Quote Originally Posted by kriwu View Post
Quick start doesn't do anything, don't buy it, it's a scam. Bacteria doesn't have a shelf life and it can't live in a bottle. The only way to establish a cycle is to use pure ammonia or in-fish cycling. Here's a great guide on cycling.
I agree, quick start is crap and don't buy it. I do, however, recommend Tetra Safe Start instead and have used it many times in the past. Works great as a boost to establish a healthy bacteria colony. But it doesn't work on it's own and as Kriwu said, you need to either do a fishless cycle with ammonia (can get a bottle for like $3.00 on amazon) or have fish while cycling.