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JELLY INFO

TANKS:

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Jellyfish tanks come in many different shapes and sizes. The key to keeping jellyfish successfully is:

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  • The tank allows easy access for cleaning and feeding,

  • Is smooth with no areas where these delicate creatures can become damaged .

  • The flow can be easily changed to allow different water movement dependant of jellyfish species and size/weight 

  • Tank is a suitable size to allow space for growth but also ideal feeding rates.

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LIFE CYCLE:

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Jellyfish have an unusual life cycle which comes in 4 stages:

 

  1. A sessile polyp attached onto a object e.g. rock, seaweed, rope, plastic etc. This polyp can asexually reproduce to clone itself into more polyps.

  2. The polyp begins to strobilate producing free swimming baby jellyfish known as ephyrae. Each ephyrae species has a unique structure and can be identified using a microscope 

  3.  The ephyrae grow and fuse forming a medusa

  4. The medusa feed and grow. Most jellyfish species have a male and a female. The males sperm will fertilise the female who will release free swimming planula. This planula will settle on a suitable surface and will form a polyp.

FOOD:

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Wild jellyfish feed on plankton and planktonic eggs and larvae of a wide variety of marine creatures,  Some species will take crustaceans, fish and even jellyfish using their nematocysts  to sting, paralyse and capture their prey.

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Captive bred and raised jellyfish can be fed with the following: (species dependant)  newly hatched artemia shrimp (NHA), rotifers, copepods,, fish or oyster roe, enriched frozen pacifica or mysid shrimp and other jellyfish.

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FILTRATION:

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Some species of jellyfish can be highly sensitive to poor water quality and heavy metals. With correct maintenance, feeding and care jellyfish can thrive in a home environment. 

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Poor water quality and heavy metals can be caused by the following: 

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  • A new system that needs time to mature

  • Over feeding 

  • Poor maintenance,not siphoning or carrying out sufficient water changes

  • Overcrowding leading to lots of mucous and insufficient feeding

  • Heavy metals can be avoided using RO filtered water instead of tap water and esnuring no metals of in contact with the water (jubilee clips, old bolts or something that has dropped into the filtration and isn't immediately obvious)

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To ensure your jelly system is OK and to keep your jellyfish healthy we advise that weekly water tests should be carried out, testing NO2, NH4, NO3, Sal, Temp and Calcium levels. Testing for calcium is important as reduced calcium levels can lead to slow pulse rates and problems feeding.

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Ideal levels:

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pH: 8.0-8.2

NO2:<0.25

NH4: 0-0.5

NO3: 0-60

Sal: 32-36ppt

Temp: species dependant

Calcium: 380-420

Artemia hatching at Ocean Park

FIND OUT MORE DETAILED INFORMATION IN OUR CARE SHEETS.  CLICK THE LINK TO GO TO THE CARE SHEET PAGE OR HOVER OVER 'JELLY INFO' UP IN THE MAIN MENU.

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