What is the best hitchhiker you have ever gotten?

[Justnotrook]

My personal best is when I got some salvinia from a local fish store and it had an extremely high grade cherry shrimp in there. 

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Justnotrook

[Lynaea]

When I had a saltwater aquarium I once had several clams grow from a piece of what looked like bare rock, that was pretty cool!

 

[AtomicSunfish]

I have a whole colony of bladder snails that descend from a few hitchhikers on Elodea plants. 😃

[Mississippi fish guy]

I haven’t had many hitchhikers but of the ones I have the best has been water mites since they are food for my pigmy sunfish when I’m short on moina.

Edited 2 hours ago by Mississippi fish guy

[Justnotrook]

On 9/28/2024 at 7:24 PM, AtomicSunfish said:

I have a whole colony of bladder snails that descend from a few hitchhikers on Elodea plants. 😃

Warning: those bladder snails will swiftly infest your tank and bring the nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia way up.

[Sandrock14]

Probably not the best but parasites/internal worms lol. At the time they feel like the most significant hitchers!

[Lynaea]

On 9/28/2024 at 9:26 PM, Justnotrook said:

Warning: those bladder snails will swiftly infest your tank and bring the nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia way up.

I wouldn’t worry about that too much, bladder snails are small and they only reproduce to match the amount of food available. My colony boomed for a minute but has now leveled out to a sustainable population. 

[Justnotrook]

On 9/28/2024 at 7:30 PM, Lynaea said:

I wouldn’t worry about that too much, bladder snails are small and they only reproduce to match the amount of food available. My colony boomed for a minute but has now leveled out to a sustainable population. 

Thanks for the info! I always have tons of food available in my tanks and they absolutely infest them. I probably have over 300.

[TAB]

tons of really cool, and not so cool stuff on live rock.

 

the best was most likely a bright orange sponge that grew from a tiny spec to a 1.5' tall buy 2" diameter and tons of branches.

[Ninjoma]

A handful of assassin snails is probably the most interesting hitchhiker I've gotten.

[AtomicSunfish]

On 9/28/2024 at 8:30 PM, Lynaea said:

I wouldn’t worry about that too much, bladder snails are small and they only reproduce to match the amount of food available. My colony boomed for a minute but has now leveled out to a sustainable population. 

Agreed. Their numbers grow and shrink to match the amount of excess food. They’re a nice clean up crew to have around. @Justnotrook

[MWilk]

A cherry shrimplet. So small, I didn't notice it in the bag until I poured the fish water into a white bucket. It's still living today!