Regarding bakteria for your tank - I keep all the spunge filters that are not in use in my already balanced tanks. That way I always have bakteria for new tank projects. As for algea, the easiest way to deal with algea is before it even gets a chance to start developing - fill up at least half of your tank with plants. I do more than half, but I know how expensive plants can be, so half the tank is a good start without breaking the bank. Let the plants start growing (and develop roots if planted) before you start adding fish. Add some shrimp and snails first instead if you need poop for plants😂✌️). The biggest enemy of a start-up success is impatience, as people want to put fish in the tank straight away(guilty as charged here too🙈✌️), but think of it as a house - you need electricity, air vents, plumming and all the other utilities and conditions before people can move in, thrive and start living comfy. Same goes for fish🥰
If you're going to have somebody squeeze a sponge filter into a bag,, you might as well ask them just to take the sponge filter home and pop it in your tank
i do the same thing, but tanin water, known as black water, for an ember look, and the pump to move the material across plant roots and use those as the sponge material. and a full food web of micro organisms, snails, scuds, go for a low teck pond that suports the micro life in the water, based on micro life that will do well without it water movment or waterfall for oxygen.
I have a tank that is estimated and one drop of Pure ammonia ( I buy from the chemist) One bottle lasts for over 20 tanks. Use plain plastic scrubbing pads for filter media and some marbles.