Do any instant cycle products work?

[dougall]

The majority of folks I know in the hobby would either have enough spare filter media to seed one or a few aquariums, I don't see a need to personally use any bottled bacteria products.

My second alternative would be the 'silent cycle' and just dum a bunch of fast growing plants somewhere in the water system.

Feel free to use bottled products, they aren't gonna be my bag, but you should be able to follow the results of using them if you so wish.

 

[myswtsins]

Pothos is generally a slow growing plant so it doesn't really absorb nutrients any faster than any other aquatic plant. But depending on its conditions, accelerated grow might facilitate in absorbing more nitrate than normal.

Move over and importantly, it will absorb nitrates but not nitrites or ammonia, nitrates won't be produced in a tank that's being cycled. So unfortunately, it has limited uses in a fresh tank but perhaps more useful in a no water change mature tank

But pothos has 2 big advantages to aquatic plants. 1 it can use atmospheric CO2 and 2 it requires very low light. I have never heard anything about pothos not absorbing ammonia or nitrite, if fact just recently a member here used pothos to combat high tap water ammonia levels with great success.

 

[lamar]

Products? Im not sure about them although I have heard Dr. Foster and smiths live nytrifying bacteria works. However try this one tank at a time. . Try filling a new tank with 50% cycled water from an established tank. Also use some subtrate from an established tank and finally some used and cycled filter media from a cycled tank. Make sure all remaining water is dechlorinated. This has worked "VERY" well for me and my friend that has an aquarium store in the past

 

[OrionGirl]

There's not really anything in the water that's beneficial. Substrate will introduce the microfauna needed, similar to using seeded media or the filter 'grunge'.