CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

Starter cultures of bacteria use Nitrosomonas bacteria, wich converts ammonia into nitrite, and Nitrobacter bacteria, which turns nitrite into nitrate. For years it has been assumed and taught that these two are necessary for an healthy aquarium; my own website even states this. Therefore, starter cultures that advertize an accelerated cycle use these two types of bacteria. However, there are studies that confirm that the bacteria used to turn nitrite into nitrate are Nitrospira, not Nitrobacter. See:

http://www.marineland.com/science/biosp ... bacter.asp

So we may be introducing the incorrect bacteria when using starter cultures!

Yes, I've read the same Mark, however, having set-up several tanks over the last year (some for me, some for friends) I have used a variety of methods (experimentation on my own tanks !) and they do definitely cycle faster when using a supplement.  Although, as said, the nitrite bacteria levels always seem to take forever when starting from scratch

For the record, the way I do a tank now is to run the filter to be used in a tank I know 'is good' and then transfer that filter to the new tank, I then feed ammonia to ensure that the filter can take the load, if not, I continue to add ammonia to continue the cycle process, followed by a large water change once the cycle is complete.

Again though, they do seem to reckon that a tank will cycle on its own (nothing added except some form of ammonia) given time and patience  .... patience is something that I am very short of though, why wait a couple of months, when for a few pence you can have your tank ready in a couple of weeks ? (or 1 week as my current Oscar tank was).

Food for thought though, I have a completely empty tank, not used in years.  Might experiment to see how long it would take to cycle with a new filter and only dechlorinated water ... you've got me started now 

I don't think It'd harm a tank to add nitrobacter, they would have had to have found that batacteria in the culture medium in the first place to be able to identify it as such?? Perhaps Nitrobactor has a different vital role?

Up close and personal...

Looks like a fried egg, I'm hungry now.

lol... don't go drinking all the water from your fishtanks now