Available	9 Aug. 2012
Item Form	bottle
Item Weight	250 g
Item model number	175655
Number of Items	1
Pet Type	Fish and Aquatic
Product Dimensions	4 x 7.5 x 17.7 cm; 250 g
Quantity	1
Size	250ml
Specific Uses	Indoor, Suitable for Fresh Water
Volume	0.25 Litres

Tetra SafeStart Aquarium Starter - with live nitrifying bacteria, allows the rapid introduction of fish in an aquarium, 250 ml bottle.

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