bhcaaron

I went to a pet shop (didn't even know we had one lol). I was given a booklet, Basic Aquarium Guide. It recomends adding a supplement of "beneficial" bacteria during the cycle. Otherwise, it states, it would take over a month for the cycle to complete. I don't mind the wait and I preffer not to use additives of supplements. I would preffer for everything to be as natural as possible. What are all of your thoughts on such supplements? And, how long does the cycle last?

sgould

I cycled my SW tank with live rock in 12 days. My fresh water tanks both took around 20-30 days, which is closer to the norm of 4-6 weeks. The only bacterial supplement that I am familiar with that actually seems to work is Bio-Spira. There are lots of other products out there that claim to contain bacteria and speed up the cycle, but they get extremely mixed reviews. My advise is, either use Bio-Spira, or don't waste your money...just do it naturally.