Hitchhikers!

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

Wonder how many people had successful hitchhikers with live rock. With my reading it sounds like a dice roll!

 

[JGT]

What do you mean by successful?

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

My experience with live rock gave me aiptaisa, red planaria, and acoel flat worms. More often then not you'll get Bad hitchhikers. It's just part of live rock, and you just deal with it. I think the benefits of liverock outweigh the bad hitchhikers that may come with them.

 

[JGT]

I on the other hand had none of those. I did have worms and pistol shrimps, crabs, feather dusters, tunicates and sponges. Still do. I also never had the uglies, GHA, Dino’s, cyano, turf algae. Live rock is the way.

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

I'm debating live rock or not. Just wanted some feedback. I'm seeing some good items that can come with it. Mostly looking for pros and cons.

 

[56longroof]

I'm debating live rock or not. Just wanted some feedback. I'm seeing some good items that can come with it. Mostly looking for pros and cons.

It's definitely worth it. The few problems that I did have were easily overcome.

 

[Fish Fan]

This really comes down to where you get your live rock from, and the overall quality thereof.

I got maricultured live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater about 18 months ago now for a 10 gallon and a 15 gallon tank. I got crabs, shrimp, snails, stars, and a variety of macro algae off the top of my head. Months in we were discovering new things we had never noticed in the tanks before. The beneficial micro and macro life, and the downright cool critters I got with the rock and sand far, far, far outweighed the couple of bad hitchhikers that came with it, and were fairly easily delt with. I currently have on order enough TBS rock and sand to fill the 150 gallon I'm currently building.

You can't go wrong with this stuff:

Tampa Bay Saltwater – America's #1 Live Rock for Reef Aquariums

Short of that, I'd go with a high-quality live rock from a good LFS. If, like at least a couple of my local stores, the LFS is offering rock that's covered in all kinds of aptasia, bubble algae, and things you don't want in your tank, then I'd go with dry rock and sand and bottled bacteria and ammonia chloride.

Compared to using good live rock, starting with dry rock and sand will take a lot longer to cycle and mature, and you're more likely to see an "ugly phase".

 

[JGT]

I'm debating live rock or not. Just wanted some feedback. I'm seeing some good items that can come with it. Mostly looking for pros and cons.

Any bad hitchhikers are manageable. Take this guy for example. Never harmed anything but would drag coral frags to be used as doors for his cave. Baited wine glass caught him and into the sump he went.

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

This really comes down to where you get your live rock from, and the overall quality thereof.

I got maricultured live rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater about 18 months ago now for a 10 gallon and a 15 gallon tank. I got crabs, shrimp, snails, stars, and a variety of macro algae off the top of my head. Months in we were discovering new things we had never noticed in the tanks before. The beneficial micro and macro life, and the downright cool critters I got with the rock and sand far, far, far outweighed the couple of bad hitchhikers that came with it, and were fairly easily delt with. I currently have on order enough TBS rock and sand to fill the 150 gallon I'm currently building.

You can't go wrong with this stuff:

Tampa Bay Saltwater – America's #1 Live Rock for Reef Aquariums

Short of that, I'd go with a high-quality live rock from a good LFS. If, like at least a couple of my local stores, the LFS is offering rock that's covered in all kinds of aptasia, bubble algae, and things you don't want in your tank, then I'd go with dry rock and sand and bottled bacteria and ammonia chloride.

Compared to using good live rock, starting with dry rock and sand will take a lot longer to cycle and mature, and you're more likely to see an "ugly phase".

I appreciate the time for that summary. That is the information I'm looking for, and I'm sure I will take it.

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

Any bad hitchhikers are manageable. Take this guy for example. Never harmed anything but would drag coral frags to be used as doors for his cave. Baited wine glass caught him and into the sump he went.

LoL. I like that assessment!

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

LoL. I like that assessment!

I can't stop laughing. Was he small before he started picking up the frags?

 

[reefer2/19/24]

Wonder how many people had successful hitchhikers with live rock. With my reading it sounds like a dice roll!

Well I have a lot of hitchhikers after buying live rock from Tampa Bay Live rock. Wich was cool until I saw and found out what Gorilla crabs are and the damage they can do to an aquarium!! I sifted through the bag and put them in the tank! What an idiot and to Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock they tell you your going to get hitchhikers and even have a list of what to expect with pictures. I just didn't read the instructions.

 

[reefer2/19/24]

I on the other hand had none of those. I did have worms and pistol shrimps, crabs, feather dusters, tunicates and sponges. Still do. I also never had the uglies, GHA, Dino’s, cyano, turf algae. Live rock is the way.

Agreed

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

Well I have a lot of hitchhikers after buying live rock from Tampa Bay Live rock. Wich was cool until I saw and found out what Gorilla crabs are and the damage they can do to an aquarium!! I sifted through the bag and put them in the tank! What an idiot and to Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock they tell you your going to get hitchhikers and even have a list of what to expect with pictures. I just didn't read the instructions.

I was looking at the list. Look like some demons in there!

 

[reefer2/19/24]

I'm debating live rock or not. Just wanted some feedback. I'm seeing some good items that can come with it. Mostly looking for pros and cons.

I would say more pros for sure than cons. Just inspect and source it from the best you can find.

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

I think I had the best laugh of the week when they the crab was dragging frags around making doors to the cave! LoL, I needed that.

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

Said...I'm crying that was funny my friend.

 

[reefer2/19/24]

Any bad hitchhikers are manageable. Take this guy for example. Never harmed anything but would drag coral frags to be used as doors for his cave. Baited wine glass caught him and into the sump he went.

All 3 Gorilla crabs went on the swirly ride all the way to the Ohio river. Now the fbi will be at my house.

 

[Cichlid Dad]

I'm debating live rock or not. Just wanted some feedback. I'm seeing some good items that can come with it. Mostly looking for pros and cons.

I've done it both ways and hands down for me live rock and live sand from the ocean not the bag.

 

[KeyWestReef2009Indiana]

All 3 Gorilla crabs went on the swirly ride all the way to the Ohio river. Now the fbi will be at my house.

LoL. I'm in Evansville, so it's not a long float if I get in a bind!