Cycling With Food Vs. Piece Of Fish

I’m going to be leaving for winter break in a few days, and I’ve just started preparing to keep fish. I have various equipment, and I just tested my used tanks for cracks. I want to start cycling the 10 gallon tank with a sponge filtet, so that by the time I’m ready to start setting up a tank for real I already have some filter media that’s starting to cycle. However, right now the only ammonia source I have is fish food. There’s a Bi-Mart store a few blocks away, but the only actual grocery store is a mile and a half away, and I would have to walk to get there, or maybe bike. Is it worth walking 1.5 miles to the store to get a piece of fish to cycle the tank? Also, as I said previously, I will be leaving for winter break in a few days. There will be someone here to look after my roommate’s dogs. If I were cycling the tank with fish food, what are the simplest instructions I could leave for him to keep the tank cycling for 1-2 weeks while I’m gone? I don’t want to need to make him do water tests or basically anything more complicated than a water change.
ETA: I’m considering using household ammonia and ordering an ammonia alert so he won’t need to do water tests and the process will be simpler. Most of the guides I’m finding are kind of vague about when water changes are necessary, so would a water chane need to be done in the first couple weeks of cycling, in the absence of ammonia levels extreme enough to kill bacteria?
ETA: By “piece of fish” I meant a chunk of dead fish or shrimp, the kind that people eat. That’s why I said “grocery store”.

 

Do they have those vacation feeders? They would melt over time and would need no intervention till you get back.

 

I don’t have a vacation food, but I may be able to get one from bimart. They have a small amount of fish supplies. I could certainly get one from amazon.

 

I’m going to be leaving for winter break in a few days, and I’ve just started preparing to keep fish. I have various equipment, and I just tested my used tanks for cracks. I want to start cycling the 10 gallon tank with a sponge filtet, so that by the time I’m ready to start setting up a tank for real I already have some filter media that’s starting to cycle. However, right now the only ammonia source I have is fish food. There’s a Bi-Mart store a few blocks away, but the only actual grocery store is a mile and a half away, and I would have to walk to get there, or maybe bike. Is it worth walking 1.5 miles to the store to get a piece of fish to cycle the tank? Also, as I said previously, I will be leaving for winter break in a few days. There will be someone here to look after my roommate’s dogs. If I were cycling the tank with fish food, what are the simplest instructions I could leave for him to keep the tank cycling for 1-2 weeks while I’m gone? I don’t want to need to make him do water tests or basically anything more complicated than a water change.

You shouldn't cycle a tank with pieces of fish. Cycling a tank "with fish" means cycling the tank with live fish that eat and poop to create the waste necessary to start the bacteria necessary to convert ammonia to nitrite to nitrates. Water changes and/or live plants help prevent the buildup of nitrates-the end product in this 'cycle'-in the tank. So, there are two things I can think of that you might do if you want to jump-start your tank.
#1. Here is a site with a good information start to finish and a handy calculator for determining ammonia dosing to cycle a new tank without using live fish, food or additives. How to Fishless Cycle a New Aquarium - Spec-Tanks
Be sure to get a pure ammonia that doesn't contain detergents, surfactants or additives and be aware of the concentration of the ammonia when calculating dosage. You can have your roommate just add the preset ammount of ammonia daily without testing while you are gone OR
#2. You can wait, and when you get back jump start the cycling process with a commercial product like Tetra SafeStart that provides the live bacteria you need to be able to quickly add fish to an otherwise new tank.

Note: In either case, you need a good water test kit like the API Master test kit, rather than the dip stick/test strip type, to ensure that your water parameters are safe before you add fish.
You CAN cycle with fish food but that will probably take MUCH longer than the Fishless ammonia or SafeStart methods. Why you ask? First ENOUGH food would have to degrade ENOUGH to produce ENOUGH ammonia to stimulate bacteria to even begin the process. The ammonia cycling skips that food/waste degradation step. The SafeStart method skips all of that by adding a lot of the bacteria instantly from a bottle. HOWEVER, you will need to test your water frequently after adding fish and add SafeStart as needed until your fish produce enough waste to feed the SafeStart bacteria so it will begin to reproduce on it's own.
If I was a college student (I miss those days), on a budget and wanting a tank really BAD, I would go with option #2! It's a little pricey to start but your fish will thank you for it by starting out healthy and vibrant.
I really hope that wasn't too confusing!
Other members will have additional useful suggestions soon I'm sure.
Momgoose

I’m going to be leaving for winter break in a few days, and I’ve just started preparing to keep fish. I have various equipment, and I just tested my used tanks for cracks. I want to start cycling the 10 gallon tank with a sponge filtet, so that by the time I’m ready to start setting up a tank for real I already have some filter media that’s starting to cycle. However, right now the only ammonia source I have is fish food. There’s a Bi-Mart store a few blocks away, but the only actual grocery store is a mile and a half away, and I would have to walk to get there, or maybe bike. Is it worth walking 1.5 miles to the store to get a piece of fish to cycle the tank? Also, as I said previously, I will be leaving for winter break in a few days. There will be someone here to look after my roommate’s dogs. If I were cycling the tank with fish food, what are the simplest instructions I could leave for him to keep the tank cycling for 1-2 weeks while I’m gone? I don’t want to need to make him do water tests or basically anything more complicated than a water change.
ETA: I’m considering using household ammonia and ordering an ammonia alert so he won’t need to do water tests and the process will be simpler. Most of the guides I’m finding are kind of vague about when water changes are necessary, so would a water chane need to be done in the first couple weeks of cycling, in the absence of ammonia levels extreme enough to kill bacteria?

You might want to read up on the nitrogen cycle while you're on vacation and some of the other VERY useful startup information the site owner and mods have provided on this link: READ FIRST: Freshwater Beginner Important Topics
Good luck and Happy Breaktime!

 

Just wait till you get back from break. Anything done in your absence will not be known by you, only assumed or guessed. Once you're back go to local pretty store and ask if you can have some of their filter media.