FishSim
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
At least you went looking for help sooner rather than later. Personally I disagree with fish in cycling. It can be done without fish, avoiding all risk to the fish, and I think that is both kinder and more responsible than using fish to cycle.
It's even better if you can get some media from an established filter, and get a virtually instant cycle as a result. But not all of us have a filter to call on, or a friend with filter to call on.
Local fish stores often employ folk who have little to no knowledge, and if they can't see what you are doing or why, they often get it wrong.
I do completely agree with Mebbid that multiple changes, with some time between if possible, are much, much safer for fish than leaving them in high ammonia or nitrite conditions, which do permanent damage and likely will result in fish living only short lives, or dying within weeks, or a few months time.
I have done this type of multiple change several times, and not yet lost a fish as a result. Just match the temperatures closely as you can. In fact, I had one emergency, as a result of filter failure while I was out, and a large dead snail, so that when I got home, the nItrite spike was already pretty advanced in a small hospital tank, only 5G. I had to do four changes pretty much back to back. Only loss was the snail. Tank had a few snails, many shrimp and a few kuhli loaches in it, all remained alive and well.
Thanks for your input. Important for me to hear individual experience on starting up. Getting established media isn't possible for me so creating my own will have to be the way I go. I'm a noob so what the LFS say I'll tend to believe. Well, I will until I gain more experience in this hobby at least.