Jellyfish Aquariums and Care: Ask Me Anything

[TravisTheJellyfish]

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 the beach as well, but for all the wrong reasons. I've had an everlasting fascination with these enigmatic creatures. They don't have a brain or a heart or any major organ for that matter. Yet they are animals and have been around since before dinosaurs.

Over the years the have gotten a bad reputation in the saltwater and reef hobby. It started with big, elaborate and insanely overpriced jellyfish aquariums being offered to the public. It all seemed out of reach. And then came a new era of affordable jellyfish aquariums but with it came hoards of hype and misinformation. That's why I'm here today. I want to answer any question anyone has on jellyfish keeping and help clear out the old, bad information. I know this isn't Reddit but: Ask Me Anything!

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. To kick this off, I'm going to pick three of the biggest jellyfish myths and clear them out right here:

1) Jellyfish only live a few months to a year: Nope! This depends a lot on the species but jellies can live many years in captivity. In the wild, they are definitely seasonal. Poor knowledge and care has led to this belief they don't live very long. Most Moon Jellyfish will live 2-4 years in captivity if cared for properly. The record was 13 years in a public aquarium!

2) Jellyfish are cold water and require a chiller : In the early days of jellyfish keeping, you could only find wild caught jellyfish from California. In reality, there are thousands of species of jellyfish and they live in every marine climate on the planet. Captive bred warm water jellies are readily available now. There are even jellies that prefer room temperature water.

3) Jellyfish are difficult to keep: Jellyfish just need a good quality home. Their aquarium keeps them suspended, as they aren't great swimmers. That being said, you can keep jellyfish in just about anything as long as the flow is right and they don't get sucked into the filtration. They're much more forgiving of poor water quality than that SPS you just bought. My first saltwater aquarium was a jellyfish tank and it wasn't until a few years ago that I started keeping corals. I was afraid corals would be too difficult! I'm still better at keeping jellyfish.

 

[LowLi]

What jelly fish starter kit would you go with? @TravisTheJellyfish

 

[Dsnakes]

Very cool. My boys have always loved jelly fish, but I haven’t been sold on buying a setup for them. This is mainly due to the unknown of how well they would do.

 

[TravisTheJellyfish]

What jelly fish starter kit would you go with? @TravisTheJellyfish

Moon Jellyfish are a classic so there's always that. If you want some more exotic and iconic, I would go with Atlantic Sea Nettles. They're just as easy to keep as Moon Jellies (I find them to be easier).

 

[TravisTheJellyfish]

Very cool. My boys have always loved jelly fish, but I haven’t been sold on buying a setup for them. This is mainly due to the unknown of how well they would do.

That's what I'm really hoping I can help with. Maybe offsetting someone's learning curve by sharing my own.

 

[LowLi]

Moon Jellyfish are a classic so there's always that. If you want some more exotic and iconic, I would go with Atlantic Sea Nettles. They're just as easy to keep as Moon Jellies (I find them to be easier).
-snip-

hmm i was ctually fine with moons was debating on starting another nano may get a jelly fish nano for my desktop[/QUOTE]

 

[TravisTheJellyfish]

hmm i was ctually fine with moons was debating on starting another nano may get a jelly fish nano for my desktop

[/QUOTE]
Jellies do benefit from stability, so if you can, a larger tank will produce better results. Not that you cant have success with small. Just like people have had great success with pico jar reefs. It will just be a lot easier with larger tanks.

 

[vegamedic]

do jellies require circular/cylindrical tanks or is that a myth? how do you go about preventing them from being sucked into returns, powerheads, etc? where do you even buy jellies?

 

[revhtree]

Thanks for joining us and sharing your knowledge with the community!

 

[Mako61]

Do you have an recommendations for specific tanks you have used ?

I have read about:

Jellyfish Art - 5g cylinder
Jellytank - 5g i like the look of this one
Orbit 20 - 6g not sure I like the shape

 

[TravisTheJellyfish]

do jellies require circular/cylindrical tanks or is that a myth? how do you go about preventing them from being sucked into returns, powerheads, etc? where do you even buy jellies?

I typically say that jellyfish don't require a certain aquarium but certain criteria needs to be met:

1) They have to be kept suspended in the water. Some Jellies are much better and doing this on their own than others.

2) They need to be protected from the filtration. Most tanks use a weir or a screen and then all the pumps, filtration or overflows go behind that.

So basically, if you can manage the above then you're good. But a perfect circle is definitely the easiest way to keep jellyfish rotating and suspended. That's why those special "kreisel" tanks are sometimes used. Over the years people have come up with some really great designs. The "tumbler tank" looks about as close to a regular aquarium.

Jellyfish exist on a full spectrum of care level. Some are super easy, some are super tough. The more delicate, and less capable jellyfish need more specialized tanks.

I built this super simple jellyfish tank years ago by folding a piece of knitting mesh into a U shape and putting it in a tall and skinny aquarium. There's a hang on back filter behind the screen. That's a mushroom jellyfish and they're pretty capable of keeping themselves suspended. Bonus points if you spot the live Nautilus in the background.

 

[Scubafrog]

Thanks for the awesome post and reassurance!

My 11 y.o. daughter is currently setting up a jellyfish aquarium in her room and you don't see a lot of information on the reef forums. Most ppeople I have talked to say jelly fish are a pain in the butt.

We received a hand-me-down Cubic Pulse 80 (Gen 2) from our local reef store for free as it had a few cosmetic flaws. It is currently filled only with saltwater and a piece of shrimp going through the 4 week cycle program recommended by Sunset Marine Labs. And to qualify for their (3) free moon jellies.

My main concern is water temperature. Living in the Midwest or house temperature fluctuates a lot with our weather as it can change abruptly. In the summer our house is usually 74-76 degrees F and in the winter it is usually 66-68 degrees F. Currently with the house at 76F her water temp is running around 78-79F. I believe this is the warmest the water should get but it worries me as it is at the top limit for moon jellies.

We decided to go with moon jellies as we found that in the USA they are about the only type offered for sale and the least expensive. Although, she really likes some of the more elaborate jellies.

I guess my only questions at this point would be:

1. Can you mix different jelly fish species in the same aquarium? Just saw a fried egg jelly for sale (never seen before) and it appears to be a warmer jelly.

2. Where are you located (approx.), or what is your local source for purchasing jellies? Like I mentioned, the supply seems limited in the USA.

3. Food seems expensive on some websites. Is baby brine okay for moon jelly fish?

Thanks again for this post and I'm sure we will have questions once our jellies arrive.

 

[TravisTheJellyfish]

Do you have an recommendations for specific tanks you have used ?

I have read about:

Jellyfish Art - 5g cylinder
Jellytank - 5g i like the look of this one
Orbit 20 - 6g not sure I like the shape

I have worked for other jellyfish companies in the past, and for the last several years I have owned a jellyfish aquaculture company. I'm not a sponsor here so I know there is some sensitivity to that. I will try my best to provide a fair review from my personal thoughts and experiences as a hobbyist.



Jellyfish Art - 5g cylinder
These were designed around Moon Jellies but I have had some clients keep different species in them with some success. Anything with short tentacles is a good bet. I really wish they had more capable filtration. I think it's a great buy for those wanting to stick to moons or don't want to add anything on.

Jellytank - 5g
This was done by some entrepreneur brothers in florida who don't keep jellyfish. I haven't tested it myself but that fact alone scares me. Additionally, I have had countless people come to me and say their JellyTank is leaking. The design seems sound, but like I said, I'd like to get ahold of one and try it for myself.

Orbit 20 - 6g
The Orbit has been around for a while, I've had several to play with and test. I've been able to keep a bunch of different species in these tanks. I also really love the fittings on the side so you can add a mini chiller or canister filter if you want. Basically, its good for any species of smaller jellyfish. The filtration is hidden in an outer ring on the tank, and it can be very difficult to get to. It's really nice to add a small canister filter like the TurtleClean 15 (it works great on saltwater tanks), then everything is easy to manage.

I would like to mention that the Pulse 80 is my favorite jelly tank on the market. They're expensive, but its worth it if you really want to get into jellyfish keeping. 23 gallons gives plenty of room for a variety of jellies and plenty of stability. You can hook them up to a sump adding an infinite set of possibilities.

 

[Scubafrog]

I would like to mention that the Pulse 80 is my favorite jelly tank on the market. They're expensive, but its worth it if you really want to get into jellyfish keeping. 23 gallons gives plenty of room for a variety of jellies and plenty of stability. You can hook them up to a sump adding an infinite set of possibilities.

I would second the opinion of the Cubic Pulse 80. Although, like mentioned, they are expensive and I have found them difficult to find for purchase in the USA as the trend has seem to dwindle. It appears that they may be in the process of redesigning the Pulse line. Travis do you know anymore info about this or when they might be available in the USA again?

 

[TravisTheJellyfish]

Thanks for the awesome post and reassurance!

My 11 y.o. daughter is currently setting up a jellyfish aquarium in her room and you don't see a lot of information on the reef forums. Most ppeople I have talked to say jelly fish are a pain in the ***.

We received a hand-me-down Cubic Pulse 80 (Gen 2) from our local reef store for free as it had a few cosmetic flaws. It is currently filled only with saltwater and a piece of shrimp going through the 4 week cycle program recommended by Sunset Marine Labs. And to qualify for their (3) free moon jellies.

My main concern is water temperature. Living in the Midwest or house temperature fluctuates a lot with our weather as it can change abruptly. In the summer our house is usually 74-76 degrees F and in the winter it is usually 66-68 degrees F. Currently with the house at 76F her water temp is running around 78-79F. I believe this is the warmest the water should get but it worries me as it is at the top limit for moon jellies.

We decided to go with moon jellies as we found that in the USA they are about the only type offered for sale and the least expensive. Although, she really likes some of the more elaborate jellies.

I guess my only questions at this point would be:

1. Can you mix different jelly fish species in the same aquarium? Just saw a fried egg jelly for sale (never seen before) and it appears to be a warmer jelly.

2. Where are you located (approx.), or what is your local source for purchasing jellies? Like I mentioned, the supply seems limited in the USA.

3. Food seems expensive on some websites. Is baby brine okay for moon jelly fish?

Thanks again for this post and I'm sure we will have questions once our jellies arrive.

I'm glad to help, this is exactly the stuff I was hoping to find. That's a great tank to have, you'll be able to keep basically anything you want in it. And that relates to your question on temperature as well- you could add a chiller to the tank if you wanted. 78/79 isn't the worst but that is a little high. Moon Jellies should be able to tolerate that though. I've kept them into the 80s. It really is very sudden temperature change that bothers them. But looking at your range, that should be okay.

I'm actually the one culturing the Fried Egg Jellies. I'm located in Charlotte, NC. For me personally, I breed a bunch of different species at an on going basis. I started out collecting them from all over the coast and learning to culture them. And then I was able to meet other great jelly experts over the world and trade with them to get some really exotic ones (like the Fried Eggs!). I'm hoping to really break through that barrier and make a bunch of different jellyfish available.

Some jellyfish can be kept with others, and then some should be left alone. Heres a quick list of groups of jellies that can be kept together:

Fried Egg Jellyfish, Lagoon Jellyfish, Upside Down Jellyfish, Blubber Jellyfish- These are all great together.

Ice Jellyfish, Flame Jellyfish, Mushroom Jellyfish - These guys are all related and do well.

Black Sea Nettle, Purple Striped Nettle- This one is more for public aquariums but they're an iconic duo.

Moon Jellyfish, Lion's Manes, Sea Nettles- Those guys should all be kept only with their same species.

Live baby brine shrimp are a great food for jellyfish. A lot of people don't like to go through the hassle of hatching their own food. Dry foods are the cheapest option. They're messy though, as a lot sinks to the bottom and doesn't get eaten. Brine shrimp would be the "cleanest" option as it tends to stay suspended and get fully consumed.

 

[TravisTheJellyfish]

I would second the opinion of the Cubic Pulse 80. Although, like mentioned, they are expensive and I have found them difficult to find for purchase in the USA as the trend has seem to dwindle. It appears that they may be in the process of redesigning the Pulse line. Travis do you know anymore info about this or when they might be available in the USA again?

Yep! I've been pestering Cubic for months about their Pulse tanks. They decided to redesign both the Pulse 80 and Pulse 160. I can't say much but I'm very excited about the new models. They were originally hoping to get them rolling around the end of summer but I believe the deadline has moved closer to christmas. They decided to halt production on the current model, so that's why they're completely out of stock everywhere.

 

[Mako61]

Thanks for the reply. The Cubic Pulse 80 is what I really want glad to hear it a good product.

 

[Scubafrog]

Thanks Travis! That Fried Egg Jelly looks sweet! I'm debating on showing my daughter as we are on a budget. Hence why we are going with the moon jellies.

Your website looks great and professional. Keep up the good work!

 

[C-Reefer]

How much would you say a simple moon jelly tank is to setup and maintain?

Also, how do breed jellies? Do they split or make eggs?

 

[najer]

Following, I have seen a couple of running tanks, very interesting, the "short lived" thing was my concern.