Jellyfish are graceful and spectacular marine life. The smooth movements of these animals are fascinating. Many aquarists dream of having such an unusual pet in their home. You will learn how to choose and maintain an aquarium with jellyfish from this article.
About jellyfish
The transparent jellyfish that we see in the sea are just part of the life cycle of enterocephalic animals. They are characterized by two stages: polypoid and medusoid. Adult sexually mature jellyfish reproduce sexually. The result is a larva - planula floating in the water column for several days.
The planes attach to the substrate and transform into a polyp. It is noteworthy that even in the stationary stage, these animals reproduce by budding. Asexual reproduction can continue as long as you like, and jellyfish can appear only in favorable conditions.
As the temperature rises as a result of the strobilization process, small young disc jellyfish are formed, which are called esters. Over time, they become adults.
The body of the jellyfish is transparent, resembles jelly and consists of 99% water. At the same time, the skeleton is absent, as are the protective covers of the body, therefore they are very vulnerable. Their gentle body is easy to destroy. Any dense object, even a small bubble of air, can inflict a wound. Strong currents and waves of water are also dangerous. That is why jellyfish with the approach of a storm swim to a depth.
Features of the aquarium for jellyfish
Attempts to keep jellyfish in the aquarium have been carried out for a long time, but were unsuccessful. Jellyfish turned out to be too tender and sensitive pets. In a regular aquarium, they quickly died, and until recently it was believed that it was impossible to keep jellyfish at home.
However, not so long ago, carousel-type aquariums began to appear on the market, which allow keeping the most sensitive animals. They were developed on research vessels that studied marine fauna. Initially, tanks of this type were intended to contain planktonic organisms.
The maintenance of jellyfish at home became possible only after the carousel-type aquariums entered the mass market. The peculiarity of their functioning is that a closed ring-shaped stream of water is created in the tank. Such an aquarium has a circular shape and resembles the drum of a washing machine. Want to buy a similar aquarium with jellyfish? The price of the smallest capacity starts at 50 thousand rubles.
Real Kreisel Aquarium
The carousel-type aquarium is in the form of a drum. A closed current of water is organized inside, allowing fragile creatures to move in its thickness. The stream exits through a narrow outlet parallel to the wall; liquid is sucked through the wall protected by a dense mesh.
At the top is a lid through which you can feed the jellyfish, clean the aquarium, change the water. Below there is a drainage through which it is possible to lower liquid.
Pseudokreisel-aquarium
There are pseudo-carousel aquariums in the shape of a rectangle. In such containers, some structural elements of the carousel type are used. A closed flow of water is organized in the same way as in a round container. So that the flow goes in a ring, washing all the walls of the aquarium, special chippers are installed in the corners. In quality, such aquariums are inferior to carousel ones, since on the straight walls the water flow is disturbed, and turbulences can form.
Aeration
Due to the organization of the laminar type of water circulation, jellyfish can be suspended in the entire volume of the aquarium. The speed of the water flow is important so that the bodies of tender jellyfish are not injured. At the same time, the current should be fast enough so that the animals do not sink to the bottom and do not get stuck in the "dead zones".
In no case should there be aeration in the aquarium with jellyfish. If small air bubbles fall under the dome of the jellyfish, they will simply burst it like bullets. In an aeration tank, the animal will die quickly. For jellyfish, it will be enough to ensure normal gas exchange on the surface of the water. And if aeration is planned for decorative purposes, then the bubbles should be reliably separated from the main container, where jellyfish live.
Filtration
Filtration is also not a necessary element in the jellyfish. To maintain the purity of water, regular changes will suffice. However, you can install a simple life support system. The main thing is to protect the jellyfish from being sucked into the filters. Most preferred is biological filtration that does not create air bubbles. But flotators in the aquarium with jellyfish are not recommended, as they can become a source of deadly bubbles and too actively remove the substances necessary for animal life.
Jellyfish live in the open sea, where the water is slightly poorer in dissolved and suspended solids than offshore and reefs. And in a confined space, waste products quickly decompose, polluting the water. Therefore, timely replacement and purification of water is simply necessary.
Since jellyfish are cold-water animals, water in the aquarium must be cooled. The comfortable temperature is 10-15 ° C, so a cooler must be built into any aquarium.
Lighting
Some types of jellyfish (Mastigias and Cassiopeia) contain symbiotic algae in their tissues. In this case, they will need lighting so that the plants can receive the light necessary for life. For other types of jellyfish, lighting is not required. Animals can move to light, since they take it for a food source - an accumulation of plankton.
It is better to keep jellyfish in low light, this will prevent the appearance of green plaque on the walls. An aquarium with live jellyfish looks great with multi-colored lighting.
Where to get the inhabitants
It will not be difficult to purchase an aquarium with a jellyfish in the region. Moscow is no exception. Residents can be bought in several stores in single copies. If you need a group of animals, you will have to bring them to order. In other regions, you will also have to order jellyfish separately. Most often in stores there are Cassiopeia and Mastigias. These warm-water jellyfish feel great in an aquarium.
If you live by the sea, then you can catch a jellyfish on your own. Several suitable species of jellyfish, in particular eared aurelia, are found in the White and Black Seas. Keep in mind that White Sea jellyfish prefer colder water. For captivity, young animals 5-10 cm in diameter are suitable, as they will easily adapt to new conditions. Freshwater jellyfish for the aquarium can be found in rivers. You can catch them during the hot summer.
Transportation of jellyfish
Transportation of jellyfish is a very important event. It doesn't matter if you bought animals in the store or caught in the sea. If transportation is not carried out correctly, then the jellyfish can be injured. The animal must be placed in a large plastic bag or plastic form with smooth corners, filled to the top with water. All air must be removed from the tank. If air bubbles appear during shaking in water, they can break the jellyfish dome.
How to transport jellyfish
Never take the animal out of the water. Any manipulations need to be done only under water. To place a beginner in an aquarium with jellyfish should also be with the liquid. Make sure that cold-water jellyfish do not overheat during transport.
Types of Jellyfish
Who should fill the aquarium with jellyfish? The most popular species is the eared aurelia. It lives everywhere, in almost all tropical and temperate seas, even swimming in the waters of the Arctic. Sometimes representatives of this species gather in large groups. She does not have long tentacles, which means that the animals will fit in a small container. They are hardy, easily adapt to new conditions, their stinging cells are not dangerous to humans. Eared Aurelia live for 2 years.
More exotic aquarium species include the Pacific dweller Mastigias papua, the beauty with long tentacles Chrysaora and the magnificent spotted Australian jellyfish, whose dome resembles a starry sky. Jellyfish of the genus Mastigias are simple in content and have interesting behavior. Representatives of the genus Cassiopeia are also suitable for beginners, which can be kept even in ordinary aquariums because of their sedentary lifestyle.
Jellyfish feeding
To make jellyfish feel comfortable and live a long life, you need to feed them with a variety of products. Most often, live artemia and vitamin supplements are used as feed. In nature, jellyfish feed on phyto- and zooplankton, which can be replaced by minced seafood. Fish and shrimp are rare in the diet, so often you should not give them.
Decorative jellyfish for the aquarium
So, you already understood that the maintenance of live jellyfish is a troublesome and costly affair. They will not be able to settle in a common aquarium, in addition, the container with these animals should be empty and decorated only with light. However, silicone jellyfish for the aquarium can complement your home underwater world.
Such an unusual decoration can be purchased at the pet store. Artificial jellyfish for the aquarium are attached with fishing line to the glass. They are bright and interestingly behaving in a moving water column.
The content of live jellyfish in the aquarium so far few can afford. Most often, these beauties can be seen in aquariums, hotel lounges, restaurants. If you want to decorate your home aquarium with a small bright jellyfish, you can purchase an artificial one.