Help! Day 13 of fishless cycle and ammonia still hasn't gone down!

[Polkadots]

Today (1 December 2013) is my 13th day of fishless cycle and my ammonia still hasn't gone down!

Using API Master Freshwater test kit
Using Ace Hardware Ammonia
I have everything up and running.
The temperature has remained a stable 82 degrees Fahrenheit.
The ammonia is at 4ppm (and as been like that since I started)
I have no seeding material
No live plants
I added a tiny bit of crushed fish food on the first day
Water is treated with Prime
Ph is outstandingly high- 8.2!!! Will that affect anything?

I'm planning to do a pwc soon and see if that get things moving.

It's so frustrating and annoying! I'm kind of worried.

Help!

 

[sodbuster95]

Patience is key. It took my most recent tank almost 60 days to fishless cycle. 29 days for ammo to be consumed, 9 more days for nitrite to show up, and then 21 more days for nitrite to be consumed and nitrates to appear.

 

[gd007]

Do try to find seeding material from local fish store if possible. How about a live plant...not from a airtight package but one that came from a tank with fish in it perhaps.

 

[gd007]

Do you have a bubbler in the tank?

 

[Polkadots]

I prefer not to have a live plant, as I'm only a beginner- this is my first tank- and I've read that live plants are probably for a bit more advanced fish keepers.

No, I don't have any seeding material. I have been trying to get some though!

I have read bubble wands are unnecessary for aquariums but my filter is placed high so it splashes as it comes down, therefore creating a good amount of bubbles.

Thank you!

 

[Masha]

I prefer not to have a live plant, as I'm only a beginner- this is my first tank- and I've read that live plants are probably for a bit more advanced fish keepers.

No, I don't have any seeding material. I have been trying to get some though!

I have read bubble wands are unnecessary for aquariums but my filter is placed high so it splashes as it comes down, therefore creating a good amount of bubbles.

Thank you!

Many plants are out of the range of beginners, but many are super easy to keep so if you want live plants, no reason not to have them. Java Fern and Anubias both look really nice and will grow with low lights and no fertilisers, no special substrate. Just drop them in! Also floating plants like hornwort.

No reason to have them if you don't want to, but they do look nice and fish like them