Would This Work As A Makeshift Cycle?

[GetItSahn]

I have a 1 gallon tank and I can't currently run the small whisper filter I have in it. (i'll have the air pump in 1-3 days) The way I have my filter right now, it's submerged so the filter media is in the tank water. If I leave it like this and add fish food (also have gravel from established aquarium) will it start my cycle even though the water isn't being filtered? I think it would work because the bacteria have a place to live and I have floating plants and java moss to absorb nitrates. 
 
I realize starting a cycle 3 days earlier won't help much but if this works, I could hold out on buying an air pump for a while.
Please explain why or why not this would work. Thanks a bunch.

 

[daizeUK]

I wouldn't recommend using fish food to start a fishless cycle.  The food will rot down over a long time and produce more ammonia than you want and you'll have no control over it.  It's much better to get hold of some bottled ammonia so that you can calculate and measure the correct amount exactly.  If you wish to do a fishless cycle I strongly recommend you follow this guide http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first
 
Personally I'd wait for your air pump and get hold of a bottle of ammonia while you wait.  The bacteria need oxygen to work which is why they like living in an environment where they are fed with a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients.  If there is no water flow through the filter then they will just stay in the gravel and they won't begin to colonise the filter.

 

[GetItSahn]

I wouldn't recommend using fish food to start a fishless cycle.  The food will rot down over a long time and produce more ammonia than you want and you'll have no control over it.  It's much better to get hold of some bottled ammonia so that you can calculate and measure the correct amount exactly.  If you wish to do a fishless cycle I strongly recommend you follow this guide http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/421488-cycling-your-new-fresh-water-tank-read-this-first
 
Personally I'd wait for your air pump and get hold of a bottle of ammonia while you wait.  The bacteria need oxygen to work which is why they like living in an environment where they are fed with a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients.  If there is no water flow through the filter then they will just stay in the gravel and they won't begin to colonise the filter.

I appreciate the detailed response, I'll definitely wait until I have an air pump. Is there any decent substitute besides bottled ammonia? such as decaying plant matter or perhaps something else? 
If it matters, the only things I plan on putting in this tank are shrimp, MTS, java moss, and water lettuce

 

[daizeUK]

Anything decaying (e.g. fish food, raw prawns) is not a great idea for the reasons I mentioned above.  If you're having trouble finding pure ammonia then try this : http/store.drtimsaquatics.com/Ammonium-Chloride-Solution-for-Fishless-Cycling_p_190.html  That's what I used for my fishless cycle.  There are probably other places you can get ammonia but that's the only one I'm familiar with on the US side

 

[TwoTankAmin]

If you must use a piece of raw shrimp or fish. Flakes don't have enough organic naterial to make the ammonia level you want. This method of making ammonia is uncontrollable, will cause there to be rotting matter in a tank and may cause a bacterial bloom. but is will get a tank cycled eventually, but it takes more work as you have to be more on top of things. Add 3 ppm of ammonia to a tank and it goes down from there. Throw in stuff to rot and who knows what is up unless you test daily?
 
There are so many places in the States that one can get ammonia with which to cycle there is no excuse not to do so.

 

[Ninjouzata]

You should be able to find some ammonia at Ace Hardware.