2Hr Aquarist APT Fix

APT Fix works best when you apply it directly onto the algae rather than pouring it into the water column. Draw the dose up with the pipette and target the affected spots -hardscape, tubing, older leaves, wherever the algae has taken hold. It's often more effective to lower the water level first so the affected rock or wood is exposed to air, dose it directly, then top the tank back up. Switching the filter or flow off for a few minutes after dosing helps the treatment stay concentrated where you want it instead of dispersing.

A single spot-dose is usually enough. As a general guide, keep within roughly 1ml per 10 litres of tank water. If you're dealing with a heavy outbreak and choose to push past that, follow up with a large water change afterwards.

Both are spot-dose algae treatments, and both handle the same common nuisance algae. The practical difference is strength: APT Fix is the stronger formulation for tougher, established algae, while APT Fixlite is the gentler option. The two are compatible and are often used together as part of the same treatment approach - using one does not rule out the other.

APT Fix is effective against the common nuisance algae that trouble planted tanks, including black beard / brush algae (BBA), blue-green algae / cyanobacteria (BGA), staghorn, and green hair and thread algae. The key is contact - spot-dosing directly onto the algae is what deactivates it.

Results show over days, not instantly. Treated algae typically changes colour (often turning red or grey) and then breaks down over the following days, with heavier infestations taking a week or two to fully clear. Some treated algae won't simply vanish - as with any planted-tank recovery, damaged older growth is best trimmed away as healthy new growth comes in. Algae issues also tend to settle fully only once the tank's conditions stabilise, so treatment works best alongside the underlying fix.