Again if you want to just get it over with, with the least amount of work: petsmart-->water change-->tetra safe start-->wait 10 days-->cycled
Something that was also brought to my attention is that my tap water has bad KH, which kind of makes sense because at times I have a hard time regulating the PH, would this be a possibility. And if that is the case how do I go about regulating a problem like that?
Im a water change fanatic and obviously good husbandry is always the best for fish related issues, but Stabilty is cheap, easy to use and is proven to work. It's in the fishes best interest to get the system stabilized quickly and that's what this does. Without it, she can continue doing water changes every day or so and measuring water parameters as the tank finishes it's cycle. Nothing wrong with that approach either, other than it could take a bit longer, but it will eventually finish it's cycle....
Id spend the 9 bucks and get it over with. I'm not an advocate of adding things to my aquarium water unless I absolutely have to either, including meds, but this is just a very easy product to use and I've use it with great success. Thats all I'm saying. It's not the only hope, just quickest and most user friendly IMO.
Just my experience and 2c
Devil's advocate here...
By using ammo-lock and/or some sort of ammonia absorber, aren't you going to be starving the bacteria and therefore limiting the growth of colonies?
Did you always run the ammonia removal pad, or did you just add it?
I would think daily waterchanges (I'd start and 30% and test every day) and a bacteria additive (we use Foster's and Smith's Colonize) added every day or every other day.
It sounds to me like your tank is trying to cycle, but it can't take off because the food supply is getting locked up chemically.
Good luck and keep us posted.