So what's been your coolest hitchiker or worst you have found

[ahiggins]

I may special order a few )) I like their shell

You should! Theyre algae eating machines! and at night their mantle covers the shell so they look like a little spikey foot ball LOL just make sure to only get money/ring/chestnut. All the others eat coral

 

[Zack K]

Those are the bryopsis eating machines!! Good job!
They're really expensive at the lfs-like $25 each and only stocked once or twice a year

What are these guys! I need a few of them!

 

[BrettMallette]

I have corynactis pseudocorynactis about every color/kind/shape of sponge as well as spaghetti and vermetid snails. Brittle stars of every kind and color same with asterinas. Only somewhat bad hiker ive come across is a kind of annelida(steal food from my chalices more specifically my starry night all the time) not rly bad but annoying. And of course aptasia and majanos but i find them easy to irradicate with a syringe of vinegar.

 

[ahiggins]

What are these guys! I need a few of them!

its called a money or ring cowrie. Sometimes marketed as chestnut cowries. Night time critters and they are one of the best if not THE best algae eating snail

 

[stevo01]

I guess it would be a spiny jewel box that came attached to a coral frag with LR.

 

[chubbyhubby]

How do you end up with a BTA hitched? Did LFS somehow miss it?

I bought the leather on ebay and it was attached to the bass . I contacted the seller but he reckoned he has never had bta before .

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I bought these 3 crabs and they came with a large coral.....

 

[3mm3]

Found this guy. I only see him maybe once a month at night.

Nice score!! The best snail! Extremely hard to find on the market.

 

[Joshua Hurst]

I bought these 3 crabs and they came with a large coral.....

IS THAT PINK BIRDSNEST

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

IS THAT PINK BIRDSNEST

Yes. A Walt Smith direct from Fiji. It also came with a small scallop.

 

[Joshua Hurst]

Yes. A Walt Smith direct from Fiji. It also came with a small scallop.

jeez I wish you lived close to me. That's the hardest thing to find where I live

 

[ThunderGoose]

oh I LOOOOOOVE those. I only have a few but usually when Im at the lfs and I see them, they will pick them out for me to take home those and micro brittle stars!
I have some brown, white, and black ones

My live rock didn't come with any micro brittle stars. I'm thinking I may have to purchase some (bleh). I posted on the local reef forum asking if any had some for sale but no responses.

 

[Joshua Hurst]

My live rock didn't come with any micro brittle stars. I'm thinking I may have to purchase some (bleh). I posted on the local reef forum asking if any had some for sale but no responses.

I bought dead rock, and I have so many bristle stars, spaghetti worms, vermetid snails, and stomatela snails; not to mention all the other crazy creatures that crawl around at night. I think it just depends on the environment, and if they like it youll see them

 

[Joshua Hurst]

granted; some things are more special

 

[ThunderGoose]

Does season play a role in the number and diversity of hitchhikers? I live in New England and ordered my live rock in the middle of winter. There was stuff in the package that was DOA and very, very little still alive (I even looked under the microscope hoping to find amphipods or something. No such luck). Or was I just unlucky/ lucky?

[The Husband spotted some Asterina starfish at the LPS and really liked them. I may have to see if they'll part with some ]

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I may have to see if they'll part with some

umm. dont. IMO, they seem to out compete a lot of lot my other hitchhikers. As their population grew in my tank, the stoma and brittle star pop declined.
You get some eventually or once introduced and you see three, start pulling them out.

Bummer about the live rock. maybe got too cold?

 

[Macdaddynick1]

is a money/ring cowrie. I have two of them. They eat bryopsis like crazy! and now since all of its gone in my tank, theyre eating film algae sometimes hair algae when it grows. Theyre the super cuc

Do they nip at sps or Lps at all? Or these are reef safe kind?

 

[ahiggins]

Do they nip at sps or Lps at all? Or these are reef safe kind?

100% reef safe I have zoas lps and sps and have kept the 2 cowries for about 8 months

 

[Macdaddynick1]

100% reef safe I have zoas lps and sps and have kept the 2 cowries for about 8 months

awesome, what is your tank's temperature? because mine goes up to 82 and ive heard that these guys are cold water species