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Here's the rundown...
I'm on day 17 of fishless cycle of 110gallon. Started with all readings (NH3, NO2, NO3) at 0. Seeded tank with filter sponge/complete gravel transferred from another tank. Calculated my "x" dose of ammonia, to raise my reading to 5ppm, at 15 tsp. Within couple of days, realized couldn't add full "x" amount daily (ammonia started to read >8), so cut back to amount that would keep my "start of day" reading at ~5ppm. Days 1-5 seemed ok.
Day 6: NH3~4, NO2=0.12, NO3 Not tested
Day 7: NH3~4, NO2=0.25, NO3=5.0 (1st reading)
Day 8: NH3~4, NO2=0.50, NO3=5.0
Day 9...NH3~5, NO2=2.0, NO3=2.0 (down!)

Days 10 to 17: adding increasing NH3 to keep ~5, but my NO2 is starts decreasing and my NO3 disappears?

Someone suggested that my NO2 & NO3 test results were likely so high they were not registering correctly on the tests...suggested I do diluted tests, so today I ran a series....

Todays results (diluted with 0/0/0 tap water):
Test 1 (100% tank water):NH3=< 0.12 (didn't test NO2/3)
Test 2 (50% tank water):NH3=0, NO2=4ppm, NO3=0
Test 3 (10% tank water):NH3=0, NO2=20ppm, NO3=0
Test 4 (5% tank water): NH3=0, NO2=40ppm, NO3=100ppm

That fellow seemed right. It appears my NO2 & NO3 are so high that without dilution they are not recording. However my NO2 IS handling my "x" amount of ammonia (NH3 now reading 0 each morning, before my addition), which I believe is the 1st goal of the cycle. Should I do anything right now, like a water change, to try to get my NO2/NO3 within "reading range" (looks like it would have to be a HUGE water change!). Or do I just ignore the ultra high readings, keep going with adding my "X" and checking my NO2 until it starts to drop so I can read it "undiluted" (presumably when my Nitrates get even higher?).


Help???

Buy a Python, do a water change. With a 100gallon tank, you are going to so love that Python!

Since you overdosed the ammonia, do a 50% water change. Test the results the next day. If your nitrates still indicate that your water is as well preserved as bacon, do another 50% water change. It won't upset your cycle imho.



__________
"To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism; to steal from many is research."
researched from Steven Wright

Thanks BW... I was afraid to do a change in case it set me back. I did do a water change way back when my ammonia hit ~8ppm - to brink it back to ~5 and its been no more than since then. I've already got a python rig, so tomorrow I'll try the water change. Thanks for helping.