My new setup. So far, so good!

[Semperfi2091]

I set up my Marineland 60 gallon tank about 9 days ago. I let the the filled tank sit for a couple of days to gas off the chlorine after adding the dechlorinator (Aqueon water conditioner). A week ago, I added API Quickstart, 2 Black Mollies, 2 Dalmatian Mollies, and 2 Mickey Mouse Platys. Been testing the water every day with API Master Test Kit and logging it. After a few days of seeing only .5 Ammonia, I added 4 more Mickey Mouse Platys. It's probably important at this point to point out that my local water registers 1ppm ammonia right out of the tap, so the fact that I was seeing .5 ammonia in my tank testing showed that, biologically, something was happening. Some days it registered .25 and even 0. Finally, today, Nitrites showed up for the first time at .25. After showing the LFS my numbers, he advised that I could speed up the process with the addition of Seachem Sability and protect the fish while doing so with Prime.

I bought them and added them according the the instructions today. Will keep you all posted with my progress.

Also, any constructive criticism or ideas are welcome! Please feel free to point me in the right direction!

Below is a table of my numbers:
Date / pH / Amonia / Nitrite / Nitrate
1/23/2017 /8.2 /.5 / 0 / 0
1/24/2017 /8.4 /.5 / 0 / 0
1/25/2017 /8 /0 / 0 / 2.5
1/26/2017 /7.8 /.25 / 0 / 2.5
1/27/2017 /8 /0 / 0 / 0
1/28/2017 /7.8 /.25 /.25 / 0

P.S. I'm really curious where the NitrAte came from on the 25th and 26th.... It wasn't 0, and it wasn't 5 so I just put the number in between.

 

[SherLar]

Nitrates will be present in your tank forever; just try to keep them below 40 ppm if possible. With ammonia and nitrites, it's preferable to keep at 0 ppm, but if your tap water already has ammonia, that makes it more difficult. I'm not a big fan of additives unless absolutely necessary, but there are additives that reduce all 3: nitrites, nitrates, and ammonia. There are also nitrite and ammonia reducing filter media.
I think though, after your tank becomes better established, that your parameters will straighten out on their own. In the mean time, water changes are your - and your fish's - best friend.