Nano/Pico Jellyfish?

[betareef]

I was wondering how sensitive and hard to maintain, jellyfish are (compared to fish say). Is a small jellyfish tank possible/easy/hard?

 

[Tommy B]

I have only ever seen people have success with a specifically designed jellyfish tank.

I have never had any myself.

 

[Slocke]

Jellyfish Aquariums and Care: Ask Me Anything

Hi everyone! My name is Travis, I have been keeping and culturing jellyfish for over 8 years. Over those years I've managed to keep around 40 different species from bioluminescent ctenophores to box jellyfish. They're beautiful creatures, and always a huge hit at public aquariums. Popular at...

www.reef2reef.com

I was wondering how sensitive and hard to maintain, jellyfish are (compared to fish say). Is a small jellyfish tank possible/easy/hard?

They are much harder. I happen to know a professional jellyfish keeper and she thinks it just not worth it for hobbyists

 

[betareef]

Jellyfish Aquariums and Care: Ask Me Anything

Hi everyone! My name is Travis, I have been keeping and culturing jellyfish for over 8 years. Over those years I've managed to keep around 40 different species from bioluminescent ctenophores to box jellyfish. They're beautiful creatures, and always a huge hit at public aquariums. Popular at...

www.reef2reef.com

They are much harder. I happen to know a professional jellyfish keeper and she thinks it just not worth it for hobbyists

Good to know. I won't attempt it then... thanks

 

[betareef]

Jellyfish Aquariums and Care: Ask Me Anything

Hi everyone! My name is Travis, I have been keeping and culturing jellyfish for over 8 years. Over those years I've managed to keep around 40 different species from bioluminescent ctenophores to box jellyfish. They're beautiful creatures, and always a huge hit at public aquariums. Popular at...

www.reef2reef.com

They are much harder. I happen to know a professional jellyfish keeper and she thinks it just not worth it for hobbyists

and yet that link opens with

"These creatures aren't difficult to keep. They need specialized aquariums, and its important to invest in a good jellyfish aquarium. It's their life support system. Past that, I would rate jellyfish as being about as difficult as a soft coral."

 

[BriDroid]

If hydroids count, then I can raise them like no ones business!

 

[Slocke]

and yet that link opens with

"These creatures aren't difficult to keep. They need specialized aquariums, and its important to invest in a good jellyfish aquarium. It's their life support system. Past that, I would rate jellyfish as being about as difficult as a soft coral."

I think the key word is specialized aquarium. I believe most of the cheap ones are not good enough.

I have forwarded this to said jellyfish keeper though and she's usually happy to help

 

[betareef]

I believe most of the cheap ones are not good enough.

They seldom are, agreed.

I think the key word is specialized aquarium.

I have yet to read about a setup that's any different from a reef tank, with the big exception of the high flow and filter water intake problems for jellyfish.

I have forwarded this to said jellyfish keeper though and she's usually happy to help

Thank you. That would be nice. I don't want to embark on something that is doomed to fail.


There are many many different kinds of local jellyfish that float past our jetty, so if I get into this, I will learn the types and what will work or not. Want to give them a fighting chance though.

 

[dodojojo]

Hi, hello, I've been summoned

Specialized tanks are a definite must. All free floating/planktonic jelly species need a tank to themselves with a circular flow to keep them off the bottom and sides. Traditionally kreisels and psuedo-kreisels are the types of tanks used. Theoretically, you can turn just about any tank into a jelly tank with enough DIY gumption and dedication but the caveat here is that for some species you just can't make square corners work.

I'm not sure where you live but I am incredibly interested in what species you have local to you!

I tell slocke that I don't recommend jellies to most hobbyists just because they are a lot of work upfront to get right. Typically you will see people get over-excited about keeping them, not do the proper research and preparation, and then continuously buy and replace the jellies they can't keep alive which gets incredibly expensive. I'm friends with Travis, the author of the linked post above and he is my go-to resource and recommendation for a hobbyist specific approach to jellyfish keeping. He's easier to reach on his other social platforms, he hasn't been on this site in ages. I'd be happy to link you with him or keep answering any of your questions here ))


I would add a final note that if you have a reef tank already, the absolute easiest jelly to start with is an upside-down jelly or Cassiopeia. They are benthic (although they can/will swim in the water column if they need to move), have much more lax needs compared every other always swimming jelly and can possibly be added to a reef setup with minimal modification. I've seen a good handful of tanks in this site that house cassies very well.

 

[betareef]

Specialized tanks are a definite must. All free floating/planktonic jelly species need a tank to themselves with a circular flow to keep them off the bottom and sides. Traditionally kreisels and psuedo-kreisels are the types of tanks used. Theoretically, you can turn just about any tank into a jelly tank with enough DIY gumption and dedication but the caveat here is that for some species you just can't make square corners work.

I was just puzzling over this, reading various things on the web. I can certainly see a jellyfish getting stuck in a corner.

I'm not sure where you live but I am incredibly interested in what species you have local to you!

I am in SE Queensland, Australia.

The first pictures two are small ones (came in with my water), but we get big comb jellies with bright red fringes as well.

I have seen various umbrella types

We get big blue blubbery ones

Bluebottles (and box jellies, and Irukandji). Has anyone done a bluebottle tank? I know what they sting like (as most Queenslanders do, from swimming with them )

 

[dodojojo]

I was just puzzling over this, reading various things on the web. I can certainly see a jellyfish getting stuck in a corner.

Yes! The old adage was that you can absolutely never ever have corners for jellyfish ever. That has since been disproven if you have a really good handle on your flow but sometimes the jellies really just kinda give you the middle finger and get stuck there anyways. I personally err on the side of smooth curves just to be safe but it really just comes down to each individual species and their requirements.

The first pictures two are small ones (came in with my water), but we get big comb jellies with bright red fringes as well.

I miss working with combs. I caught a pretty sea gooseberry during my internship in CT, USA. All of the ctenos are so interesting with their cilia created rainbows.

I have seen various umbrella types

Ooo Travis and I caught a similar species in MD, USA last year. We actually managed to get planula from them and settled them into a polyp culture.

We get big blue blubbery ones

Look at that big boi ahhhh so fluffy!!

Excuse me while I cry in land-locked aquarist . Those are all absolutely stunning photos. I'm incredibly jealous!

Bluebottles (and box jellies, and Irukandji). Has anyone done a bluebottle tank? I know what they sting like (as most Queenslanders do, from swimming with them )

Omg I've got a paper somewhere of an aquarium that built a tank to actually keep blue bottles alive in human care. I'm not sure if anyone has actually kept them on display or just for research purposes. One of my bosses actually says that he'd love to see them on display at my aquarium one day. Unlikely but it'd be really cool!! I see no reason you couldn't build a display in your own home for one if you really really wanted to

 

[betareef]

Excuse me while I cry in land-locked aquarist . Those are all absolutely stunning photos. I'm incredibly jealous!

The first two photos were mine, but the next two were from the web. If I set up a jelly tank, I promise to take lots of photos of what I find. Photography is another hobby of mine.

Omg I've got a paper somewhere of an aquarium that built a tank to actually keep blue bottles alive in human care. I'm not sure if anyone has actually kept them on display or just for research purposes. One of my bosses actually says that he'd love to see them on display at my aquarium one day. Unlikely but it'd be really cool!! I see no reason you couldn't build a display in your own home for one if you really really wanted to

A local aquarium had a box jelly in a tank for a while. Not sure that's a good idea, as the venom is much worse. An adult bluebottle has tentacles metres long, so I wonder.

The types of jellies I see are fairly seasonal. Right now the red-fringed comb jellies are in plague proportion, and bluebottle season is coming. At times of the year, those big blue blubbers get so thick, I thought my outboard motor on my dinghy was faulty. Turns out it was bumping over heaps of them underwater.

Thanks for the help and clarifications. I have some thinking and planning to do.

 

[dodojojo]

The first two photos were mine, but the next two were from the web. If I set up a jelly tank, I promise to take lots of photos of what I find. Photography is another hobby of mine.

Oo yes please!! If you have the right setup, it should be flexible enough to house multiple types of species (not together!) so you could seasonally swap them out!

A local aquarium had a box jelly in a tank for a while. Not sure that's a good idea, as the venom is much worse. An adult bluebottle has tentacles metres long, so I wonder.

Haha if you make friends with the few of us that are jelly specific and/or jelly crazy like to collect a sting from every new species we encounter. Irukandji aside, of course. I haven't had the chance to check off a box on my bingo card but a video somewhere exists of Travis with a box. xD

The types of jellies I see are fairly seasonal. Right now the red-fringed comb jellies are in plague proportion, and bluebottle season is coming. At times of the year, those big blue blubbers get so thick, I thought my outboard motor on my dinghy was faulty. Turns out it was bumping over heaps of them underwater.

Oh lordy I can imagine. We can the cannonballs something awful on the GA coast when it's their season

Thanks for the help and clarifications. I have some thinking and planning to do.

It was my pleasure!! I love talking about jellies. Feel free to ask if you need anything along your journey.

 

[PharmrJohn]

Jellyfish Aquariums and Care: Ask Me Anything

Hi everyone! My name is Travis, I have been keeping and culturing jellyfish for over 8 years. Over those years I've managed to keep around 40 different species from bioluminescent ctenophores to box jellyfish. They're beautiful creatures, and always a huge hit at public aquariums. Popular at...

www.reef2reef.com

They are much harder. I happen to know a professional jellyfish keeper and she thinks it just not worth it for hobbyists

Thanks for the link dude. I bookmarked that one.