Need help stabilizing my tanks

[TwistedTowerTaked]

Memorial day 2012 will be remembered as the weekend of the water change.
I have a 14 gallon bio cube and a 5 gallon desktop tank. Both have been running since around February. About a month ago I had huge ammonia spikes in both tanks. I tried to fix the problem with ammo-lock and water changes.
The problem got better then out of control worse.
I have had ammonia levels off the charts (8ppm+) but my fish have not been dying???
To fix the problem I have done the following:
I purchased a 30 gallon tank (I wanted a bigger tank anyway) and moved some of my livestock into it to cycle & reduce the populations in my other tanks.
I performed multiple water changes in the 14 and 5 gallon tanks. Both small tanks now have ammonia levels of less than 1 ppm.
I am treating my tap water with sachem prime and API ph down. My tap water requires a larger than suggested dose of prime (2.5ml per 3 gallons) to remove the ammonia (I do test it before I add it to my aquarium). Could this be a source of the problem?
I just want to get my smaller tanks stabilized as quickly as possible.

 

[Mumma.of.two]

Stop adding the pH chemicals. They would be part if the problem. Let your tanks pH stabilize at the same pH as your tap. What does the tap water test at for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate?

 

[TwistedTowerTaked]

My 5 gallon reads .25ppm nitrite &5 ppm nitrate
The 14 gallon reads 0 nitrite and a trace of nitrate-the color is somewhere between 0&5-probably 0 as well.

My new tank is just getting started, but it tests positive for fry! My panda lyretail decided to give birth in the new tank last night. Moving the fry to a beta tank when I can catch them.
If I can figure out which one is birthing I will isolate her as well.

 

[TwistedTowerTaked]

Sorry-you asked about my tap water.
.5ppm ammonia 0 nitrite 5 ppm nitrate

 

[librarygirl]

Prime doesn't remove ammonia, it just detoxifies it temporarily so it's safe for your fish until the bacteria can consume it. .5 ppms of ammonia in tap isn't bad. The real question is why the tanks have been spiking ammonia. Did you make any changes when this happened (added fish, changed filters, etc)?

If you could list what tanks you have and what fish are in each it might help.

 

[TwistedTowerTaked]

I currently have 3 white clouds, 3 platys and 2 Otto cats in the 14 gallon.
In the 5 gallon I have 4 neon tetra and a betta.
I found a new home for a snail (previously in the 14gallon)and moved 3 panda lyretails from the 14 to my new 30 gallon.
I also moved a female betta from the 5 gallon to the 30 gallon.

My 14 gallon (biocube) spiked after a really small molly (not quite a fry, but close)ended up getting sucked into the bio balls. I had to remove them to get the carcass out, and I think I damaged the bacteria in them at that time.
I then possibly damaged the bio filter in the gravel with ammonia removal chemicals during the spike following the bio ball removal.
I decided to move a few fish into the 5 gallon during the spike in the 14 gallon. Guess that was a bad idea as it mucked up the 5 gallon as well.

Still I've managed to keep most of my fish alive ( other than the tiny mollies that were sucked into the bio balls). Once the 30 gallon cycles I will have enough tank space for everything.

I'm planning to try and get everything right with just water changes this time (no added bacteria-just what happens naturally).
Will performing too many water changes extend the cycling time? If so how high should I let the ammonia levels get before I panic and perform a huge water change?