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I'd add a little flake food to simulate fish feeding and see how it goes. Normally it'll be done by 3 or 4 weeks.
Why? The OP is already at high ammonia levels. What would adding more nitrogenous waste do here? It's unclear to me, but I *think* the OP is doing a fishless cycle and therefore likely dosing ammonium chloride. If so, that's all the ammonia the OP would need. In my opinion, he just needs more time. As you said, 3-4 weeks, and all the OP has to do is be patient and the tank will cycle on its own.
Fish food promotes a more realistic environment in my view. It also adds phosphorus, perhaps devoid in an ammonia only cycle.
Agreed! I wanted to mention, if you're dosing ammonia chloride, then back off a little for sure.
Why is phosphorous important to the ammonia cycle? I think this is just a throw back to when we used to toss a piece of table shrimp in the tank and wait for the smell to stop, which I think I last tried in 1984.
A cycle when two things occur. . . . when ammonia rises then falls and holds a steady reading of Zero for at least 5 days and nitrate rises and falls and holds at 20 or below- then you are cycled.
Throwback, maybe. I haven't started many tanks over the last 20 years, but it's always worked out fine, and I've never seen a Dino in person. Just my experience input as the OP requested.
All living matter requires phosphorous.
And no part of me was trying to be hostile or augmentative, I'm sincerely asking. I remember starting tanks this way. I was out of the hobby for a long while, and I'm just getting going again, but I researched a lot about fishless cycling (again, I am only assuming this is what the OP is doing), and I'm just not sure that adding fish food is a good idea at this point, especially with the already elevated ammonia levels. I'm not an expert here at all, and I don't claim to be, so please let me know if I'm missing something.
Of course, but do the bacteria involved in processing nitrogenous waste in our aquaria really need measurable (by our test kits) levels of phosphorous? I'm not sure, and worry it would lead to algae growth later.
If you look at the link in post #3 most bacteria additives meet the type of timescale that we got back in the day. There are a few live bacterial cultures that are quicker, for sure. I did a little experiment a while ago where the cycle didn't really get going until I added fish, and the associated waste. Coincidence, maybe.
Lol, well there's a hot topic, like it's always been.
OK, I get you. And yes, back in the day I kicked off a few marine tanks using either the "hardy" clown fish or large hermit crab, or by allowing something like a shrimp to decay in the tank. It does work for sure, though it can be stinky, you have to agree lol!
