ahhmmmmm ( niko clears his throat ).....
I do not think it is really a question of people's experiences. The question that should be asked is " Why put a fish through hell and potentially have its gills burnt from Ammonia Poisoning?"
I see it so many times on forums that people use fish to cycle a tank....What is the need to use a living fish when you can use a dead prawn or shrimp, pure ammonia, fish food....
I know that most of the time when people use fish to cycle the tank, it is because their LFS has told them that its the way to do it...
"Here, buy these Damsels, they will look beautifull in your tank..take them...take all of them....pleeeeeease !!!!..." ....That may sound familar to some people..Some, not all i hasten to add, are in the business to make money and not have the clients best interests at heart, and a fish in a tank in the shop is money swimming around...
Well...that is just my opinion....So, as you may of gathered, its a Fishless Cycle all the way for me....
Niko