attempting fishless cycling

So my wife said we should get fish and I'm now
the designated aquarist. I'm a cat person, never
had fish. After some web research I've decided
to do this fishless cycling. I'm having a couple
problems. First, I don't really know if I'm
comparing the colors correctly when I try to
measure NH3. I don't have an eye dropper so I'm
using an insulin syringe to measure clear ammonia
solution that I got from Longs Drugs. This syringe
has 100 units in a 1CC. Since I don't know the
concentration I added some ammonia and then measure
again. It seemed like 60U were needed to get to
2ppm NH3. That agreed with 30U required to get to
1ppm NH3. But I couldn't get the color to go beyond
2ppm. Even after adding 235 Units total I didn't
really make the solution color look like good strong
4ppm. I was trying for 5ppm and the test kit colors
are for 2ppm, 4ppm, and 8ppm.

This is a 10 Gal tank with a power filter hanging off
the back. The filter is new and has some activated
charcoal. There is 10 lbs gravel with a bubble wand
buried in it. Looks nice. The tank also contains a
plastic plan and a largish natural stone from the LFS
that looks porous. Is something adsorbing the NH3 or
is my NH3 test kit inaccurate or am I color blind? I
was planing on adding two 1" fantails once the tank
cycled and then getting a bigger tank as they grew in
a year or two.

Over the following 6 days now NH3 seems to have stayed
around 4ppm. Maybe it's 2ppm. I don't trust my
measurement method. I have not added any ammonia
except today I put in 30U(which might raise it 1ppm)
There are zero nitrites. pH is 7.8 and steady.
There is no heater and tank temp varies from
74 to 78 degrees.

There is no particular starter source for bacteria.
BIO-Spira is not shipping and the LFS's think I'm
stupid to do fishless cycling.

Any comments? I realize it's only been six days,
but am I on the right track? Should I wait it out
or should I take some corrective action on my ammonia
doses. I guess I'm still planning on just trying to
keep it at 5ppm NH3(though I could be off by 2x) until
Nitrites appear. Then many just going to about 30U
per day. I've never had fish before(and still don't).

Thanks in advance for any input,

--Mike

Mike,

dont listen to anything LFS people have to tell you, they have no
training or experience to help you there. if you don't have a
good-bacteria sources, use some dirt. patience is important and it
will take time.

you can look in baby section of grocery store for medicine droppers
that measure parts per million btw.

once you get bacteria there, keep feeding it ammonia, lest u have fish
already to throw in there.

there is also reasonably good info out there on fishless cycling to
serve as some baseline marker for cycling process.

disco