water chemistry is all off

Question
QUESTION: ok I have a 29 gal tank. In the tank is 1 large lava rock that I've had for 6 years, 1 piece of driftwood, 1 what they call holy stone(looks like white limestone but is thick and has tunnel type holes that look like swiss cheese), 1 live amazon sword plant and 2 fake plants, gravel. Fish consist of 2 1 1/5 in silver dollars, 1 2in gold gourami, 1 pleco, 2 cory cats, 1 black lace angelfish and 6 cichlids (red zebra, male and female kenyi,yellow labido,hybrid peacock cichlid and a socolofi. The water tested 2 days ago with high ammonia6.0, nitrate 200+, nitrite in the danger zone, water hardness of very hard, no chlorine, total alkalinity high at 300, and ph acidic(yellow on test strip). I have done 2 partial water changes (once a day) and added prime to the tank with slight level changes, added 2.5 tsp baking soda last night and water levels are now as follows: ammonia- stress level 0.5, nitrate between 60-80, nitrite-5.0, hardness still very hard, 0 chlorine, alkalinity-moderate 80, ph 7.2. Levels are getting better with the Prime and water changes. What would cause the water to be very hard, yet acidic? This contradicts normal. I'm ok with the hardness as cichlids like hard, yet alkalotic water. But why the ammonia so high and nitrates so hig? Oh and by the way, the fish seem totally unaffected and have never acted abnormal or bothered at all. I am going to give all but the cichlids to my neighbor as they were hers to begin with, but she wanted a cichlid tank and has since changed her mine. She will be getting them tomorrow. So is it overcrowding? Over feeding? I have a bio-wheel filter and a separate bubbler. Any ideas?

ANSWER: Michelle,
actually a PH of 7.2 is not acidic.
Continue the water changes and the levels will drop.
the fish that are in there have adapted to whatever has been going on over time and would not necessarily show any ill effects.
A tank that has been set up that long will have a tendency to drop the PH.
The gravel gets saturated with debris and the driftwood will lower it as well.
Make sure you clean the gravel bed well as this is where the trouble is.
It is possible to have levels that are completly off the scale and not know it.
You are on the right track just don;t do too much too fast to change the enviorment too quickly.
Let me know how it works out.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: ok after water change today levels are normalizing, except nitrates are still up a little. I have vacummed the gravel with every water change. Hey my female keyi is in the back cornor of the tank, running everyone else off and it seems she is shaking or more like seizure type and her belly is bigger, as is one of the other cichlids. How can you tell when your female is pregnant? My kenyi are the only male/female pairing I have. Well maybe the silver dollars but I can't tell them apart.Could she be pregnant and about to deliver, do they intermittenly shake like that? She dosen't appear sick

Answer
It is very possible that all the water changes have caused her to fill with eggs.
She will lay them when she is ready.
If they are fertilized then they will hatch out, if not, they will either be eaten or simply dissappear into the water colum.
Either way, about all you can do is watch and see.
If you have further questions, just ask.