ADA · Additive / base layer
ADA Bacter 100 / Tourmaline BC
Japan · Pale powder (Bacter 100), black grains (Tourmaline BC) · grain Powder additives sprinkled into substrate layers
External link to adana.co.jp — opens in a new tab.
TL;DR, ADA Bacter 100 / Tourmaline BC
Bacter 100 is a powder of dormant beneficial bacteria that activate when the substrate is wetted. Building the full ADA premium substrate stack (Power Sand + Bacter 100 + Tourmaline BC + Aqua Soil).
Full specs
- Brand
- ADA
- Country of origin
- Japan
- Category
- Additive / base layer
- Colour
- Pale powder (Bacter 100), black grains (Tourmaline BC)
- Grain size
- Powder additives sprinkled into substrate layers
- pH target
- Neutral
- pH effect
- Neutral
- KH effect
- Neutral
- Ammonia release
- None
- Nutrient content
- Beneficial bacteria and trace minerals
- Buffering longevity
- Functional indefinitely once seeded
- Recommended water
- Used during substrate setup
- Difficulty
- 3 / 5
- Shrimp-safe
- Yes
- Best for
- ADA-style substrate stack, advanced planted tanks
How it works
Bacter 100 is a powder of dormant beneficial bacteria that activate when the substrate is wetted. Tourmaline BC is granulated tourmaline mineral that releases trace elements (boron, sodium, potassium) into the substrate over time. Both are sprinkled in thin layers between Power Sand and Aqua Soil during substrate setup.
Best use cases
Building the full ADA premium substrate stack (Power Sand + Bacter 100 + Tourmaline BC + Aqua Soil). Diminishing returns set in for budget-conscious tanks; the additives add real value only for high-tech high-performance setups.
Common mistakes
Sprinkling additives too thickly. The recommended dose is around one teaspoon per 60 cm of tank length, sprinkled lightly across the substrate before the next layer is added. Excess additive does not improve performance and can cloud the water column for weeks.
Pro tips
Skip the additives entirely on a first planted tank build. They make a measurable but small difference in already-good substrate stacks and are not the difference between success and failure.
Plants that thrive in this substrate
Hand-curated pairings based on the substrate category, not a relational query.
- Cryptocoryne WendtiiCryptocoryne wendtiiADA Power Sand + Bacter 100 stack supercharges Cryptocoryne root systems.
- Amazon SwordEchinodorus grisebachiiThe premium ADA stack is canonical for large background swords.
- Rotala RotundifoliaRotala rotundifoliaStems colour faster on the full ADA additive stack than on plain aquasoil alone.
Sources & further reading
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