[AKaeTrue]

yeh the guy in the shop said weeks, yeh i want to put sum more in it looks a bit empty! thanx for your help!!

He's right, I don't want to confuse you. I had edited the post, but I'm not sure if you saw it.
About 30 days for your filters to establish good strong bacterial colonies.
But as for right now, your rocks are doing the job.

[fattimoo]

Its OK your not confusing I'm very grateful for your advice! Thanks agen!

[fattimoo]

Hiya I don't know if you could help me but I noticed one of my damsels fins and tail look a bit scraggy an it has a few pale white spots I noticed the other damsel has been chasing it and when ifeed them won't let it near the food. I don't know if there's anything I can do to prevent it thanks

[AKaeTrue]

His fins are probably getting nipped to shreds.
Damsels do this unfortunately.
The dominate fish will pick on the weaker one.
Damsels are known for this behavior, and I only cycled my tank with them.
But even after that,
I did do a lot of exchanging of fish before I found compatible types
That actually get along.
I'd take the aggressive fish back and try a different one.
I always exchanged the aggressive ones out and never the passive ones.
Now everyone lives happily and have for years.

It could be nothing but shredded fins, however keep an eye on it for fungus.
If you believe it's fungus, ask someone at the shop which med they would suggest for you to use and make sure you tell them you have live rock and crabs.
I don't know of any med that is safe for crabs, but they probably will if one exists.

The aggressive damsel is always going to be aggressive.
It will even pick on the weaker one until it kills it.

Sometimes people also add more fish to distract the aggressive one.
This way the picking is divided among several fish so that one fish does not have to endure all the picking, all the time.
I never took that route, I just exchanged until I found a passive fish...
Surprising, fish have personalities too :D

[fattimoo]

Thanks I will ask them when I go to the fish shop will they just take the fish back? Is it normal for every time I move the substrate its goes cloudy? I know it's a bit of a daft question but every time my crab goes under its clouds up not really bad it clears quick but maybe I need to clean it?

[AKaeTrue]

The shop I go to allows you to exchange fish or get an in store credit.

I would not clean the substrate.
If fact, I never clean mine.
I stir it up every now and then to let the filters catch any debris, but nothing more.

[fattimoo]

Thanks I know I ask daft questions thanks for your help!

[AKaeTrue]

No worries, There is no such thing as a daft question in my book :-)

[fattimoo]

Hiya I've just noticed a big orange think on the underneath of my crab what could it be an infection or summat? It hasn't seemed its normal active self, it's a swimming crab

[AKaeTrue]

My knowledge is limited when it comes to marine/saltwater crabs.
Give me just a few minutes while I look it up.

[AKaeTrue]

Does it look like part of it's body?
I have a book that has some crabs in it.
It's talking about how different species of crabs male/female turn different colors on the underneath as they reach adulthood or breeding age.

Or does it look like a growth of some sort?

[fattimoo]

I'm not sure it looked weird like it could have been part of its body it weren't there yesterday and it looks pretty big it hasn't really come out of the sand today its been under thanks for your help I will see if it comes out soon normally its out at this time

[AKaeTrue]

Watch to see if it could be carrying something orange around too.

[fattimoo]

Hiya it is carrying something orange it looks a bit fluffy looking I looked it up on the internet and I think it could be a lady crab it matches its description but I can't find anything on eggs I thought they may be eggs?:confused:

[AKaeTrue]

Well fattimoo... it is what I expected then.
Before you got your live rock, your female crab mated with a male.
The females will store the males sperm until her eggs are ready.
Then she will release the sperm over her eggs and make a spongy mass to carry them all in...

[fattimoo]

Yep your right it is I've been looking on the internet all night and I finally found a pic and it looks the exactly the same. The swimming crab I bought separate to the little ones that are in the rock. The ones in the rock are little and hairy looking an they never come out what could they be?

[fattimoo]

If they hatch would they live?

[AKaeTrue]

If I'm not mistaken they are more like larvae when they hatch.
Some may live, but they will more than likely get sucked up by the filter.

I'm a little worried since you mentioned "hairy" that you might have bristle worms.

A lot of little creatures live in live rock and most pose no harm, but the bristle work is a total nuisance that would need to be eliminated from the tank if that's what they are.

[fattimoo]

How can you tell is what they are? What would I have to do to get them out? They look like small crabs but hairy an come out at night

[fattimoo]

I've just been searching to see if what it looks like and I think I do have a bristle worm I caught it last weekend peeping out and I didn't know what it were but it does look like the pics! What should ido??