in aquariums we keep a low overall nitrogen
concentration [ ] that you would find in most healthy natural systems.
this gives the appearance that with little test kits we can "watch" all of our n (this is no where close to showing what's going on).
when doing a fishless cycle you build up a large n [ ].
as with oxygen, carbon dioxide, exc...n is exchanged between water and the atmosphere. so even without us adding n, it will be brought in naturaly...just not enough and fast enough to cycle a tank.
water is a good place for our fixed n to be converted back into n2 and returned to the atmosphere due to dissolved oxygen [ ].
everything is in chaos all the time...and everything is trying to reach equilibrium all the time...so, everything is always changing and that goal of equilibrium is always adjusting based on what changes are happening in the system...
so when you throw a **** ton of n into a system, all kinds of **** happens while the systems tries to find equilibrium...
nothing i said was bold or new (very far from it)...just some things that weren't considered as factors.
without removing high [ ] n water and replacing it with low [ ] n water, it's going to be a waiting game....
the grand solution...monitor your additions of n closer, and base additions on conversion rates, wait it out, or do water changes. there will be no grand one size fits all follow this dosing yada yada yada...
if you want a process for from scratch fishless cycling you have to base everything off of process rates, not a time line...i would like to see all of this "daily dosing" stuff end...it seems that's one of the most common links in all "stalled" cycle problems...