High ammonia and pH in tap water

[The Monk]

Hello everyone. I have been looking in on these boards for a month now and really like the advice I have seen. Can someone help with advice on water for my tank?

Here's the detail for my tank:
3 months old
3 spotted corys
4 black neon tetras
20 gallon, 0-0.25 nitrites (it is in my tap water), 0-0.5 ammonia (also in tap water), pH over 8 (so is tap water), nitrates around 20, gH 120-140, kH 3
Aquarium gravel
Some driftwood (boiled and soaked, no noticeable tannins, etc)
Plastic/silk plants (don't tease me, I will add live ones gradually, but wanted to get the tank up and cycled, add fish, then plants)

I saw all the things you would want to see in a cycling tank - ammonia spike at first, a couple of weeks later a nitrite spike, then both levels going to (almost) zero and nitrates went up. I had been doing a 15-20% pwc every day while cycling, and now do 15-20% every other day. I started the tank using Tetra aqua safe plus, and switched to prime about a week ago.

I kept pulling my hair out that the ammonia and nitrites wouldn't go to zero. Read on the boards that it might be my tap water. I put some water out overnight, aerated it for a minute or two, and tested after 24 hours. My tap water has 0.5 ammonia and sometimes up to 1.0, trace nitrites between 0-0.25, pH around 8.2, kH 3, and gH 120-140.

My fish are growing and seem happy and healthy. However, I know that every time I change the water using my tap water I am adding ammonia and nitrite, and pushing the pH closer to 8.2. Here starts the questions:

Will the high pH hurt my fish? Long term?
Will my bio filter continue to grow to handle the ammonia and nitrite I am adding with the pwc's?
Will I need to stay with prime forever because of my local tap water?
I probably have room for another 3-4 inches of fish - suggestions for living with tetras, corys, and a high pH like mine?
Do I have to go to RO/DI water because of my local tap water? Hope not cause that's expensive...
Any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!

 

[shellieca]

What kind of water test are you using? Liquid or strips? Typically when a tank is fully cycled the ammonia & nitrites in your tap will be processed out especially at the levels you are showing. How long have the fish been in the tank, were they added all at the same time? What kind of filtration do you have on the 20g? The Ph is fine, fish will adapt. You will always need to use a water conditioner whether its Prime (best) or another brand. When do you test the tank water? Right before a water change, 24 hrs after a water change or immediately after a water change?

 

[The Monk]

What kind of water test are you using? API freshwater test kit and API gH and kH
Liquid or strips? Liquid
Typically when a tank is fully cycled the ammonia & nitrites in your tap will be processed out especially at the levels you are showing. How long have the fish been in the tank, were they added all at the same time? Fish have been in the tank for 2 1/2 months, but not all at the same time. Cory's were first, then tetras about a month ago.
What kind of filtration do you have on the 20g? Aqua clear 50
The Ph is fine, fish will adapt. You will always need to use a water conditioner whether its Prime (best) or another brand. Ok, got it. Amazed that these fish can handle my water in the 8's, but they do seem fine.
When do you test the tank water? Right before a water change, 24 hrs after a water change or immediately after a water change? I test before I change the water.

Good to hear that the tank will take care of the extra ammonia and nitrite from my water - maybe it isn't fully cycled or it was reset somehow? Last night before pwc's both ammonia and nitrite were at 0.25 ppm. Not sure what to do to get to 0...

 

[The Monk]

Update - still at 0.25 ammonia and 0.25 nitrites. Nitrates still at 20. I'm still using prime, and am down to 15-20% pwc's every other day. Any advice on getting to 0 on ammonia and nitrites?