I assume so. I have never tried to cycle a tank with bottled bacteria. I have always used the raw shrimp method. I dosed according to the fishless fuel bottle instructions. 5 ml per 25 gal to raise ammonia to 2 ppm. I dosed 15 ml total. There must have been quite a bit of ammonia in the Ocean Direct "live sand" I didn't account for.Looking good! Ammonia must be coming down slowly. Big overdose in the beginning?
Here is the ammonia test from tonight. Things are slowly moving in the right direction.
Yesterday's results
March 16th
My assumption is the high nitrate levels are a product of the over abundance of ammonia and by product of the cycle. As the ammonia levels drop, so too will the nitrates?