Newbie Questions!

[SaltyAF]

So the title pretty much says it all lol. A week ago, I picked up a 32 gallon Biocube along with live rock and live sand. I was curious to see if my tank has even started cycling yet, so I did a water test. Ammonia, Nitrates, and Nitrites all read 0. I've read threads from other sites stating that a piece of shrimp or some fish food should be added to the tank in order to "speed" up the cycle.

Some questions I have are as followed
(Currently at work and don't have pictures regarding some of my questions/concerns) My apologies!

Does the shrimp/fish food thing work or should I just continue to wait a few more weeks and conduct water tests?

There are small white "saltlike" critters on my glass. I believe they're copepods?
(Picture added asap)

I've noticed there are holes in a few parts of my substrate. Normal?
(Picture added asap)

Should I have the fan running on my Biocube while it's cycling?

Lights shouldn't be on while cycling, correct?


That's all the questions I can think of at the moment :worried:

I'd appreciate all the advice and feedback! Thank you in advance!
(I'll be sure to post pictures as soon as I'm able to!)

 

[Clowning_Around]

Ppl use food, shrimp, ammonia etc to start the process. You dont need lights on while cycling. You only really need the water flowing so that your biomedia will get these chemicals flowing across its area so that the bacteria develops in response and builds up on that media.

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[mcgyvr]

1-When starting with live rock and live sand there is a good chance (depending on where that live rock was purchased) that you will not have a cycle at all..
IF you purchased it locally and added it right to a tank there shouldn't be a cycle..
If you purchased it online from a vendor that ships it fully submerged in water there shouldn't be a cycle..

2-Could be pods, hydroids,etc... pics help... see if you can find it here https://www.lionfishlair.com/hitchhikers-guide/

3-could be

4-fan won't hurt

5-lights aren't needed but after the first couple days I recommend people turn them on just to get the "ugly stages" (algae/diatoms/cyano.. all normal with a new setup) started as quick as possible to get past them as quick as possible

 

[Vbwjjeep]

What I've always done on my freshwater tanks and now on my saltwater is dose it with ammonia to 2ppm then wait 24hrs. If everything is back to zero then it's cycled. If it lingers for a couple days then add fish food or maybe a shrimp something more substantial other than pure ammonia. That will give the bacteria something to feed on and grow. Then after about another week I dose it again to 4ppm this time and normally by this point it gets rid of the ammonia down to about 0.5ppm or nothing in 24hrs. Then I just phantom feed like I'm feeding my fish to keep the bacteria fed and wait it out til the cycle is done. But that is how I jump start the tank.

 

[strikeratt]

The small white creatures could be Spirobid worms if they're hard. If so, they're harmless