Live Jellyfish tanks available? Has anyone...

[SMI]

I seen this on Facebook I think it’s a box jellyfish I know they’re ferocious pack hunters and I no virtually nothing about them I was wondering has anybody on here ever tried to keep a jellyfish in captivity either by itself or in a reef tank?

 

[SMI]

Looks really small I can’t imagine any sea creature would want to be in something that small?

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

I do jellyfish every summer, but I capture my own. I couldn't find any this year. Regardless of what I feed them, they don't make it through the winter. They are amazing to watch, very relaxing. What would you like to know?

 

[SMI]

No nothing in particular I was just curious about them I mean the tanks that they’re selling they seem kind pricey. I was just wondering if there was any particular special care required.

 

[gobyvin]

Lots of baby brine!!! Or plankton they feed on is better. As for pelagic species (most are) the tank needs the following:
Constant unidirectional current, no sharp corners in tank, stable parameters, correct temperature for the species,
large surface area-fine mesh strainers that are swept by gentle return flow from filtration to keep the specimens from being impinged are needed for sure.
Cassiopeia jellies from mangrove forests can be kept in reefs as they live stationary on sand bed and use zooxanthellae in the tentacles to supply food. These don’t move though, and resemble anemones. They do pulse the bell, which is upside down on sand. Thus the common name upside down jelly.

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

The tank has to be round so they can't get stuck in the corners. They need a gentle flow, just enough to keep them moving in a circular motion around the tank. I usually collect my own moon jellies, and then once a week I used water from the ocean for a water change. I fed baby brine and cyclopeeze twice a day. I've also used comb jellies, but they don't pulse as much although if you agitate them, they are fluorescent.

 

[gobyvin]

Round tanks are best, with that circular unidirectional flow mentioned, but I have seen cylinders work and large rectangular raceways with rounded corners think squashed donut, center is dry...
The upright circular tank is coolest and easiest to maintain.

 

[SMI]

Pretty interesting stuff! I fear allot of people with no aquatic experience will impulse buy, or buy and lose interest quickly once they realize there is work involved.

 

[GobyWanKenobie]

Probably, I bought mine used off of ebay many years ago. I'm pretty sure the company that started it was a kickstarter and promoted mostly to schools. I would not have done it if I had to buy the jellyfish. This way I only had the initial investment.