Guys,
I think we are going to have to agree to disagree on some points and remember that this thread is Efren documenting his finding using his chosen method and as a result we should not hijack it with further discussions. There are other threads available if you wish to discuss in detail the pros and cons of a variety of products.
I think its best if we keep detailed discussions to a minimum and concentrate on Efrens results.
Yes please - let's concentrate on Efren's situation. Efren is not sure whether his tank has cycled. He has added a lot of ammonia, which has since dropped. After an initial nitrite blip, he has not seen a corresponding increase in nitrite or nitrate. This is puzzling as the ammonia has to have gone somewhere. This applies whether he is using bottled bacteria, mature media, or bacteria growing 'naturally' in his filter.
One possible explanation is that there is something wrong with his test for nitrate (or ammonia, or nitrite). This is not unlikely, as a lot of people have problems with the nitrate test in particular, shaking the bottle for long enough, leaving it to stand for the correct amount of time. Also it is not unknown for the test to go off. You can check this by getting the water tested at your lfs and ask them to write down the results, especially the nitrate result.
A second possibility is that the bactinettes are not acting like 'normal' bacteria, and are not converting the ammonia to nitrite and the nitrite to nitrate - either mopping it up, or converting it to something else. This doesn't seem to be the case in others' reported experiences that I've read, but I don't know enough about them to be sure.
Another possible explanation is that there is something else in the tank which mops up ammonia, nitrite and/or nitrate which Efren hasn't yet mentioned, like Amquel plus, and which is distorting the test results. There are other unlikely possibilities but I'd want to rule out the others first.
We don't care at this stage whether there is nitrate in the tank - EXCEPT as an indicator of whether the tank is cycled and the bacteria are successfully processing ammonia and nitrite. If there really is no increase in nitrate, then the tank can't be conventionally cycled, because the bacteria will produce nitrate as their end product. This applies whether they are bottled, grown naturally, or from any other source. The only difference will be the time it takes to achieve the full cycle - which might be several weeks if you're waiting for them to grow naturally, or it might be a lot less if you add them from mature media (or if you add them successfully from a bottle).
Sorry Efren - you're getting a lot of very mixed information, because people are interested in the whole bottled bacteria issue (with some strong feelings on both sides). I would say, stay with minxfishy (who has been giving you excellent advice so far), and don't add fish until you can account for the strange test results you're getting. If it is a faulty nitrate test, then your tank may be cycled, and you might be fine, but if something else is going on, then you risk a lot of dead fish.
And please keep us posted - a lot of people are very interested in your results!
