Tank Cycling - Bacteria additives - Good or bad?

[Hallyx]

Sounds like you're golden, Gale. Happy that worked for you.

So on your recommendation and that of BettaQi I'm going to be able to recommend Special Blend and Nite Out II along with Safestart, One-and-Only and TLC Smartstart.

Thunderloon, whom I go to for cycling advice, tells me the bacteria are actually "put to sleep" before shipping. (He recommended TLC products.)

I think technology may have finally caught up with this important fishkeeping bottleneck. I'm going to post a poll/thread on bottled bacteria. Stand by.

[inuudo]

I cycled my ten gallon tank in two weeks using Stability for the first 8 days and a few bloodworms on days 4 and 7. I set up my 5.5 gallon the same way (except that I added bloodworms only once on day 3) and had readings of 0/0/20 this morning (day 12), so I am doing the 24 hour ammonia test to double check that it has cycled before moving Fluffy to his new home.

Both tanks have live plants and were heated to 82 degrees F during the cycle; the ten gallon has a gravel substrate and the 5.5 has eco-complete.

[LaLaLeyla]

I've used Top Fin bacteria supplement and it seemed to actually help cycle my tank. :0