I feel really stupid!!! (cycling griefs)

??? OK, I am really confused. When I lived in Pennsylvania (Quaker Lake area) we never heard of cycling a tank. I just put water in my tank, added some oscars, and they did great! Now I'm in Florida and I'm finding it's not nearly so easy. Can someone please tell me why? Did I just get lucky up north, or was the water already so bacteria laden that it didn't really need to cycle the tank?
I have a new tank and a bunch of angels in it and I'm scared now they're all gong to die. I have a test kit for ammonia and pH and I'll run to the pet store as soon as it opens to get a kit for Nitrates/Nitrites. The tanks been running for 2 weeks now and so far the pH is around 7.2 and the ammonia is 0 ppm
Also, has anyone used this "Biospira" stuff??? Does it work?
I could really use any advise you guys could give me...
Thanks ???

 

Never mind, It's cycled now and doing great!!!

 

I myself have not used Biospira, even though I wanted to try it for cycling my new tank.  I have inquired at both "commercial" stores (PetsMart, etc.) and privately owned places.  None of them carry it in stock due to the refrigeration issue, but they all say that it seems to work.  It's so expensive, though, $20 just for shipping because it has to be overnight and kept cold.  You're probably better off just using cultured gravel or something of that sort if you ever have to deal with cycling again.

 

Starshine, thanks. But I've got it under control now. I just didn't realize how nasty Florida tap-water is. Clorimines SUCK!!!! >

 

you sounds pretty lucky with the cycliing thing!! 2 tanks with no hiccups! well done! wish mine was going as smoothly!