Is it weird that I want hitchhikers?

If you want a mantis shrimp you can put on a cross on fish. Mantis shrimps are ruthless

 

I bought similar rock from liverockranch.com. Same deal, maricultered live rock. Came with basically what you are talking about, a few snails, a N. wennerae mantis shrimp (now living in my 'fuge as he was eating all of my snails!), all different kinds of macro algae, pods, feather dusters, peanut worms, spaghetti worms, etc. Definitely worth the diversity of life you get IMO.

 

I don't think it's weird at all! I make it a point to check out the live rock pool whenever I'm at my LFS. We got a couple leather corals and some great algae growth on a couple rocks a few months back.

 

I personally like live rock with lots of life.

I know it can be a risk and your might end up with a hitchhiker you don't necessarily want, but that can also be a part of the fun of this hobby. You never know what you're going to get.

 

Live rock is like a box of chocolates and you never know what you're going to get thus the beauty in it. I like live rock a lot! My first reef tank years ago, had uncured marshall island rock and it was very fun to see what life lived through the die off and such. The only life I wouldn't like to get on rock would be bristle worms (they freak me out ).

 

So, today I went to every LFS within 20 miles of my house to check out their live rock, and unfortunately everything I could find looked like it had been cleaned. The closest I got was one of them trying to sell me a rock covered in thick slimy cyano lol. Instead I opted to buy some Xenia and a small group of polyps that will hopefully take over parts of my tank within the next few months.

On the other hand I will probably buy about 15-20lbs of live rock from gulfliverock.com within the near future and just hope for some nice hitchhikers.

 

I just looked at that rock and it does look to be very beautiful! Sounds like you can't go wrong ordering some from them.

 

i was being a little facetious i dont want a killer rainbow in my tank, if i wanted a mantis i would set up a tank just for it

 

not to be the party basher but.... wont adding this kind of live stock to a cycling/ new setup results in a larger die off?

 

I'm not exactly sure I understand your question. Do you mean by adding their rock to my tank that whatever is on their rock will die off?