Quarantine Cycling Issues

[Lowcountry8]

I set up my 10g quarantine tank with the intent to cycle the tank. I plan on keeping it up and running for 4+ months, so I thought letting it cycle would be the best option.

The tank has been running with a new HOB filter for almost 5 weeks. I've put a dead shrimp in the tank on two different occasions. Most recently, I left the shrimp in the tank for 5 days and it was complete mush when I removed it. I've been using a Salifert ammonia test, but I'm not at all confident in my readings. The water in the tank has been a bit cloudy for the last two weeks and there is a bit of slime built up on the filter and parts of the glass. I've only used RO/DI water and I've not completed any water changes. I have no lights on the tank...it is just a tank with an HOB filter (minus the carbon) and saltwater.

Does anyone have suggestions on what to do next? Should I just continue to wait it out? Should I perform a water change to see if it clears the water clarity up at all?

Thanks very much for your help.

 

[DrBoxedWine]

Following

 

[Newsmyrna80]

Do you have a main tank already running? If so you can use a seeded sponge/filter floss, LR or sand to jump start the QT cycle. Sorry that doesn't answer your question but why reinvent the wheel

 

[DrBoxedWine]

The qt was actually up and going first, I took some rocks from there (before adding a fish to it) and put them in the DT to speed it up. And thanks folks, I went to a fish store and pieced it all together, seeing it in person was way easier and I have it all figured out now