Dose Your Saltwater Bacteria Starter
Cycling a new marine system, or reseeding after a clean? Pick your product and enter your tank volume.
FAQ
Do I need a bacteria starter for a new marine tank?
It's optional but widely used – live rock and sand can cycle a tank on their own, but a bacteria starter speeds up establishing nitrifying (and often denitrifying) bacteria, which shortens the wait before livestock can safely go in.
What's the difference between a nitrifying and a denitrifying culture?
Nitrifying bacteria (Continuum Bacter Gen M, Aquavitro Seed, Reefalicious Live Bacteria) convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrate – the core cycling process. Denitrifying bacteria (Continuum Bacter Gen MD) go a step further, converting nitrate down in low-oxygen rock, sand or a denitrator, which is more relevant to established systems running high nitrate than to a brand-new cycle.
Can I use a freshwater bacteria starter in a saltwater tank?
Some products are labelled for both – API Quick Start, for instance, states to double its freshwater dose for saltwater use (see our Freshwater Bacteria Starter Calculator). The products on this page are formulated specifically for marine systems, so we'd default to these for a saltwater tank.
Why doesn't the Red Sea Reef Mature Pro Kit show a calculated dose like the others?
It's a 4-bottle staged program where the dose for each bottle changes across the ~3-4 week schedule, rather than one flat rate you can multiply by tank volume. Rather than guess at a simplified number, we point you to Red Sea's own printed schedule for this one.
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Dosing rates above are each brand's own published figure. Using a different product? Check its own label – rates and schedules vary.