Upside-Down Jellyfish - Mistake?

[ga_daisy]

Picked up an upside-down jellyfish this past weekend, really cool looking, interesting......BUT (you knew that but was coming, right?) I had no prior knowledge....requirements and such. I just looked online AND according to LiveAquaria these are not reef safe.

Does anyone have an experience with these guys? I have a reef tank and only a reef tank. Is this going to be one of those OMG, how stupid was I moments when I come home and the jelly is the only thing still alive and happy in my 235 gal tank?

About my set up....
235 gal reef ready in wall
90 gal Oceanic sump
mixture of various corals
including but not limited to...
ricordea, shrooms, zoas, birdsnest, Kenya tree, Leather finger, neon yellow and neon green candy cane, toadstool and her baby, green star polyps, neon star polyps, sun polyps.....etc. OH....and a really nice Idaho Blue Monti that I brought back from the edge of death (it was a dusky pink color when I got it from the guy.....when he told me it was called an Idaho Blue I was doubtful as to what it really was....its really coloring up nicely!)

mixture of various inverts
ORA Max clam
Coral Banded shrimp
Serpent star
Brittle star
Sandsifting star
Molusk cluster
Feather Duster
Cocoa Worm (that refuses to poke his head out!)
and various others in the clean up crew


Maroon Clown
Pair of Black Ocellaris
Pair of Common Ocellaris (I'm thinking I may have eggs in the tank by one of these pairs.....)
A single Ocellaris
Disbar Anthias
Yellow Watchman Goby
Blue Regal (hippo) Tang
Naso Tang
Foxface
No-Bar Cinnamon Clown
Diamond Goby
Mandarin
Purple Queen Anthias (just added two nights ago, MIA)
Coral Beauty
Engineer Goby
Some little black and white striped something with a yellow face (maybe a juvie tile fish?)
Purple Pseudochromis that decided that a 235 wasn't big enough and is not living happily in the overflow

And....I think that about sums up my little piece of the ocean.

350-450 lbs of live rock (my best guess)
and about 4" of live sand

So....this upside-down jelly.....am I going to live to regret this? Should he be pulled out? I have him get caught up on a Koralia 4 power head already.....I cut off the Koralia, pulled him off and he appeared no worse for the wear.

Deana...
oh....and hey guys! I've been stalking this site for about 2 months and just joined last weekend. I've really enjoyed reading everyone's posts!

 

[ga_daisy]

At the LFS, he happily laid on the bottom, on his little jelly head, all was well. In my tank he is moving all over the place. The little bit that I could find out about them online says they sting.....but its not horrific. I called LiveAquaria to ask specifics (as I saw that they had them available for sale and this is where I read that they are not reef safe) and the lady said that they sting and are venomous. ...... but to how bad the sting would be, don't know. I also read that it can cause irritation to human skin and cause itching (on another site), I've now touched him three or four times no issues.

I've had really good success thus far (two goofs last week that I'm still beating myself up over).....hoping this little guy won't be my undoing!

And.....thanks, I'm excited about learning more. This site is addictive.....instead of heading to bed at 10 or 11 as I KNOW I should, I'm up until 1, reading and following along!

 

[dakota9]

It's pretty much a matter of time before he gets stuck in the overflow, or a powerhead or something....... Conventional square tanks aren't really very good for these guys long term, they really require a special system... Although cool as all heck, I'm surprised they still sell these in LFSs...

 

[ga_daisy]

Hey Cliff!

Yup....its me.

All is well. Tested water at LFS to double check myself after my dumb*** :doh:moment of trunk incident and all checked out well.....NONE of the corals made it. Made me sick every time I looked at the tank.

Floor is dry....lol and ANOTHER lesson learned! A storm was brewing yesterday, I called my son and had him shut down the external and turn off all of the flow valves. I'm going to set the sumpline so that the next time the backflow into the sump won't overflow! (that would be my "home improvement" project for the weekend)

:thumbs: Party animal.....Friday night and playing with the water levels in the sump and aquarium!

 

[jmaneyapanda]

They will likely not bother any fish, but can sting sessile inverts, like corals and clams. But it will surely die before that, as they need GENTLE water flow only.

 

[ga_daisy]

ok....he's gotta go!

I called the little local place that I generally deal with, they don't want him. Don't suppose anyone on here has a setup that would meet the needs of an upside-down jelly? I'm going to call Noah's Ark and Blue Planet and see if they will take him.

And....thanks Cliff, pictures posted!

lol.......I get snap happy when I get a camera in my hands!

Most of the corals in the pics are now twice the size that they were when the pics were taken. I've also added more. Hoping to get more pics taken soon.

 

[ga_daisy]

ok....so "sting the sessile and corals".....do you mean like kill or aggrevate? I'm trying to figure if I need to run home and get him into a bucket ASAP or if he will be ok for a day or two until I have a chance to rehome him.

 

[dakota9]

If you had a slow flow refugium, that would be the place for him.

What have you been feeding him?

VERY low flow, and a rounded tank works best for these guys

 

[jmaneyapanda]

These guys arent as sensitive about the rounded corners, but need gentle flow for sure.

 

[weaglereefer]

I seem to recall someone selling a display quality fuge in a cabinet a while ago, seems these two would be perfect together.

 

[ga_daisy]

None of the stores close to me would even take him.....BUT, the selling store has agreed to take him back....very pleased with the professionalism there. Biggest downside (other than the fact he is so insanely cool and I hate to let him go), is that the store is about 70 miles from me (one way) and I'm so stupid broke I can't even make a big shopping trip out of it! URGH....

Oh well, just glad he will go back to someone that may be able to take care of him.

As for the reason's the stores wouldn't consider taking him.....the exact reasons you guys quoted.....very cool, but needs a tank that not many have or are willing to set up. The perfect situation would be a round tank, low flow and with nothing that he could get trapped in behind or around AND nothing he could sting.

So....a lesson to anyone out there....upside down jellyfish maybe cool.....BUT THEY ARE NOT NOT NOT REEF SAFE!

Hoping that my ignorance is a shining ray of light to someone. :blush:

 

[ga_daisy]

OR......if someone wanted to adopt the insanely cool, yet not reef appropriate Upside Down Jelly. You would get renaming rights.....

Do I have any takers?

I can't promise that he will fetch or come when you call his name. (Currently he doesn't seem to respond to his name.....Squishy) But, in the right environment I'm sure he would grow and mature into a spineless pet that you could be proud to call your own. And....for the low price of, $ave me time and Gas$ Money by NOT having to go back to the pet store.....He could call YOU Mama (or Daddy....please plug in whichever would be appropriate)

I'm located in Monticello and maybe heading into Stockbridge tomorrow evening.....if that helps sweeten this already KILLER deal.