Clean, pure saltwater is the most important component needed for maintaining healthy jellyfish. When mixing salt water DO NOT USE TAP WATER, natural ocean water or water with added vitamins / minerals. This will immediately void any Arrive Alive Claims!

 Jellyfish do well in salinity between 30 – 33 ppt / 1.023 – 1.025 SG and a temperature of 60-78F with ideal temperatures between 65-74F. 

 What is salinity? 

• Salinity is a measure of the amount of dissolved salts (ions) in the water. Salinity is a very important water parameter to monitor. The traditional way to express salinity is in parts per thousand (ppt) or specific gravity (SG). The Moon Jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) we breed in our aquaculture facility thrive at a salinity of 30 ppt (parts per thousand). Normal seawater is about 35 ppt, while freshwater is near 0 ppt.

 How do I measure salinity? 

• There are many tools you can use to measure salinity, such as a hydrometer, refractometer, or digital refractometer. A hydrometer is included with your Jellyfish Art aquarium kit. It measures salinity in both parts per thousand (ppt) and Specific Gravity (SG). 

• IMPORTANT: Always tap off any internal bubbles after filling your hydrometer with salt water. Bubbles on the reading arm can give an inaccurate salinity reading. It is a good idea to periodically test your hydrometer with fresh water. It should read 0. It is also best to rinse with fresh water before and after use to remove any salt buildup. Line up the reading arm with the numbers on the outside of the hydrometer - this is your salinity. What type of fresh water do I use to make the salt water? 

• Use Reverse-Osmosis (RO) or Distilled water without added vitamins or minerals.  

Where can I purchase my Reverse Osmosis or Distilled water? 

• Grocery stores 

• Superstores such as Wal-Mart and Pharmacies 

• If you are unsure about your source of water, contact us! We are happy to help. 

• Read the label! Most labels will tell you how the water is filtered. Why is salinity important? 

• Because jellyfish are made up of 95% water, saltwater in their environment should stay constant. Water is constantly moving through the thin cell membranes of jellyfish because of a process called osmosis. Therefore, it is important to stay within the salinity range to avoid shock. 

• Exposure to any type of extreme change in salinity rapidly will shock your jellyfish and potentially cause harm. To avoid shock during water changes, the new saltwater should be the same salinity as the current aquarium water. How do I mix my saltwater correctly? 

• Use a clean, “aquarium-use” only 1-gallon water jug or 5-gallon bucket as your mixing container to avoid introducing contaminants into your water. 

• Fill the container with the proper amount of Reverse Osmosis (RO)/ Distilled water.

 • Begin stirring the water before ading salt then sl;owly add the salt while continuing to stir. (Salt can get hot do not touch)

• Allow time for the new saltwater to come to room temperature so as to match the temperature of the tank water. It is best to let this sit overnight in the same room as the aquarium and mixed periodically. 

• Measure the salinity of the water with your hydrometer and adjust if it is out of range. Be sure to flick or tap the hydrometer to remove any bubbles from the reader arm as bubbles can give an inaccurate reading. If you are having constant problems with salinity, consider investing in a refractometer a digital salinity checker which are instruments used to measure salinity and tends to be more accurate than a hydrometer. 

• It is never a bad idea to have extra mixed saltwater on hand. Once mixed, it can be stored as long as needed in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.  

Acclimation for the Jellyfish Art Aquarium:

What is Acclimation?

After arriving at your doorstep, jellyfish must be gradually introduced to their new home since water conditions in shipping bag (such as salinity, temperature and pH) may be different from those inside of your aquarium.

Rushing the acclimation process will shock your jellyfish and potentially cause harm.

Acclimation process:

• PRO TIP: On arrival, it is best to open your box and remove the bagcontaining the jellyfish. Place this bag next to the aquarium and allow it to sit for 1-2 hours. This will allow the water in the bag to very slowly adjust to room temperature before proceeding! After this time has passed then you may continue with the following acclimation steps.

• Rinse your hands thoroughly with fresh water each time you come into contact with your aquarium. DO NOT use soap. Any chemical that maybe on your hands can be easily transferred into your aquarium. Hand sanitizers, soaps, and lotions can be detrimental to your jellyfish even in very small amounts.

• Designate a cup or container to be used solely for aquarium maintenance. This means that every single time that you remove water or remove the jellyfish; it should be done with this container. A cup or container that is not designated as “aquarium-use” only could be contaminated in such a way that it could harm jellyfish, such as soap residue from washing.

• After receiving your package of Moon jellyfish, open it and verify the contents of the package. Note the condition of the ice packs and the package appearance over-all.

• We ask that you take and save a picture of your jellyfish SEALED in the bag in which they arrived. Picture quality does help us in the event that you may need to use our jellyfish 10-day Arrive Alive Guarantee. See PAGE 18 of our instruction manual for further information on our Arrive Alive Claim process.

Even if your jellyfish appear in rough shape or lifeless, proceed with acclimation as instructed. Jellyfish have an amazing ability to recover and regenerate in the correct conditions.

• If it appears that your ice packs have ruptured during transit, please rinse the outside of the bags thoroughly with fresh water before proceeding.

• It is important to think ahead for any potential spills that may happen. It is a good idea to have a hand towel or paper towels nearby. A large, clean bowl can be used to work over in the steps of getting the jellyfish out of the shipping bag to avoid any kind of spillage.

1. Jellyfish arrive in an insulated shipping container. Ensure that the caretaker is available to receive the jellyfish shipment. Tracking information for shipments are sent via email to the purchaser. Acclimate jellyfish as soon as possible within 6 hours. Take a picture of the jellyfish within the bag upon arrival. Remove jellyfish bags from the insulated packaging. Allow the jellyfish bag to adjust to the room temperature in which the aquarium is housed before proceeding with acclimation. Do not tear the outermost plastic bag; this was included in your shipment to be used as the acclimation bag.

2. Place the smaller bags with the jellyfish inside into the larger acclimation bag. With caution, create a hole at the top of the bags large enough for the jellies to be removed safely. Once the bag has a hole of a sufficient size, lightly turn the smaller bags upside-down to release the jellyfish into the larger acclimation bag. Once the jellyfish are inside of the larger acclimation bag, the acclimation process can begin.

3. Discard approximately half of the water the jellyfish had been shipped in. Be careful not to pour out any jellyfish! Ensure that you have added a dose of JellyBio Starter to your aquarium and that it has been running with saltwater for at least 4-6 weeks before acclimating your jellyfish. Use the feeding pipette to remove and visible air bubbles that may be stuck to the walls of the tank. Use your hydrometer to verify your salinity is within ranges.

4. It is Important to remove enough water from your Jelly Cylinder 5 so that it does not overflow when placing the acclimation bag full of jellyfish at the top of the aquarium. Roll down the edges of the acclimation bag to help keep it oriented. At this point you can float the jellyfish bag within the tank. DO NOT release the jellyfish immediately. Jellyfish must slowly acclimate to their new aquarium’s water conditions.

5. Add 1/4 of a cup of system water into the acclimation bag. Be careful that air bubbles don’t get trapped within or underneath jellyfish when pouring. Air bubbles that get stuck under a jellyfish can result in a hole developing in their tissue.

Pouring water down the side of the acclimation bag close to the water level will help reduce bubbles that could be introduced during the acclimation process.

6. Repeat this process of adding a small amount of system water into the acclimation bag every 10 minutes for at least one hour if not longer. This will allow the jellyfish to slowly adjust to their new aquarium’s water chemistry. Rushing the acclimation process will shock your jellyfish and potentially cause harm.

7. Submerge the acclimation bag in the aquarium and allow jellyfish to swim out. Any water removed during step 4 can be added back into the aquarium so that the water level is in-between the minimum and maximum marking on the vertical slit towards the top of the aquarium.

8. The jellyfish may swim and pulse slowly or not at all for the first 24-72 hours while acclimating to their new home. They may also float or sink depending on any potential salinity differences. This is normal. At this point, ensure that there is a steady stream of bubbles emitting from the airline tube in your aquarium. 

9. The jellyfish can be fed 24 hours after acclimation. Please refer to the feeding section on PAGE 28 for more information. There should never be excessive amounts of food at the bottom of the aquarium. It is very important to not overfeed and keep the aquarium clean and free of uneaten food/debris to promote good water chemistry.

11. Be sure to follow the recommended continued maintenance guidelines in the instruction manual.

**During the first two weeks after acclimation of your jellyfish, we recommend that you feed your jellyfish lightly and utilize the Target/Spot Feeding method. We suggest checking the ammonia levels daily for 2 weeks to ensure that ammonia stays at 0ppm - 0.25ppm.

Need more food? Click HERE!

Jellyfish Art provides a high quality Dry Jellyfish Food specifically formulated for jellyfish made from plankton high in HUFAs (Highly Unsaturated Fatty Acids), which are essential for proper nutrition. Our dry food is used in our state certified aquaculturte facility and offer developing and growing jellies with the proper nutrition. We strongly suggest only feeding jellyfish with our recommended food and/ or in combination with our artemia hatcher. Other fish foods that claim to be suitable for jellyfish are often low quality. Follow the feeding guide to properly feed your jellyfish with special care not to overfeed which can cause water quality issues. 

INSTRUCTIONS: 

(Scoop included inside the food bag! Food should be kept in your refrigerator.) 

For 3-4 jellyfish feed 1/4 scoop of dry Jelly Food in total once per day. Typical feeding amount will reach about 1/2  scoop once daily. (Make sure to monitor ammonia levels daily whenever there is an increase in food.) 

During feeding you may mix the dry food in a small container with a small amount of aquarium water, this solution can be dispersed into the aquarium. Leftover food should be removed daily using your feeding pipette or our mini siphon to maintain good and clean water quality.

* To prevent spoiling the water, leftover food that collects on the aquarium floor should be removed daily using the feeding pipette.

Changing out the saltwater in your aquarium on a weekly basis will improve the quality of your aquarium’s water and in turn, promote the health of your jellyfish. 

How are water changes done? 

 • When performing maintenance on your jellyfish aquarium, we recommend removing the jellyfish and placing them in a clean, “aquarium-use” only cup or bowl. This is to avoid injury while cleaning and performing a water change. 

• Remove some system water to avoid displacing water and spilling when you reach into your aquarium. Be sure to clean any algae off the walls on a regular basis. Utilize your cleaning brush for this task. The easiest way to remove water and waste from the bottom of your aquarium is to use a siphon hose to remove the particles while draining the saltwater to be replaced during a water change. Removing waste can also be done manually with the feeding pipette. If you do not have a siphon, cupping water out manually also works well. How often do you do water changes and how much water do you replace? 

• Recommended amount of water to be changed weekly: 50%. Try not to change more than 50% water volume at one time as to maintain the equilibrium in the tank. Frequency and percentages can vary depending on quantity of food added to the aquarium, and stocking levels.

• Removing the jellyfish from the aquarium is best and you can use plastic solo cups to gently scoop them out.

• After removing the jellyfish wipe down the inside of the aquarium using you acrylic safe cleaning sponge. you can use a siphon or mini siphon to vacuume out debris that collect on the bottom. 

• 50% of the tank water should be remove and discarded. 

• Refile the aquarium with the new saltwater (always make sure the new saltwater is the same temperature as the aquarium.

• Wipe down any bubbles that may have stuck on the aquarium walls.

• Gently add the jellyfish back to the aquarium.

• You can use freshwater and paper towels to wipe down the exterior of the aquarium.