How to Start a Jellyfish Tank?

Jellyfish are the latest fashion in ornamental fish tanks. Their mesmerizing forms and soothing movements make them a living work of art. With the right setup, you can have exotic jellyfish anywhere in your home, even on your desk! It does require a lot more thought, however, than just setting up a standard aquarium, since jellyfish are such delicate organisms. This article will walk you through the procedure of establishing a jellyfish tank.

Steps 

1.Gather your supplies. Jellyfish have very specific requirements. You can use a kit such as the one demonstrated in these instructions or purchase the supplies individually. If you're doing the latter, consult the Things You'll Need list below as well as notes about supplies throughout this article.

• If setting up your own tank, pay particular attention to the movement of water. Jellyfish can easily be sucked into a filter and liquefied. If you're not using a tank and filter setup that's specifically designed for jellyfish, you'll need to make several modifications as suggested in How to Design a Jellyfish Aquarium to ensure the survival of your jellyfish.
• Jellyfish tanks must be plain. If you enjoy "aquascaping" then jellyfish are not for you. Decorations threaten the integrity of the jellyfish, literally.[1]

2.Place tank in a convenient location out of direct sunlight, away from heat sources and electrical equipment.

3.Install the filter. Follow the instructions that came with your filter. You can use any aquarium filter designed for a tank of at least 8 gallons. If using the kit filter, this is what you need to do:

• Remove sponge filter from cellophane wrapping and rinse in fresh water.
• Lock filter cartridge into bubble tube by inserting the bubble tube into the cartridge and rotating.
• Lock the filter cartridge into the bottom of the tank by inserting it into the bottom of the tank and rotating. (This can be done before or after adding the gravel, as outlined in the next step.)
• Plug the clear airline tube into the air pump.

4.Rinse the gravel in fresh water. Use aquarium gravel that has pores designed to keep helpful bacteria alive inside. Glass pebbles alone will not work because there is not enough surface area for bacteria. These bacteria consume waste created by the jellyfish. (Note: You only need about half the gravel that comes with the kit.)

5.Cover the bottom of the aquarium evenly in gravel.

6.Add a layer of glass marbles to completely cover the gravel. Make sure the marbles cover all the gravel and the entire filtration cartridge. The glass marbles protect the delicate jellyfish tissue from being torn on the gravel.

7.Add the heater. Set it to 77 degrees Fahrenheit and stick it to the inside of the tank so that it will be completely submerged. 77 degrees is the appropriate temperature for a tropical species, including the common Blue Jellyfish (Catostylus mosaicus).

8.Fill the tank with salt water. In the kit tank, the water level needs to be 2 inches above the top of the bubble tube (for proper water circulation) but below the light bulb housing (so the water does not get over-heated by the light).

• You can buy salt water from your local aquarium store, and you should if you know you have poor quality tap water.
• Alternatively, you can make salt water yourself. Fill the tank with fresh water, add 1 teaspoon of dechlorinator (any brand) and 3.5 cups of aquarium salt (any brand). This is based on a dosage of 1 teaspoon of dechlorinator per 10 gallons of water and 1/2 cup of salt per gallon.

9.Power up. Plug the light, pump and heater into an electrical outlet.

10.Establish the bacterial colony.

• If you have the kit, add all of the Stress Coat and Stress Zyme included in the tank package. These can also be purchased separately online. These contain helpful bacteria that will colonize your filter. The bacteria digest the waste from the jellyfish.
• Give the bacteria food. You must do this before adding any live animals. Otherwise, the tank will accumulate jellyfish waste, which contains poisonous ammonia. Add the entire bottle of Cycle Starter included with the kit, or introduce a fish (that you will later have to provide a home for elsewhere). Cycle Starter contains the ammonia excreted by jellyfish as waste and digested by filtering bacteria as food. This can be purchased separate from the tank online. Or you can Do a Fishless Cycle, a method preferred by many aquarists.
• Run the tank for 7 days. During this time, the bacteria colony will grow in your tank.

11.Check the water.

• Test the ammonia level at the end of the week to make sure it is below 1ppm. That would indicate that the bacteria colony has grown big enough to digest all of the Cycle Starter. If the ammonia level is NOT below 1ppm, continue checking every day until it is. In rare cases, it may take up to 21 days for the ammonia level to drop below 1ppm.
• Verify salinity with a hydrometer. You want the specific gravity of the water to be 1.024. If using the hydrometer that comes with the kit, this is within the green band. Add salt or tap water with dechlorinator to adjust salinity as needed.
• Make sure the temperature is 77ºF. Adjust the heater as necessary to bring temperature within 2º of 77ºF.

12.Add jellyfish! You can purchase jellyfish online. Don't forget to order food with your jellyfish shipment. Make sure you are available the day after shipment to receive the package. The jellyfish must be acclimated to the tank the same day as delivery.