What is your preferred method of cycling?

[Shrimpelina]

After a few discussions here and there with people, I've come to the realization that there is definitely more than one way to skin a cat when it comes to cycling of tanks.  First the first time ever, I'm starting a "fishless" cycle on a shrimp tank with no preseeded filter....Usually I would chuck in a sponge filter already seeded to hasten the process but I didn't have one spare this time.  

Anyway, just after people's thoughts and experiences on what they've found to be the best method of cycling their shrimp tanks :-).  

(bit of a fluff post, but will help me pass the time LOL)

[Disciple]

The way I cycled my last tank was to clean the canister filter I had running already.

I filled up the tank with treated 50% tap water &50 RO water after adding my soil and additives. I kept the heater at 28 degrees with no lights and tried to keep the ph at 7 until the nitrates peaked. I did a 80% water change with RO water and turned down the heater. I also put my plants and mosses at this point.

I kept it running another week checked that the Ammonia nitrites are 0 and nitrates were under 10 then added some culls. Since they were fine after about a week I started putting in the other shrimp.

[NoGi]

If I have another tank handy, I usually take some substrate or filter media to help with the fishless cycle. When the parameters seem about right, I usually chuck in a couple cull grade male cherries. <- don't want them breeding in the new tank.

[neo-2FX]

When you guys are cycling buffering soils, how do you keep your pH high enough so that the cycle doesn't stall? Baking soda?