Cycling new tank

[Markus89]

Hi there. I've started cycling a new tank for my axolotl and after testing my tap water have realised that its PH is 8.4, it's very hard water and it's nitrates are around 30ppm. Am I going to have issues keeping my axolotl healthy in these conditions? I've bought some driftwood which seems to have helped with the PH slightly, but other than plants I'm not sure what to do about the nitrates. Not sure how important the water hardness is tbh. Any advice is welcome, thanks!

 

[wolfen]

check the kh (carbonate hardness) and gh (general hardness), even though the ph is high and the kh is probably good it isn't necessary that the gh will be.
axolotls can tolerate nitrate to a degree but it is advisable to use a small amount of salt in the water to reduce any affects.
if there are major concerns regarding ph and nitrates then using a ro unit may be an option although salts and minerals will have to be re-introduced.
plants might find it hard to tolerate the high ph, if you have an external filter then peat can be used to soften the water.
using a buffer or acid will drop your ph but only temporary.
a nitrate reactor will reduce your nitrates and will also alter your ph although these are mainly for experienced use although there are plenty of youtube videos that will help with set up.