Starting a planted tank- difficult first steps? - The 2Hr Aquarist
Starting a planted tank- difficult first steps? · Step #1: Cycle the tank · Step #2: Plant at least 70% of the substrate · Step #3: Hold Steady, do ...
APT Start
It is tremendously helpful to cycle a tank before planting. The approach is to let the filter run, with hardscape and substrate in, without lights. If you are using an aquasoil substrate that is of decent richness, it should release ammonia for the first few weeks. We let our tanks cycle for at least a week (2 is better), and add <anchor>APT Start</anchor> (which contains starter bacteria culture) to accelerate the cycling. This is sometimes called a dark start, as the tank's lights are turned off during this period. Lights are turned off so as not to trigger algae. The exact steps are detailed below:
2Hr Aquarist APT Start - The 2Hr Aquarist
-  |  / Save up to %Save %Save up to Save SaleSold outIn stock

Menu

- Shop
- Inspiration
- Fertilizers
- Algae
- Trident Circle
- How To
- Hot Topics
- Solve Algae
- Optimise CO2
- Fine-tune Lighting
- Fertilise & Boost
- Tackle specific plants
- Target water parameters
- Choose Tanks & Filters
- Select Substrate
- 3 ACES
- Network
- Dealer Direct
- Help
- Dosing Calculators
- Product Help Center
- Contact Us
- Returns and refunds
- Login
- United States (USD $)
  Åland Islands (EUR €)
  Andorra (EUR €)
  Australia (AUD $)
  Austria (EUR €)
  Belgium (EUR €)
  Bosnia & Herzegovina (EUR €)
  Brunei (SGD $)
  Bulgaria (EUR €)
  Canada (CAD $)
  Chile (SGD $)
  Croatia (EUR €)
  Cyprus (EUR €)
  Czechia (EUR €)
  Denmark (EUR €)
  Estonia (EUR €)
  Finland (EUR €)
  France (EUR €)
  French Guiana (EUR €)
  French Southern Territories (EUR €)
  Germany (EUR €)
  Greece (EUR €)
  Guadeloupe (EUR €)
  Hong Kong SAR (USD $)
  Hungary (EUR €)
  Indonesia (USD $)
  Iraq (USD $)
  Ireland (EUR €)
  Israel (USD $)
  Italy (EUR €)
  Japan (USD $)
  Kosovo (EUR €)
  Latvia (EUR €)
  Liechtenstein (EUR €)
  Lithuania (EUR €)
  Luxembourg (EUR €)
  Macao SAR (USD $)
  Malaysia (USD $)
  Malta (EUR €)
  Martinique (EUR €)
  Mayotte (EUR €)
  Monaco (EUR €)
  Montenegro (EUR €)
  Netherlands (EUR €)
  North Macedonia (USD $)
  Norway (EUR €)
  Pakistan (SGD $)
  Poland (EUR €)
  Portugal (EUR €)
  Réunion (EUR €)
  Romania (EUR €)
  San Marino (EUR €)
  Saudi Arabia (USD $)
  Serbia (EUR €)
  Singapore (SGD $)
  Slovakia (EUR €)
  Slovenia (EUR €)
  Spain (EUR €)
  St. Barthélemy (EUR €)
  St. Martin (EUR €)
  St. Pierre & Miquelon (EUR €)
  Sweden (EUR €)
  Switzerland (EUR €)
  Türkiye (USD $)
  United Arab Emirates (USD $)
  United Kingdom (GBP £)
  United States (USD $)
  Vatican City (EUR €)

United States (USD $)

- Åland Islands (EUR €)

- Andorra (EUR €)

- Australia (AUD $)

- Austria (EUR €)

- Belgium (EUR €)

- Bosnia & Herzegovina (EUR €)

- Brunei (SGD $)

- Bulgaria (EUR €)

- Canada (CAD $)

- Chile (SGD $)

- Croatia (EUR €)

- Cyprus (EUR €)

- Czechia (EUR €)

- Denmark (EUR €)

- Estonia (EUR €)

- Finland (EUR €)

- France (EUR €)

- French Guiana (EUR €)

- French Southern Territories (EUR €)

- Germany (EUR €)

- Greece (EUR €)

- Guadeloupe (EUR €)

- Hong Kong SAR (USD $)

- Hungary (EUR €)

- Indonesia (USD $)

- Iraq (USD $)

- Ireland (EUR €)

- Israel (USD $)

- Italy (EUR €)

- Japan (USD $)

- Kosovo (EUR €)

- Latvia (EUR €)

- Liechtenstein (EUR €)

- Lithuania (EUR €)

- Luxembourg (EUR €)

- Macao SAR (USD $)

- Malaysia (USD $)

- Malta (EUR €)

- Martinique (EUR €)

- Mayotte (EUR €)

- Monaco (EUR €)

- Montenegro (EUR €)

- Netherlands (EUR €)

- North Macedonia (USD $)

- Norway (EUR €)

- Pakistan (SGD $)

- Poland (EUR €)

- Portugal (EUR €)

- Réunion (EUR €)

- Romania (EUR €)

- San Marino (EUR €)

- Saudi Arabia (USD $)

- Serbia (EUR €)

- Singapore (SGD $)

- Slovakia (EUR €)

- Slovenia (EUR €)

- Spain (EUR €)

- St. Barthélemy (EUR €)

- St. Martin (EUR €)

- St. Pierre & Miquelon (EUR €)

- Sweden (EUR €)

- Switzerland (EUR €)

- Türkiye (USD $)

- United Arab Emirates (USD $)

- United Kingdom (GBP £)

- United States (USD $)

- Vatican City (EUR €)

- Login

Your Cart is Empty

Continue Shopping

- 

$0.00 USDSubtotal

- Taxes and shipping calculated at checkout

- Enjoy savings on shipping when you buy more.

Go to cart

Shop

We are a brand born of an obsession with performance, a belief in good science, and a knack for invention.

2Hr Aquarist APT Start

2Hr Aquarist APT Start

2Hr Aquarist APT Start

2Hr Aquarist APT Start

2Hr Aquarist APT Start

2Hr Aquarist APT Start

2Hr Aquarist APT Start

# 2Hr Aquarist APT Start

$15.90

Substrate Enrichment + Starter Bacteria.

All-in-one booster for new tanks.

Enhances substrate richness and accelerates readiness for planting and livestock introduction.

1 Pouch (45g) per 60x30cm / 24"x12" area.

###### Why

APT START provides the essential all-in-one upgrade for every new tank- substrate enrichment (a performance boost for 90% of aquasoils) and a potent concoction of starter bacteria to jump start tank cycling.

###### Ingredients

Solid inorganic macronutrient fertiliser with beneficial bacteria

NPK mineral fertiliser with micro-nutrients 8.8-0-0.5

8.8% Total Nitrogen (N)

-1.8% Nitric nitrogen

-7% ammoniacal nitrogen

0.6% Potassium oxide (K2O)

4.5% Calcium oxide (CaO)

1.5% Magnesium oxide (MgO)

0.01% Total Iron chelated by EDTA

Macro and micronutrients are completely water soluble

Ingredients:

Clay, Calcium sulfate (CMC1 CAS n°7778-18-9), ammonium sulfate (CMC1 CAS n°7783-20-2), Potassium sulphate (CMC1 CAS n°7778-80-5), Magnesium sulphate (CMC1 CAS n°7487-88-9), Magnesium nitrate (CMC1 CAS n°10377-60-3)

Default Title

Qty

Add to Cart

Please notify me when {{ product }} becomes available - {{ url }}:

Notify me when this product is available:

[Email this to a friend](mailto:?subject=Thought you might like 2Hr%20Aquarist%20APT%20Start&body=Hey, I was browsing The%202Hr%20Aquarist and found 2Hr%20Aquarist%20APT%20Start. I wanted to share it with you.%0D%0A%0D%0Ahttps://www.2hraquarist.com/products/2hr-aquarist-apt-start "Email this to a friend")

## start strong

Powerful substrate performance booster for new tanks.

Accelerates tank cycling.

Open the pouch and remove the Blue Sachet inside.

Spread contents of the main pouch evenly at bottom. Add substrate and hardscape on top.

Fill tank with water.

Tear open blue sachet (it contains dormant bacteria) and pour contents into water.

Transform any aquasoil

Rich aquasoil has long been coveted by experienced aquarists.

Finally, enjoy the power of rich substrate on demand regardless of your brand of aquasoil.

APT START provides an enviable boost of ammoniacal nitrogen and an array of essential minerals based on APT's winning Capstone formula.

80% of new tanks experience common problems such as plant melt and algae blooms.

By starting strong the 2Hr Way, these frustrations can be largely avoided.

###### Can I use APT START with an inert substrate (sand, gravel etc.) ?

Yes you can. APT START will enrich inert substrate. However it does not make an inert substrate equivalent in performance to aquasoil.

###### What is inside APT START?

APT START contains a rich blend of essential macro and micro nutrients, organic humus and enzymes that enhance bacteria and microbial activity. It improves the cation exchange capacity of substrate and nutrient availability to plant root zones.

###### What is in the Blue Sachet?

The blue sachet included in APT Start contains a concoction of beneficial bacteria strains in a dormant state that activate when wet.

###### If I use APT START, when do I use APT JAZZ?

You can add APT Jazz after ~ 3 months.

APT Start enriches the substrate with ammoniacal nitrogen and a wide spectrum of essential nutrients and trace elements based on APT's Capstone formula. These nutrients are naturally consumed after ~ 3 months.

###### With APT START, can I still add other solid or bacteria products?

Yes. However please note that bacterial interactions are complex and 'more' does not necessarily lead to faster or more complete cycling.

###### For a smaller tank, should I use part of the pouch?

Each APT START pouch caters to ~60x30cm area ( size of a 2 foot tank).

If your tank is smaller, you can use the substrate contents proportionately. However, the blue sachet should be used all at once.

###### How much substrate should be on top?

We recommend at least 1.5" (~ 4cm) of substrate.

###### Can I add fish immediately?

Adding fish immediately to an uncycled tank is never advisable.

You can add APT Pure as an instantaneous tool to make water safe for fish as it detoxifies Ammonia, nitrites and any heavy metals in tap water.

However we recommend adding fish only after the tank has been properly cycled.

###### Expiry?

Use within 1 year of opening.

## questions?

### we are here to help

Questions on usage, dosage or your tank? Let us know!

Grow anything, defeat algae, create amazing aquascapes

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

Quick View

###### Company

###### Support

###### The 2Hr Aquarist

2Hr Aquarist Pte. Ltd.

GST: 202018792R

22 Sin Ming Lane #06-76, Midview City 573969

SINGAPORE

info@2hraquarist.com

## Currency

United States (USD $)

- Åland Islands (EUR €)
- Andorra (EUR €)
- Australia (AUD $)
- Austria (EUR €)
- Belgium (EUR €)
- Bosnia & Herzegovina (EUR €)
- Brunei (SGD $)
- Bulgaria (EUR €)
- Canada (CAD $)
- Chile (SGD $)
- Croatia (EUR €)
- Cyprus (EUR €)
- Czechia (EUR €)
- Denmark (EUR €)
- Estonia (EUR €)
- Finland (EUR €)
- France (EUR €)
- French Guiana (EUR €)
- French Southern Territories (EUR €)
- Germany (EUR €)
- Greece (EUR €)
- Guadeloupe (EUR €)
- Hong Kong SAR (USD $)
- Hungary (EUR €)
- Indonesia (USD $)
- Iraq (USD $)
- Ireland (EUR €)
- Israel (USD $)
- Italy (EUR €)
- Japan (USD $)
- Kosovo (EUR €)
- Latvia (EUR €)
- Liechtenstein (EUR €)
- Lithuania (EUR €)
- Luxembourg (EUR €)
- Macao SAR (USD $)
- Malaysia (USD $)
- Malta (EUR €)
- Martinique (EUR €)
- Mayotte (EUR €)
- Monaco (EUR €)
- Montenegro (EUR €)
- Netherlands (EUR €)
- North Macedonia (USD $)
- Norway (EUR €)
- Pakistan (SGD $)
- Poland (EUR €)
- Portugal (EUR €)
- Réunion (EUR €)
- Romania (EUR €)
- San Marino (EUR €)
- Saudi Arabia (USD $)
- Serbia (EUR €)
- Singapore (SGD $)
- Slovakia (EUR €)
- Slovenia (EUR €)
- Spain (EUR €)
- St. Barthélemy (EUR €)
- St. Martin (EUR €)
- St. Pierre & Miquelon (EUR €)
- Sweden (EUR €)
- Switzerland (EUR €)
- Türkiye (USD $)
- United Arab Emirates (USD $)
- United Kingdom (GBP £)
- United States (USD $)
- Vatican City (EUR €)

American ExpressApple PayGoogle PayMastercardPayPalShop PayUnion PayVisa

Search