No one's born into the hobby knowing everything
jr5018 said:
but i can start the cycle without live sand or anything
You could actually start cycling the tank with just water, heater and a powerhead. The only drawback is the lack of available surface areas for nitrifying bacteria to colonize. That is where your base rock and sand come in. Neither need be live from the start. Anything (preferabley raw seafood low in fattyacids) placed in the tank that rots creates ammonia and begins the process. The ammonia feeds
nitrosomonas (bacteria) that in turn convert the ammonia to nitrite which is fed on by
nitrobacters. Then that set of bacteria convert the nitrite into nitrate. That is the extent of nitrification and the cycle. Denitrification on the otherhand requires anaerobic or (my preference) anoxic areas of the tank where facaltative bacteria can convert the nitrates into the less harmful gas, nitrogen. Not all nitrate reducing bacteria expell wastes in the same manner but that's for a different topic.
can i just add
LS later on in the game or what?
If you add the
LS later, only add a ¼-½" at a time to allow the "bugs" and aerobic bacteria a chance to catch up. Every few days should be good.
FWIW, unless you buy
LS that has actual bugs in it, don't waste your money. The bagged wet sand you can get at the
LFS will do nothing for you in the long or short term. Only spend money on sand from a seasoned tank.
Cheers
Steve