another LR question...not an important one

[SimonWoodstock]

I've read about and saw pics of the 'hitch-hikers' that come in on LR. I know some of them are harmless....if not beneficial and are considered nice surprises...usually...I assume a few would be harmful.

Where do you guys get most of your LR that may have these hitch-hikers on it?

I am probably wrong about this, but it seems like if you mail ordered LR it would be less likely to have one on it. I guess I have this impression because a lot of times the LFS will have employees that don't know too much about it and will grab a piece of LR with something else on it and not even realize it.

Not an important question. Just something interesting I was thinking about while reading. I thought one of you could answer this pretty quick. Thanks.

Just another thought I had. Where is the safest place to buy quality LR, mail or localy?

[OrionGirl]

The uncured stuff you can get online usually has way more hitch hikers--good and bad. The cured rock has been 'previewed' by the stores, which mean they have had time to remove valuable hitch hikers for themselves, their display tanks, or for sale. And, the curing process is rough, and will kill some stuff off.

For what all hitch hikes--lots of crabs and shrimp. Worms, limpets, snails, nudibranchs, flatworms, urchins, star fish, pods of all sorts, (aiptasia--but this is more a hostile invasion than a hitch hiker! :) ), sponges, barnacles, bivalves...It's a long list. On rare ocassions, octopus.