Bacteria
Starter bacteria for a new filter, bacteria gel and capsules, and products for lowering nitrate and cleaning substrate.
How to choose?
from€6.99
Unit price: €59.24 / l
from€5.99
Unit price: €50.76 / l
from€11.99
Unit price: €101.61 / l
from€6.99
Unit price: €59.24 / l
from€5.99
Unit price: €50.76 / l
from€5.99
Unit price: €50.76 / l
from€5.80
Unit price: €46.40 / l
from€7.99
Unit price: €79.90 / l
Advice and care
How to choose aquarium bacteria
Starter bacteria help a new filter; maintenance bacteria keep the balance day to day.
Start-up
Add starter bacteria to a new tank and after a thorough filter clean.
Check
Test ammonium and nitrite until both stay at zero.
After conditioner
Add bacteria only after the conditioner, because chlorine kills them.
Popular brands
All brandsFrequently asked questions
Do bacteria speed up cycling?
Yes, they help the filter build its useful bacteria faster. Still test the water before adding fish.
Can bacteria be overdosed?
Live bacteria are generally safe, but follow the maker's instructions. More does not mean faster results.
Read more
A clean aquarium does not depend on the filter's mechanical part alone. The real work happens on the filter media and in the substrate, where nitrifying bacteria turn the ammonia from fish waste first into nitrite and then into nitrate. Nitrate is removed with water changes and partly taken up by plants.
Bacteria products shorten the time it takes for that colony to form, but they do not replace patience. Add fish gradually even when using them, because the bacteria grow in step with the amount of waste. Gels and capsules go straight into the filter, liquid products into the water.
The colony is harmed by chlorine, some medicines and rinsing the filter in tap water. After any of these, add bacteria again and test whether nitrite rises. Separate products for lowering nitrate and cleaning the substrate are used for routine maintenance.