Cycling tank parameters question..

[the.cornish.reefer]

So ive set up a second tank, this is a nano 20 gallon tank.
This time ive decided to use ATM colony to cycle the tank, the instructions say to add the bacteria then add fish within 24 hours. Which I know I'll get stick for.
So I added the bacteria on Saturday, then added two clownfish after 6 hours.
I left it to Monday to test, and I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0.5 nitrate. Tested using salifert test kits for ammonia and nitrate and hanna checker for nitrate.
However since then I've test 0 ammonia, 0 nitrate and 0 nitrate for the last to days. I was expecting to see alot more ammonia and nitrites
The instructions for atm colony say to feed lightly for the first few days and the clownfish havnt really eaten much either. So could the 0 nitrates be down to the small amount thw clownfish have eaten?
Should I try and add more bacteria?
Feed more often and see if the nitrates rise?

 

[Dan_P]

So ive set up a second tank, this is a nano 20 gallon tank.
This time ive decided to use ATM colony to cycle the tank, the instructions say to add the bacteria then add fish within 24 hours. Which I know I'll get stick for.
So I added the bacteria on Saturday, then added two clownfish after 6 hours.
I left it to Monday to test, and I had 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites and 0.5 nitrate. Tested using salifert test kits for ammonia and nitrate and hanna checker for nitrate.
However since then I've test 0 ammonia, 0 nitrate and 0 nitrate for the last to days. I was expecting to see alot more ammonia and nitrites
The instructions for atm colony say to feed lightly for the first few days and the clownfish havnt really eaten much either. So could the 0 nitrates be down to the small amount thw clownfish have eaten?
Should I try and add more bacteria?
Feed more often and see if the nitrates rise?

In this method, it seems the ammonia to grow the nitrifying bacteria and to produce nitrate come from the fish. One set of instructions that I read said it takes 6-8 weeks to establish nitrifying bacteria. This makes sense given the tiny amount of ammonia produced by the fish and the relatively slow growth of nitrifying bacteria.