Just my advice, worth what you pay for it:
We are told ad infinitum ad nauseum, that the useful bacterias Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacters are responsible for the conversion of ammonia into harmless nitrates. Notwithstanding research that apparently calls this common knowledge into question, we are also told that these bacteria need a constant supply of ammonia and oxygen in order to remain alive and that simply allowing our filter systems to be shut down for a matter of hours will render them useless until they can be "recycled".
Most of us take the above "to the bank", regurgitating this "common knowledge" over and over again in instructing newbies in the fine points of keeping fish.
But if it is true that the bacterias (or whatever else it is that is converting the ammonia to nitrate) need both ammonia (food) and oxygen to survive, how does it survive sealed in a bottle for months on end?????
My best advice: Hold your fish aside (In a filtered environment, of course) when setting up a new or recently cleaned pool, and either add some of the gunk saved from the filter before cleaning, and pee in the pool (or add a little urea or ammonium nitrate), and monitor the ammonia level in the pool until it is safe and re-introduce your fish, and save your money on pool bacteria additives. WARNING! Never move fish into water that differs substantially in PH from what they are in.
Been doing this since 1972, only bought "bacteria" once, saw no utility in it.
But, the more you pay, the more it's worth.......
