Your ammonia will get higher thatn 0.25. Your tank is cycling. Do you know about the cycling process, like what you should be looking for? When you add for, or your fish "use the bathroom" it adds to your ammonia.
Your test strips give you an average "ideal". Every fish species likes different things. Like some fish like a more acidic environment, some like a more basic environment (pH). Alkalinity and pH mean the same thing pretty much.
I would turn your filter to the slowest setting, or if your bettas don't like it don't use one at all. I didn't for mine. My male's fins got ripped up from it. Just keep an eye on your water parameters if you don't use a filter.
Here's a link about cycling in case you don't know about it already.
http://aquariumhobbyist.com/articles/NewAquarium.html


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Phishie
Site Coordinator

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

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