Cycle water even before having a tank?

I know this sounds crazy, but I could see this working. Lets say you have a large clean trash-can full of water with a heater and a large pump in it to keep water moving. You add something like fish food or a dead shrimp to the mix, and just let nature take its course. This way when you do get your new tank all set up and ready, you have however many gallons of tank ready water to go.
Would this work, or am I just up late delirious thinking up stuff?

 

Actually, while water does hold some benefitial bacteria, it only holds a fraction of what you need. Almost all of it is in the sand, rock, on the powerheads, glass, overflows. Anywhere there is a surface. There are LFSs out there who advertise that they can instantly condition your tank by providing such water, but it just does not work. It will give a great start. But that is all. Good thinking though......

 

Your tank would still probably go through a cycle as the ammonia,nitrite and nitrate build up to create more benificial bacteria I would think.As pharmrjohn said the water probably won't have enough bacteria so it would have to multiply which is the reason for the cycle.

 

Tanks cycle, water doesn't. Just like John said, the bacteria that contribute to and ultimately facilitate cycling, live on all the available surface area in your system. That's why live rock is so important.

Just think--if what you were wishing were true, you could just take all your water from people's established tanks and be done with it.

If only it were so easy.

 

this is clearly a case of delirious late night thoughts and what-ifs.. makes perfect sense and would be great if it were true.. Thanks for all the replies..

 

I hate delirious late night thoughts...it makes a man go crazy!!