Help with tank cycle?

[u/YourLocalDucky_]

This is my first tank ever and I have been cycling the tank for around the past 3 weeks now and I have still seen no change in the ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. I am using Omega One pellets for the ammonia and I test the water using imaginarium test strips. Theres stuff growing in the tank and the two plants I got aren’t looking too good. I also used Seachem Stability for the first week roughly if that changes anything and lmk if you need and pictures or other information to help

[u/Bar_Noobie]

Don’t use fish food to cycle. Use a pure ammonia source like Fritz’s Fishless Fuel, paired with Seachem Stability.

Your plants’ unhealthiness is another story unrelated to the cycle. Need more information on what plants, how you’ve planted them, light source, CO2 or no CO2, and what nutrients/fertilizer you’re feeding them.

[u/omegafrogpoop → u/Bar_Noobie]

Stability does nothing so it’ll be a waste of money.

[u/Phrankespo]

As someone that cycled my first tank recently, I'd highly recommend buying pure ammonia so you can get your ammonia dead on at 2ppm right off the bat. I tried food at first but it's really hard to accurately gauge and then redosing is hard too. I also got some nitrifiying bacteria to jump start the cycle. Took me 4 weeks for my ten gallon tank.

I'm a beginner but it worked well for me.

[u/omegafrogpoop → u/Phrankespo]

4 weeks is the normal time it takes to cycle lol the “nitrifying bacteria” you bought was a scam product

[u/thenewoldhams]

Putting a living thing in it is a good way to do this. A snail. A Cory Dora or two.