PNWaquarist
Aquarium Advice Addict
So like my brother has a 24 gallon nano cube, should I take some of his water and put it on mine?
This won't work, as very little of the bacteria floats around in the water. It is primarily on the surface of the gravel, tank walls, decorations, and especially in the filter media (bacteria really like the strong oxygenation of the water in filters).
What would really help is having a piece of your brother's filter media in your filter. Ask if he can cut off a strip of the sponge in his filter. If he has porous media in his filter (like the kind that come standard with the AquaClear filters), ask if you can have a few pieces. Having this bacteria-laden media in your filter will really help speed up your cycle.
Next, read the article that I linked and find a good source of ammonia. I've used ammonium chloride solution from DrTim's Aquatics and like this over the concentrated ammonia solutions (you'll likely have to pay for shipping, but it's much easier to dose, won't change your tank's pH, and isn't hazardous).