Couple things to try. (sorry if I didn't see that you'd done them before). Test all your parameters directly from the tap. Is that where the no3 is coming from? Also leave a glass of tap water sitting out for 24 hours and test the pH after it's been sitting out for that time. Municipalities add things to the water to buffer it, but they will gas out and show you the actual pH after that time. With the different pH levels you've been reading, that's a possibility.
Thanks (again). The numbers above are aquarium water (no nitrates or nitrites in tap water). I'm just wondering my ammo isn't dropping and why nitrates aren't rising in the tank by now? I'll get the crushed coral this weekend and put it in with the filter.
I've tested my tap water (treated and untreated) at various intervals, but I had a hard time reading the ammo levels (the 0- and 0.25 readings are hard for me to distinguish) so I want to repeat those tests against distilled water; an odd reading I got was the untreated tap water's ammonia went up to 0.5 after a day (#4 below), so I'm not sure if that's an error or what. Here's what I have so far, before re-testing:
* Tap water (untreated):
1. directly from tap:
a. PH dark blue, off chart, 7.6++++
b. High range PH 8.4+
c. nitrates 0
d. nitrites 0
e. ammonia: looks 0, but want to double-check against distilled to be sure
2. after 1 hour:
a. PH dark blue, off chart, 7.6+++
b. High range PH: down to 7.4
c. nitrates 0
d. nitrites 0
e. ammonia: looks 0, but want to double-check against distilled
3. after 18 hours:
a. PH about 7.6, a light blue
b. high range ph: up again to 8.4+
c. nitrates 0
d. nitrites 0
e. ammonia: looks slightly greenish, about 0.25, need to retest against distilled
4. after 26 hours:
a. PH: 7.6
b. High PH: 7.4
c. nitrates 0
d. nitrites 0
e. ammonia 0.5 (?!?!?!?!)
* 1 gal tap water with 2 drops Prime
1. after 1 hour:
a. ph: dark blue, off chart, 7.6+++
b. high range ph: 8.2
c. nitrates 0
d. nitrites 0
e. ammonia 0 (want to double-check this against distilled)
2. after 19 hours:
a. pH: dark blue, off chart, 7.6+++
b. high ph: 7.4
c. nitrates 0
d. nitrites 0
e. ammonia 0 (want to recheck)
3. after 28 hours:
a. dark blue, off chart, 7.6+++
b. high ph 7.4
c. nitrates 0
d. nitrites 0
e. ammonia 0 (want to recheck)