Half the ADA-style scape diaries online share one costly mistake: a hobbyist spends serious money on a substrate system — base layer plus bags of aquasoil — then either skips the additives meant to live between those layers, or sprinkles them into inert gravel and waits for magic. Substrate additives for aquarium use are not fertilisers in disguise. They are the micro-environment builders of the ADA system — dormant bacteria, activated carbon, and mineral powders designed to sit in one precise layer order under active aquasoil. Get the order and doses right and your tank cycles faster, roots push deeper, and the first month is visibly calmer. Get it wrong and you have bought expensive dust.
What substrate additives aquarium products actually do
Four products, four jobs. Bacter 100 carries more than 100 kinds of substrate bacteria in a dormant state; sprinkled on the base substrate it seeds the microbes that decompose organic matter and keep the bed healthy for months. ADA notes overdosing is not harmful, and dusted onto blue-green algae it suppresses growth — a handy trick in week two.
Clear Super is activated carbon plus organic acid, absorbing excess organics and creating the conditions beneficial bacteria thrive in. Tourmaline BC pairs bamboo charcoal with tourmaline ore: the charcoal absorbs pollutants while the tourmaline, per ADA, activates bacteria propagation and root growth.
Penac W and Penac P come from the older Nature Aquarium lineage. Penac W conditions the substrate environment; Penac P intensifies hair-root and soil-microbe development. Both go on the bare tank floor first — though evidence for the Penac pair is thinner and more anecdotal.
| Product | Core function | Made of | Goes… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacter 100 | Seeds 100+ dormant substrate bacteria | Microorganisms + enzyme | Over the Power Sand |
| Clear Super | Absorbs organics, grows beneficial bacteria | Activated carbon + organic acid | Over the Power Sand |
| Tourmaline BC | Absorbs pollutants, activates roots + bacteria | Bamboo charcoal + tourmaline | Over the Power Sand |
| Penac W / P | Bed conditioning, hair-root development | Herbal/mineral compounds | Bare tank bottom |
The correct layering order, bottom to top
Layering is the entire game: these products condition the boundary zone between the base layer and the aquasoil, and the wrong order means that chemistry never happens.
- Bare glass. Dust Penac W and Penac P across the tank floor with the included spoon — the undermost layer.
- Power Sand. Pour it straight from the bag and level it with a flat tool; this porous base prevents compaction and feeds the bed long-term.
- The three additives. Sprinkle Bacter 100, Clear Super, and Tourmaline BC evenly over the flattened Power Sand — 3 spoons of each of the first two, 10 of Tourmaline BC for a 60cm setup.
- Aquasoil. Cover everything completely: 3–5cm at the front glass, deeper at the back. Check your substrate depth for aquarium plants plan so slopes survive the first fill.
How much to use: dosages by tank size
ADA's reference setup — the ADA Nature Aquarium Guide 60 — gives the dose per 2L of Power Sand, which suits a 60cm tank. Scale up from there:
| Product | 60cm tank (2L Power Sand) | 90cm tank (4L Power Sand) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bacter 100 | 3 spoons | 6 spoons | Overdosing not harmful; 1 spoon/20L can go into water |
| Clear Super | 3 spoons | 6 spoons | Retail guidance: ~5 scoops per 60L; 1 scoop ≈ 2.5g |
| Tourmaline BC | 10 spoons | 20 spoons | Pre-weighed for the included spoon |
| Penac W + P | 1 spoon each | 2 spoons each | Dusted on bare glass before the base layer |
One quirk: Bacter 100 dosed into the water column clouds it. Stop CO2, add surface agitation, and it clears — usually within a day or two.
When additives earn their keep (and when aquasoil alone is enough)
Additives pay off under an active, nutrient-rich aquasoil. New Amazonia releases ammonia for weeks — additives accelerate the microbial colonisation that digests it, shortening and calming your aquasoil ammonia leach cycling period. Check the 7 Best Aquasoils for Planted Tanks Compared guide first — an active soil is the foundation additives amplify.
Skip the additive line with inert sand or gravel: these products are engineered for a living substrate's boundary layer, and over inert media they have nothing to amplify. See the complete guide to inert substrates for what actually feeds plants there. On a tight budget, a well-chosen aquasoil from the best substrate for planted tanks roundup, cycled patiently, beats a cheap substrate plus a full additive lineup.
★4.7
ADA Aqua Soil Amazonia Ver 2
Check Price on Amazon ★4.7Does Power Sand Special duplicate them?
Yes — partially, and this is where people double-spend. Power Sand Special is pre-mixed with Bacter 100 and Clear Super, so those two bottles are unnecessary. Power Sand Advance is similarly pre-loaded. Check your bag: if it lists Bacter 100 and Clear Super, cross both off your list and buy only Tourmaline BC plus the Penac pair.
The budget verdict for a 60cm tank: buy in this order — Bacter 100, Clear Super, Tourmaline BC, then Penac. The first two drive the cycle; the last two are refinement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use ADA substrate additives under other brands of aquasoil?
Yes. The additives condition the boundary layer of any active substrate system, so they work under any nutrient-rich aquasoil, not just ADA Amazonia. What matters is the stacking order — Penac on glass, base layer, the three additives, then aquasoil.
Do substrate additives expire?
Stored sealed, cool, and dry they last a long time — the bacteria in Bacter 100 are dormant, so moisture and heat are what kill a pack. Check the printed best-before date, and do not trust a bag that sat open in a humid fish room for months.
Should I re-dose additives when my aquasoil gets old?
No — additives are a one-time dry-setup investment; re-dosing into a running tank does more harm than good. When the bed exhausts after a year or two, refresh instead: deep nutrient supplementation or a partial rescape. See the exhausted aquasoil lifespan and refresh guide for what works at that stage.
Are substrate additives worth it on inert sand or gravel?
No. These products are built for the boundary zone of an active aquasoil system — over inert media they have nothing to amplify. Spend the money on root tabs or a quality liquid fertiliser, which feed plants directly in inert setups. Additives belong under aquasoil, or not at all.
Can overdosing substrate additives harm fish or plants?
For Bacter 100, ADA states overdosing is not harmful. Keep the other three to the spoon counts — excess Tourmaline BC or Clear Super can cloud the water on fill and smother the bed surface. Stick to the per-tank doses, fill slowly, and let the filter run clear before judging.
The bottom line
Substrate additives are the least glamorous part of an ADA-style build — and, under new aquasoil, one of the most useful. Buy Bacter 100 and Clear Super first, add Tourmaline BC if the budget stretches, treat Penac as optional, never double-buy what Power Sand Special already contains, and spend your patience on a 2–4 week cycle. The bed you never see becomes the reason everything you do see thrives.