Jellyfish are 95-97% water. Naturally, they are quite delicate. If they are not treated well or handled properly, they can develop rips or holes in their bells. Lets explore the most common reasons for holes, and how to fix them.
Shipping damages: This is one of the more common ways you may experience jellyfish with holes. Shipping can sometimes be stressful on jellyfish. Improper packing of jellyfish can make this worse. Your jellyfish should arrive bagged with no air or bubbles in the bags. The reason for this is that the air will break up into bubbles and get trapped in the jellyfishes’ bell. The bubbles will force their way out, creating holes. If your jellyfish arrive with holes in them, contact the company you purchased them from, and let them know what happened. At the Jellyfish Warehouse, we pack our jellies very carefully, and professionally. All of our jellies are packed with no air, and any small bubbles are removed.
How to fix: Holes caused from shipping should heal rapidly. The cause of the holes has been taken out of the equation, so the jellies should be able to heal in their new home. Feed them every day, or even twice a day to encourage repair. Jellyfish fuse holes closed with surrounding tissue, so don’t be surprised if your jelly looks a little smaller once its healed. Feeding them often will help them grow back to normal size.
Sharp or rough objects in the tank: Jellyfish have very delicate skin, and don’t tolerate sharp or rough objects in their home. This is why most jellyfish tanks are completely empty. It is highly unrecommended to add decorations or rocks direct
ly in your jellyfish tank.
How to Fix: Remove the culprit item from the tank. The jellyfish should heal quickly after this. Follow similar instructions as above, feeding often.
Dirty tanks/ bacterial infections: Jellyfish like a clean home (don’t we all!). Left over food can sit and rot at the bottom of their tank, leading to build ups of bacteria and other nasty microbes. We recommend you wipe down the inside of your jellyfish tank weekly, and remove any uneaten food. Keep a good schedule of 25-50% water changes once every two weeks.
How to Fix: Do a good cleaning of the jellyfish tank. Wipe down all inside surfaces and remove and debris or detritus. Perform a 50% water change. Then let the jellyfish heal. Feed well, but be sure to remove uneaten food.
Jellyfish have amazing abilities of regeneration and healing. Small holes can often close up in 24-48 hours. These holes do not usually leave scars or signs of injury. Once your jellyfish is healed, it should look like nothing ever happened! Happy jellyfish keeping!
You can purchase your own jellyfish and jellyfish aquarium at The Jellyfish Warehouse
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