CANT GET TANK STABLE

Hi everyone we really need some help. My husband and I bought our daughter a 75 gl SW tank for her b day last week. It was already set up and we just brought it home that way. We even moved all the saltwater. For the first couple of days it looked fine and then the trouble began. All the levels were off the charts and climbing. Thought it was from the sump pump but turns out we arent having much luck still. We are changing out water every morning (5 to 10 gl) at a time but the levels are still high and now they arent really dropping at all. Here are this mornings numbers.

1. Nitrate is 10 - 20
2.Nitrite is 10 20
3.Ammonia is 20 to 40 depending on day or night time
4.ph is 7.8

These numbers started out off the chart a few days ago and everything in the tank looked like it was on the verge of dieing but still everything I have read says these numbers will still be deadly to the reef and fish.Please any tricks or advice would be great.

In the tank we have:
1. lion fish
2.dog face puffer
3.blue sail fin tang
4.grouper
5.zebra eel
6.zebra sail fin
7.sunset wrasse
8.damsil (2) really small starter fish
9.domino
Plus the reef.............. The person we bought the tank from said it was safe and had been up and running for several years so go ahead and get fish in it. But my question is : do we have to much in the tank?
Thank you in advance.....

sounds like your tank is going through a cycle.
im not really salt savy, but prime will help a little.
seems like your doing the right thing with daily w/c.

bring your water to a lfs to see if your tests match theres.

so all the fish in your tank are new? how many fish were in the tank when the previous owner had it?

with those numbers, your fish will likely not make it... i would suggest bringing a sample of your water to a lfs and making sure. i'd also ask them to house those fish until you can get your numbers in check. any decent lfs should do it for you without too much of a charge. its still better than losing all those fish

To me it sounds like you purchased a tank that came with those fish. otherwise you made a huge mistake buying those fish so soon. Some of those fish should not even be in a tank that small.

I recommend doing a 40% water change every other day for a week to stabilize things. How do your fish look?

Give me more information. Did you move the tank with sand in it? did you buy the fish or did they come with the tank? let me know everything. I can better help you with more info.

OK thanks to everyone for your responses. Have had the water test done every day and have taken in sample water too. The levels are coming down little by little. Went out and bought a second filter system and that seems to be helping.

When we bought the tank it had been set up for a few years. The fish we bought seperately for it. I listened to a guy at the fish store who said that it was alright for all these fish to be togther. My bad should have researched a little more on my own first.

All the fish look prettty good and everyone seems to be tolerating each other well. The grouper tends to try to eat the Dori from time to time but he is to big to actually eat.The two small damsils didnt make it but everyone else is stable and healthy looking. They are all swimming and eating and acting as if nothing is wrong.

The ammonia levels are way down to almost nothing with the new filter but the nitrate and nitrite levels are still running high.

The guys I have been working with at a SW store have helped alot. They say the tank is just running a cycle and not to do the water changes for the next 3 to 4 weeks. Said it was just making the sand and everything else stir up those levels. So now my question is : will this help or hurt?

Good to know we could help. Let us know if you have any other questions.

NO WATER CHANGES FOR 3 TO 4 WEEKS! With fish in the tank ammonia needs to be watched very closely. If you see ammonia do a water change of at least 30%. Monitoring is key at this point. If you refill slowly your sand will not be affected. LFS (local fish stores) are in the business to sell so be aware. I'm not saying all are "evil" but they are a business and need to make money. Please read up on cycling a tank that should help quite abit. Hope all goes well. Please keep us informed.

PICS!!!!! (in love with lion fish, must see yours)

Yeah that's a weird variety of fish to have in a reef tank... plus some large(fish eating) fish and small fish is bad news...

Any updates on your tank?