FirebaseListAdapter is empty

Question

I am currently learning firebase and its implementations particularly the firebaselistadapter. I can't seem to find updated examples that work. From what I understand it works like most adapters . you need a view a model and a reference to bind the model and for adding you need to push into that same reference. I've already done custom adapters with firebase.child and it works but when I try to use it in a firebaselistadapter. it doesn't display anything plus populateview isn't called, even onerror is not called as well.

My code

FirebaseChatMessage - Custom class as model


public FirebaseChatMessage(String messageText, String messageUser) {
            this.messageText = messageText;
            this.messageUser = messageUser;
            this.messageTime = new Date().getTime();
    }

FirebaseSample.java - Activity

reference = FirebaseDatabase.getInstance().getReference().child("messages");




public void displayChat()
{
FirebaseListOptions<FirebaseChatMessage> options =
            new FirebaseListOptions.Builder<FirebaseChatMessage>()
            .setQuery(reference, FirebaseChatMessage.class)
            .setLayout(R.layout.firebase_message)
            .build();

    FirebaseListAdapter<FirebaseChatMessage> adapter =
            new FirebaseListAdapter<FirebaseChatMessage>(options) {
        @Override
        protected void populateView(View v, FirebaseChatMessage model, int position) {

            Log.d(" Populating ", model.getMessageText());
            TextView messageText = (TextView)v.findViewById(R.id.message_text);
            TextView messageUser = (TextView)v.findViewById(R.id.message_user);
            TextView messageTime = (TextView)v.findViewById(R.id.message_time);

            // Set their text
            messageText.setText(model.getMessageText());
            messageUser.setText(model.getMessageUser());
            messageTime.setText(DateFormat.format("dd-MM-yyyy (HH:mm:ss)",
                    model.getMessageTime()));
        }

        @Override
        public void onError(DatabaseError error) {

            Log.d(" Error ", error.getDetails().toString());
        }
    };
}

This one under works (addValueEventListener) by the way meaning I was able to iterate over the child and return it as firebasechatmessage

reference.addValueEventListener(new ValueEventListener() {
        @Override
        public void onDataChange(DataSnapshot dataSnapshot) {
            int n = 0;
            for(DataSnapshot child : dataSnapshot.getChildren()) {
                FirebaseChatMessage firebaseChatMessage = child.getValue(FirebaseChatMessage.class);
                Log.d(" Message ", firebaseChatMessage.getMessageText());

            }

        }

        @Override
        public void onCancelled(DatabaseError databaseError) {

        }
    });

If anyone could help it would be very much appreciated

I also tried looking at firebase's own example i but they extended the viewholder and for now i just want to be able to have a default basic example. link