here's another option
the bacteria get in regardless of what you add, adapted for eons this way. they get feed too, even if you add no ammonia. adding things saves you from waiting two + mos for the coating of bacteria to complete via natural means like it does in a rain puddle.
Nitrifying bacteria are likely stuck to a fair portion of reader's skin as we speak...complexed with other bacteria in a big communal mix vying for vital space/ they're everywhere depending on variables. touch garden dirt or soil/done deal on the vectoring. probably a few stuck to external mucous membranes too, consider that next time our nose itches
not that they'll flourish there, but deposition is rampant. that frees you up knowing if you merely add water, you'll cycle but it w take a long time.
rinse your sand until it cannot cloud before you set up the tank, even if its live sand. rinse it over and over in tap water, then fresh saltwater and fill up the tank. some people add rocks before they add sand so the rocks sit on the bottom, choose your nuance but rinse the sand so that you cannot cloud the tank upon refill.
your cycle is determined by the type of rock you choose, not all cycles involve you adding ammonia. as a person who cannot stand the 16 mos of barren white rock by using dry rock, I skip all cycles, buy the most premium $ live rock my lfs sells, transport it home wet with frags, and skip the cycle.
Your cycle technique is determined by if you are using live rock, don't add ammonia to live rock setups its for dry rock only.
live rock setups go home and are ready, transport them underwater in buckets back to home if you buy premium lr.
if you are choosing to actually cycle the tank with dry rocks, use the dr tims fishless cycle method for a 2-4 week ability the ends are the same.
the way you know live rocks brought home are ready is when they are
not leaking ammonia 24 hours after adding into the tank. Do enough of these setups and you'll never even have to test ammonia, its easy to move lr without dieoff.
the way you know a dry system is ready for use is you must complete a duration period underwater of at least 3 weeks to be safe, then if you've done the fishless cycle method it explains your tank will be able to digest 1 or 2 ppm of ammonia down to zero within 24 hours.
last offer, do not use api tests for ammonia buy salifert. if you do all that above your tank will be bulletproof we have large threads showing those types of setups/cycles/skip cycles.
