Jellyfish are so relaxing to watch that they're the bonsai tree or lava lamps of the pet world. Unfortunately, they're also so fragile that they can't be kept in conventional saltwater aquaria, so they need to be kept in special tanks. In 2011, Jellyfish Art introduced its first tank and now is rolling out an improved version on Kickstarter called the Jellyfish Cylinder Nano, which boasts a self-contained support system and LED lights.
According to the company, the Jellyfish Cylinder Nano is designed for the jellyfish-owning novice, which is a very large market. It consists of a two gallon (7.5 l) cylindrical tank made of hand-molded acrylic set on a locking plastic base. The complete kit includes everything needed to set up a habitat to house three Moon jellyfish, which can be redeemed from the company when the tank is ready to receive them.
In conventional saltwater aquaria, the fragile animals are sucked up by the filter system. However, the Jellyfish Cylinder Nano uses a laminar water flow pattern that mimics the natural currents of the open sea and circulates the jellyfish without harm. It has an air pump and integrated mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration system in the base as well as a multi-color LED light with remote control. The entire support system is designed to operate coolly, so the tank remains at room temperature.
The Jellyfish Cylinder Nano is the focus of a Kickstarter campaign running through December 20, which has already stormed past its US$50,000 funding target, attracting some $436,665 at the time of writing. A pledge of at least $150 is needed for a tank, with a complete set of tank kit, jellyfish, and food pitched at $250. If all goes to plan, shipment is scheduled for late February.
Because of federal restrictions on exporting live animals, shipping of jellyfish from Jellyfish Art is only available in the continental United States.
Gizmag will be reviewing the Jellyfish Cylinder Nano soon. Meanwhile, the video below shows how to set up the tank.
Source: Jellyfish Art
