Sounds like you got things working....I had the same problem (no
bubbles for 24 h)...then I cut the hose and placed the diffuser closer
to the bottle.

The bubbles started slowly but before long I had a steady stream with
a bubble every 2-3 seconds. The bubbles stayed the same size all the
way through the diffuser for the first few days but now they shrink
down to nothing - perfect!

I started it on 12/17 and it is still running strong.