So Many Questions!

[Varanus]

Patience is best when it comes to cycling (and I've never heard of adding rice or fruit to a tank to cycle it), and while these shrimp may eat lots of things I'd stick with things intended for aquarium creatures. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a simple pellet or flake for fish will do.

[DavidZ]

Thank you!

[Nellyville41]

Don’t buy or add anything to speed up the cycling. You could end up introducing things you don’t want into the tank and potentially make it harmful for the shrimps. Just wait it out. I waited 5 or 6 weeks before introducing them.

[DavidZ]

Thanks!

[Mustafa]

This is a bit late, but you can use any substrate you want really. You don't have to go super fine. The snails can burrow under pretty much anything. Just keep things simple, no need to overthink and overdo things. Follow the instructions here and then just sit back and enjoy.

[Cats and Shrimp]

Crittersni, I love your shrimp jar. It looks like a little alien world. About how much water is in there, do you know?