Parameters

Making progress! The water quality check showed that my tank has started cycling! The process of cycling goes as follows:
1: Ammonia- ammonia levels start to build up in the tank because the good bacteria that eats it isn't yet established in the tank.
2: Nitrite- Nitrite starts to spike while ammonia is still high, because the bacteria is converting the ammonia into nitrites. The ammonia starts to go down while the nitrites are still high.
3: Nitrate- No, not nitrite. Nitrate. The last step, when the nitrites turn to nitrates and then they are absorbed by plants or removed by water changes.

Once all of these have gone through their corresponding spikes and the testing consistently reads 0 for all of them, the tank has been fully cycled. 

My pH test is perfect, reading at 8.0. Ammonia levels are still high, but that is to be expected with my tank undergoing cycling. I'm excited because the nitrite levels are higher than my last test, which read them at 0, and now they are at 1.00 ppm. (I shouldn't be excited over this... nitrite isn't necessarily a good thing. I'm just happy my tank is starting to become established.) My nitrate is still at 0, but I expect it to start going up soon.