sounds like its time to backup a bit..
setting up the tank, ok, the podcast shows found on this site will give you a wealth of information, there is no "one way" to setup the tank, it depends on the type of tank, the size, what your going to keep in it, etc. learn what you can then you have to build your plan to suite your needs.. again, the hours of audio and video shows foudn here will guide you through each part of this.
as far as cutting the cycle, well the cycle is a natural process that must occur and needs to happen at its own pace. one of the most important things in this hobby is patience, you need to take your time and let your tank happen as it can, now as you want or when you want it... any attempts to force stuff to go faster almost always results in failure.
heres my suggestion for you...
download iTunes from here
Apple - iPod + iTunes
once installed go to the podcast directory and subscribe to the Talkingreef Podcast
download the shows and start listening and taking notes. this will take a while but will help you a great deal. as you go through this, come here and ask any questions on stuff you need clarification on, we will be here to help you in any way we can.
im sorry, i know a step by step is what you want, but you really need to build that, and we will help
