you dont need live sand or sand at all to cycle your tank and cycling is free. dead shrimp and 4-6wks is all thats needed. Bio spira by itself wont cycle anything. may shorten the cycle or reduce the ammonia spike but time is cheaper than bio spira. you do need SOMETHING with surface area (filter media, rocks or sand, dead or alive, tank itself) but it doesn't need to be sand and doesn't need any engineered help.