Fishless cycling using Dr Tim's One & Only live bacterial product

"5 drops of ammonia" is not very clear about the exactly amount you added.
Did you test for ammonia right after you add it? It is important to know how much ammonia you have added in term of ppm. We usually aim for minimal 2ppm ammonia for fishless cycling. I personally made sure the ammonia level was at 5~6ppm after I added it each time. Without minimal amount, you might not get any reading at all after it has all been converted.

The time takes to see nitrate is not fixed. Without heavy seeding, it can take several weeks. With heavy seeding such as live bacteria products, you might see it in a few days or even see it the very next day. It is important to get a reading on ammonia after you have added it (but you need to give it at least 15~20 minutes for it to settle to get a more accurate reading).

You may add sponge into your filter to increase filtration. I did the same with my canister filter. Replaced the carbon pad with more sponge pads after the carbon pads came with the filter expired.