Help! Cycle info

[shooshoomanz]

Sorry. Im confused and i seem to be getting mixed information.

My tank is 4 days old.

20 gallon long.
15lbs live rock
25-30lbs live sand all live sand not seeded.
78degrees
1.026 sg
8.2pH
ammonia:0
Nitrites:0
Nitrates:5

To top this off i have been seeding tank with NUTRAfin cycle starter with bacterial supplements for the past 3 days starting at 25ml then 10ml tomorrow they i will dose 5ml. So lots of bacteria from sand, rocks and supplements.

HERES THE ISSUE

HOW CAN I GET AMMONIA TO START MY CYCLE!!???? i have one damsel as i was told this would be needed to "feed" my bacteria in the live sand yet still no ammonia is showing not even nitrites. i HIGHLY doubt the cycle is this matured i dont know what im doing wrong.

[Sisterlimonpot]

it used to be the way things were done back in the day but these days it is frowned upon to use fish to start the cycle. I would suggest using an uncooked unseasoned raw shrimp from the super market and toss it in the tank to start the ammonia build up.

However depending on if the live rock was cured you might not see a cycle. But the only way to be sure is to add the shrimp to the tank and allow it to decay and test for ammonia. If after 2 weeks you get nothing then your tank is cycled and ready to add a clean up crew and other livestock.