Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Has anyone had any experience using API Quick Start?

I've started cycling my new tank with ammonia and wouldn't mind adding the nitrifying bacteria to speed things along if possible. It looks like the Quick Start could be one answer.

I know people are obtaining water and grow bed media from established systems but unfortunately I don't have any of those available to me.

Any thoughts or other suggestions?

From my many travels through the aquarium hobbyist forums that stuff is pretty useless. Basic logic leads me to believe that is true. Maybe it contains anaerobic bacteria? If that's the case how will it survive the sudden rush of air when you apply it? I can't imagine how it would contain aerobic bacteria in a air tight container that sits on a shelf. But I have never tried it. And I'm not a biologist.

Depends what you read and who you speak to. I've read claims on aquarium forums of people cycling aquariums in just 2 days using such products... cough bullshit cough!... and on the other hand I know of someone that trialled two new AP systems side-by-side (actually one large system that could be isolated into two identical smaller systems), one with bacteria in a bottle, and one without, there was a difference of only one day between the two, the one with the magic bacteria took 20 days, the one without took 21 days.

Here's an excerpt I just googled up from an aquarium forum:

3 weeks to cycle an aquarium using the bacteria in a bottle, and a week after adding the bacteria at the 15 day mark... well I've seen AP systems cycled in as little as 2 weeks... without bacteria in a bottle... with the average being around 3 weeks... so draw from that what you will... but my personal opinion is that the bacteria did nothing for that guys aquarium.