with a good soil a plant should thrive and grow vigorously with nothing but water once every 7 days or so the first few weeks.
i personnally don't like transplant and always start my seeds in there final pots, i find it's easier to maintain and even moisture level in the soil with a bigger amount of soil and bigger watering, while it's much eaiser to overwater seeds and seedlings in small cups.
top layer of your soil look dry as f..k, what's you watering pratice, how often, what amount of water ?