HeyMikey
Aquarium Advice Newbie
I'm just a newbie myself, but as I understand it, water from a healthy tank may be great, "well conditioned," but the bacteria you're trying to establish by conditioning your tank actually live on aquarium surfaces: filter media is prime, and to a lesser extent, rocks/gravel, due to lower surface area. According to the article (http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/23/1/Tips-and-tricks-for-your-fastest-fishless-cycle/Page1.html), the best gift your friend could offer would be some well used filter media—that would give your cycling a big boost.
Again, just my 2¢
HeyMikey
Again, just my 2¢
HeyMikey