How to Care For Comb Jellyfish

Comb Jellies are a fascinating and captivating sea creature. Their beautiful light-show of colors draws the attention of crowds . These odd jellies appear to almost be living spaceships, with colors pulsing up and down their bodies. What are these beautiful weird things and how do we care for them?

Comb Jellies are Not True Jellyfish

The Comb rows are visible here, with blues and greens shining.

We often refer to these guys as “jellies” and not jellyfish because they are not actually true jellyfish. They are actually considered Ctenophores (ten-oh-fours), which is a group of stingless marine creatures. That’s right, they have no ability to sting whatsoever. Unlike Moon Jellyfish, which have very little sting, Comb Jellies substitute sting with sticky tentacles. Think about those sticky hands you would buy in a quarter machine as a kid. Comb Jellies also lack that characteristic pulsing motion that jellyfish have. Instead, Comb Jellies use eight rows of combs, or rows, to bat their way through the water. These combs beat back and forth quickly, and allows the jelly to hover, and have a full 360 degrees of motion.

 

Their Beautiful Rainbow Color Isn’t bioluminescence

A Comb Jelly under a white LED flashlight, with a black background. 

 

Comb jellies are famous for the stunning rainbow effect they display. Contrary to popular belief, this is not bioluminescence. The jellies are actually breaking up and refracting light, just like a prism would. This is important because they will not display this affect in the dark! To get the greatest refraction effect follow these guidelines:

 

• Use a bright white light. White light is a combination of all the light colors. This will allow the jellies to create a true rainbow of colors.
• Use a close source point. LEDs are a great example of this. You want a lot of light coming from a small source.
• Add a dark background. This will really help the colors pop, and help you see the jellyfish better.

 

How to Care For Comb Jellies

The first thing to note here is that we sell Mnemiopsis Leidyi. This is one of the most common and definitely the hardiest species of Comb Jellies available. They are found in many places around the world, including the Atlantic. We collect and find these Comb Jellies in all seasons. They are incredibly versatile, and can exist in waters ranging from 55-78°F, and salinities of 1.020-1.026. With years of research, we have found the most optimal conditions to keep your comb jelly healthy and living the longest.

• Keep your jellies in stable aquariums with no ammonia. Many jellies are tolerant of ammonia, but Comb Jellies cannot stand it. Only add Combs to tanks that are well cycled. Additionally, pH swings can be very damaging to Combs. Monitor the pH often.
• Keep them cold. When kept at a temperature of 60-65°F your Comb Jellies will have much slower metabolisms, and their life span will be extended significantly. Additionally, the cold water will limit harmful bacterial growth.
• Feed them a varied diet occasionally. It’s best to feed your Combs freshly hatched baby brine shrimp on a daily basis. Switch it up every now and then with frozen rotifers and live copepods. They will appreciate the snack!

Literature used to suggest Mnemiopsis Comb Jellies would only live two months. Using the three methods above, we have managed to keep our Comb jellies for well over a year in captivity.

Care Requirements Summed Up

Temperature: 55-78°F, Optimally 60°F

Salinity: 1.020-1.026

Ammonia: 0 ppm

Best Jellyfish Tanks: Orbit 20, Pulse 80, these jellies stay around 2″ long, Orbit & Pulse have ports for a mini chiller. Set flow to very low.

Diet: Will need live baby brine shrimp as main staple. Frozen/ live rotifers and live copepods are good options as well.

 

Other Species of Comb Jellies

Lastly, there are a few other species of Comb Jellies. They may have special requirements, or are difficult to get ahold of.

Sea Gooseberries: These Comb jellies are a small, round creature, with two long net-like tentacles. They are straightforward and easy to care for, but require a chiller, as they are a coldwater only species.

Beroe Comb Jellies: These are very bizarre jellies, and seem to poses a mouth. This “mouth” allows them to swallow other Comb Jellies (like mnemiopsis) whole. Their diet actually consists only of other Comb Jellies, making them very difficult to feed. They are also extremely delicate and only the most expert jellyfish aquarists should attempt these.

You can buy your own pet Comb Jellyfish and jellyfish aquarium at our online store: Jellyfish Warehouse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are Bubbles Bad For Jellyfish?

This is something you hear quite a lot on the internet. “Bubbles will kill jellyfish!”

Well is it really true? The answer is: sometimes. As always, it’s all about size. Size of the bubbles that is. Air bubbles tend to do harm to jellyfish when they are small enough to get lodged up inside the jellyfish. They wind up stuck in the gut of the jellyfish, and then physics does its magic. The bubble will insist that it rise, which can actually begin to push a hole right through the jellyfish. After several hours, the bubble will escape, leaving a gaping hole in the jellyfish. Generally speaking, any bubbles coming out of an air-stone are going to be hazardous to your jellyfish.

If the bubble is large enough, it will just move right up, pushing the jellyfish aside. That being said, a constant bombardment of large bubbles can still beat up our fragile jelly friends.

Some jellyfish tanks are powered by air. Those aquarium typically use larger sized bubbles, and they often have a guard that keeps the bubbles away from the jellyfish.

An example of some very tiny bubbles, common in protein skimmers.

Here are some common situations that might produce unwanted bubbles:

• Pouring Water Into Jellyfish Tanks– Water should always be carefully added to jellyfish aquariums in such a way that it does not create bubbles. Gentle is key.
• Malfunctioning Pump– When the water level in an aquarium gets too low, the pump can draw in air, causing a ton of tiny shredded bubbles to be produced. Always make sure your aquarium is filled up to the correct level!
• Protein Skimmers– These filtration devices aren’t too common on jellyfish tanks, but they can be found in custom, and larger aquariums. They produce some of the smallest bubbles available. Under normal circumstances, those tiny bubbles should stay within the device. They can make it out, and into the jellyfish side of the aquarium, though. If you use a protein skimmer, always make sure it is operating correctly, and at the proper water level.

 

You can buy your own pet jellyfish and jellyfish aquarium at our online store: Jellyfish Warehouse

 

Photo credits:

http://i347.photobucket.com/albums/p460/redfishsc/stones_3.jpg 

 

 

How to Care For Atlantic Sea Nettles

Atlantic Sea Nettles are a beautiful and stunning animal. They can be found in many different colors and patterns. Despite their delicate looks, these jellyfish make an excellent beginner jellyfish for the home aquarium.

They originate from the murky and brackish rivers and sounds of North Carolina and Virginia. Because they find home in rivers, they have strong, but smooth movements in the aquarium. Atlantic Sea Nettles are very different from their other Sea Nettle cousins. For starters, their size is much smaller, reaching a maximum diameter of around 5″. In captivity, this is usually 2-3″.  Their tentacles are quite long, and typically measure 6″-1.5 feet. As you will find out below, their temperature, dietary and salinity requirements are quite different as well.

Young Atlantic Sea Nettles are clear, and take on the color of whatever they eat. This one is full on brine shrimp!

What do they eat? Atlantic Sea Nettles eat a wide variety of foods. They will happily consume our JellyFuel Dry Jellyfish food, and this makes an excellent staple for them. They will also gladly accept Mysis shrimp as a snack. Most Sea Nettles are “medusavorous” meaning they need to eat other jellyfish to survive. Atlantic Sea Nettles do not require this, meaning they do quite fine on our dry food alone. That being said, they will eat up any other jellyfish placed in their tank. It’s best that they be kept with other members of their species!

What parameters should the water be? Atlantic Sea Nettles should be kept at a salinity of 1.015 – 1.020 (21-27 ppt). Your eyes aren’t mistaken, they really should be kept at such a low salinity! They will do fine at higher or standard salinities, but we recommend keeping them at lower levels. We have yet to find any solid scientific evidence to support this, but it seems that salinity affects the colors and patterns of Atlantic Sea Nettles. In our experience here at the Jellyfish Warehouse Lab, we have found that salinities around 1.020 and higher cause the jellyfish to develop and all white color. Salinities more towards 1.015 may cause the jellyfish to develop stripes, spots, and blotches in red- dark burgundy. A lot of this is also based on genetics, so your sea nettle may still end up white, even if it’s at a lower salinity. Something to keep in mind if you purchase a young Atlantic Sea Nettle from us!

Atlantic Sea Nettles do great at room temperature, and can be kept all the way up to 77 degrees F (68-77°F). These jellies do well in tanks with decently strong flow, as they are stronger swimmers. They also do well in tanks with less flow, for the same reason. You will likely notice your Sea Nettles swimming against the flow. This is quite normal, as the fight the current and tides in their natural habitat. We recommend they be kept in an Orbit 20, Pulse 80, Pulse 160, Eon 2ube or 3on tank. They should be kept only with other Atlantic Sea Nettles, and stocked fairly low. Densely stocked tanks will end up with sea nettles tangling their tentacles together.

Do they sting? 

Atlantic Sea Nettles do have a noticeable sting to them. They typically will cause a tingling sensation, like pins and needles, as well as an itching sensation. This usually subsides in a couple of minutes. Captive bred Atlantic Sea Nettles have a lesser sting, but we still recommend exercising caution when handling these jellyfish.

You can buy your own pet Atlantic Sea Nettle jellyfish and jellyfish aquarium at our online store: Jellyfish Warehouse

Check out our video on Atlantic Sea Nettles!

Will my Jellyfish Outgrow its Aquarium?

We get this question quite frequently, and there is a lot of misinformation floating around the web. It’s understandable to be concerned when you buy a Moon Jellyfish for a desktop sized aquarium and then find out they can reach up to 15″ in diameter. Do not fear, science is here!

In short, your jellyfish will not outgrow your aquarium, and here’s why:

Jellyfish have two natural adaptations that make them excellent candidates for home aquariums.

1. Jellyfish grow to fit their environment. Jellyfish are able to grow until they reach a happy and comfortable size in an aquarium. Once they reach this point, they either stop growing or slow down massively.  This is why we offer different sizes of jellyfish. You can buy a small jellyfish, for your smaller sized tank.
2. They alter their size based on how much food they have. In nature, jellyfish essentially bump into their food. A lot of their movement is based on tides and flow. So food isn’t always available to them. They have a clever adaptation which allows them to grow or shrink depending on how much food is available. Rather than starve to death, they decrease in size. So as a jellyfish owner, you can help moderate there size by controlling how much food you give your jellyfish.

Don’t just take it from us, worldwide jellyfish expert Dr. Lisa Gershwin says “If they start growing too big, just don’t feed them for awhile until they are back down to a convenient size, then start feeding again. It’s not cruel, it’s how they work. It’s called degrowth and regrowth, and it doesn’t hurt them.”

Juvenile Nomura’s jellyfish, perfectly sized for a home aquarium!

A full grown Nomura’s jellyfish. “Honey, I think we should buy a bigger tank!”

As you can see above, some jellyfish can get quite large. But when bred in captivity, the jellies can be purchased a smaller size, and kept that way. Just like your very own bonsai jellyfish!

You can buy your own pet jellyfish and jellyfish aquarium at our online store: Jellyfish Warehouse

Picture credits to

http://museumvictoria.com.au/images/thumbnail.jpg?i=/pages/26113/webMEDUSES-Galatee-v2.jpg&resizewidth=true&w=475&h=283

http://japanesejellies.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2015-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2016-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=2

Why Captive Bred Jellyfish?

Several baby Moon Jellyfish, just a day old.

When you go to purchase your new pet jellyfish, you will find there are two basic sources. They will either be wild caught or bred in captivity. We will go through the major benefits to choosing captive bred, as well as why some jellyfish aren’t captive bred.

Captive bred jellyfish make the healthiest and hardiest jellyfish. They tend to eat a wider range of foods, and are overall easier to care for. Here are some major benefits and their reasoning,

• Accustomed to Life in Captivity: Captive bred jellyfish are used to living in captivity. They are far less likely to develop issues from rubbing on the sides of the aquarium. In nature, jellyfish have nearly infinity to exist in. Often times they hit land and that is their end. In captivity, we simulate that infinity, but it isn’t always perfect. That’s why captive reared jellies are superior. They don’t mind the occasional bump.
• Ready Acceptance of Food: Captive bred jellyfish are usually far more accepting of foods. Some wild jellyfish, like Mangrove Box Jellyfish, refuse to eat any food offered. Our line of carefully bred Mangrove Box Jellies now eat food. In that regard, some wild caught specimens can be impossible to keep.
• Reduced Environmental Impact: Why take a jellyfish from the ocean when we can simply breed them in captivity? Jellyfish populations aren’t entirely understood. Some jellyfish appear in huge masses whereas others only make appearances every few years. For this reason, we prefer to breed rather than collect.

Some jellyfish Cannot be Bred in Captivity. What now?

A Comb Jelly that was collected during one of our routine collection trips. We have made some headway in the breeding of these beautiful jellies.

Jellyfish, such as Comb jellies and Blue Blubber Jellyfish cannot be readily bred in captivity. Despite this, we do try to offer those jellies when possible. Some jellyfish meet a set criteria that we feel makes them acceptable wild caught pets. Both of these jellyfish can be found in huge populations, far beyond what we could dream of collecting. Both will eat foods when brought into captivity. And when we collect or purchase wild jellyfish, we always carefully select the healthiest jellies to sell. We make sure to offer a jellyfish that shows no sign of deterioration or damage.

These are the things to consider when choosing your new pet jellyfish. Here at the Jellyfish Warehouse, we try to breed every jellyfish we can find. We offer Comb Jellyfish and soon hope to offer Blue Blubber Jellyfish. Every other jellyfish we sell has been carefully bred in our facilities.

 

You can buy your own pet jellyfish and jellyfish aquarium at our online store: Jellyfish Warehouse