Help with cycling new tank

After finding this group and reading lots of different websites, I figured
out that keeping my three goldies (common,fantail, and redcap oranda) in a
10 gal tank wasn't going to work long term. So I got a 46 gal bowfront tank
for them. Read up on various sites about cycling the tank and decided that
"fishless cycling" was the way to go. After hitting several differnet stores
found clear ammonia (no perfume, surfacants, etc) and started the process.
Took about 2 gal out of the 10 gal tank (which has always read 0 ammonia, 0
nitrite, 40-80 nitrate), rinsed the 10 gal tank fiter in the 46 gal and
moved a driftwood/plant thing from the 10 gal to the new tank. Added the
suggested amount of ammonia, waited an hour and tested-0 ammonia. Added some
more ammonia and tried again-0 ammonia. Then thought about it and took the
carbon out of the filter, added some more ammonia and tried again. Now have
trace ammonia--.25 to.50 ppm. Tested for nitites-0 ppm Tested for
nitrates-5-10 ppm.This all took place over about 8 hours. Am I missing
something here? From what I read on the websites I would have expected-high
ammonia, then less ammonia but some nitites,high nitrites and almost no
ammonia (with some nitrates), then 0 ammonia,0 nitrites, and very high
nitrate levels (requiring a massive water change). Could it be that there
was enough "good bacteria" in the water and on the driftwoor/plant thing
from my healthy 10 gal tank to have changed the cycling process? I'm really
new at this and would very much appreciate any help you can offer.
Thanks in advance,
Ken