tiny jellyfish?

padros4 · 03/16/2006, 07:21 PM

So, I was feeding my pair of clowns today and turned off all of my pumps while they were eating and my eye was caught by about a handful of these little jellyfish looking things pumping through the water. I've never noticed these before and they are way too small to even get a pic. I'd guess they're less than a milimeter, they're clear, and they look like a little bell shape that pumps like a jellyfish. I couldn't see if they had any kind of tentacles or not because they were so small. I can't find much online about these and what they might be, but I did find something that said they could possibly be aptasia larvae? Does anyone have any experience w/ these? Are they jellies or aptasia? If it helps at all my tank has only been set up for about 2 months and it has about 50 lbs of live rock, 2 false percs, and a couple handfuls of hermits and snails. Your help is much appreciated!

bertoni · 03/16/2006, 07:40 PM

I don't know how much of a medusa stage Aiptasia has, if any. The planula would be small spherical objects, I think, and very tiny, but I'll have to doublecheck that.

Given that the tank has been up two months, they could easily be a medusa from any number of sources.

padros4 · 03/16/2006, 08:38 PM

So, if they do turn out to be a jelly (i guess time will tell!), and they survive to be bigger, what do I do w/ them? I can't keep jellies in my tank! Do you think there's a good chance they'll survive to grow bigger? I just started working at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and all of the jellies we have there seem to need really specific tank conditions to allow successful survival.

bertoni · 03/16/2006, 08:49 PM

I don't think they're going to survive for very long, so I wouldn't worry.

dustybuddy · 03/16/2006, 08:49 PM

they def. are not jelly fish. i forget the name of them....FRIGGIN...haha....but i dunthink its jelly fish....haha sry bout that...i forget the name of the critter they call them.

kg4izw · 03/16/2006, 09:32 PM

Could they be rotifers ? or that other new phyla discovered in Dec 1995 by this Danish man.... um.... Cycliophorans. Yes. Thats the name. These are less than 1mm long and are usually found attached to the antennae of crustaceans. (You can thank my BIO professor for that one).

doox00 · 03/16/2006, 11:23 PM

there are some jelly fish the size you are referring to that are super deadly, saw a show on discovery about it a month or two ago.

AquaReeferMan · 03/16/2006, 11:54 PM

I know what you are talking about I had them in my tank for a little. I dont see them anymore I guess they became a snack. I know they are not aptasia, but Im not sure what they are. Just wanted to chine in and let you know I had some to. Very fun to watch them pump around the tank.

padros4 · 03/17/2006, 12:05 AM

Hmmmm...I don't know what they are. They definitely don't look like any rotifer I've ever seen, and they don't really look like that other thing someone suggested...I forgot the name already. But thanks for the suggestions! I thought of a better way to describe them...they look like those little ghost guys in pac-man, minus the eyeballs and colors! I turned off the pumps again and found like 10 of them. I think they're multiplying. Ha...and thanks for the reassuring fact about those tiny, super lethal jellies! W/ my luck, that's what I have in my tank and I'm going to die the next time I put my hand in there.

bertoni · 03/17/2006, 12:13 AM

Rotifers aren't saltwater creatures, so that's unlikely. Without a photo, there's not much chance of getting further with an id, and even a photo might not help.

nctommy · 03/17/2006, 12:41 AM

The lethal jelly fish refered to by doox00 is the box jelly fish. I doubt that it what it is but you can search them. I did and here is the first one on the list
http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/.../jellyfish.htm

ReefNutPA · 03/17/2006, 01:48 AM

My guess would be the medusa stage of hydroids. Normally they will attach to the tank wall and you'll see a tiny round spot with protruding arms.

Tom

doox00 · 03/17/2006, 08:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by nctommy
The lethal jelly fish refered to by doox00 is the box jelly fish. I doubt that it what it is but you can search them. I did and here is the first one on the list
http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/.../jellyfish.htm

these are not the box jelly fish, they are very very tiny, very hard to see, it took the scientists months to actually find and catch some specimens. They are very very poisonious.

Trying to find the episode on discoverys webpage, no luck though. I did find some stuff about it though, they called it the Irukandji Jellyfish.

http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/.../irukandji.htm

http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/prac.../irukandji.htm

03/16/2006, 07:21 PM	#1
padros4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 31	tiny jellyfish? So, I was feeding my pair of clowns today and turned off all of my pumps while they were eating and my eye was caught by about a handful of these little jellyfish looking things pumping through the water. I've never noticed these before and they are way too small to even get a pic. I'd guess they're less than a milimeter, they're clear, and they look like a little bell shape that pumps like a jellyfish. I couldn't see if they had any kind of tentacles or not because they were so small. I can't find much online about these and what they might be, but I did find something that said they could possibly be aptasia larvae? Does anyone have any experience w/ these? Are they jellies or aptasia? If it helps at all my tank has only been set up for about 2 months and it has about 50 lbs of live rock, 2 false percs, and a couple handfuls of hermits and snails. Your help is much appreciated!

03/16/2006, 07:40 PM	#2
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I don't know how much of a medusa stage Aiptasia has, if any. The planula would be small spherical objects, I think, and very tiny, but I'll have to doublecheck that. Given that the tank has been up two months, they could easily be a medusa from any number of sources. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/16/2006, 08:49 PM	#4
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	I don't think they're going to survive for very long, so I wouldn't worry. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/16/2006, 09:32 PM	#6
kg4izw Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Panama City Beach, FL Posts: 279	Could they be rotifers ? or that other new phyla discovered in Dec 1995 by this Danish man.... um.... Cycliophorans. Yes. Thats the name. These are less than 1mm long and are usually found attached to the antennae of crustaceans. (You can thank my BIO professor for that one). __________________ Loco comida. Current Tank Info: Aquapod24 with 150HQI and Biocube6

03/16/2006, 11:54 PM	#8
AquaReeferMan Got Reef? Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Under the Sea, Pa Posts: 4,593	I know what you are talking about I had them in my tank for a little. I dont see them anymore I guess they became a snack. I know they are not aptasia, but Im not sure what they are. Just wanted to chine in and let you know I had some to. Very fun to watch them pump around the tank. __________________ Couple SPS/Zoanthid tanks and a couple of FW planted tanks. Current Tank Info: 5 pieces of glass with some silicone and plastic frames holding them together

03/16/2006, 08:38 PM	#3
padros4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 31	So, if they do turn out to be a jelly (i guess time will tell!), and they survive to be bigger, what do I do w/ them? I can't keep jellies in my tank! Do you think there's a good chance they'll survive to grow bigger? I just started working at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and all of the jellies we have there seem to need really specific tank conditions to allow successful survival.

03/16/2006, 08:49 PM	#5
dustybuddy Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 242	they def. are not jelly fish. i forget the name of them....FRIGGIN...haha....but i dunthink its jelly fish....haha sry bout that...i forget the name of the critter they call them.

03/16/2006, 11:23 PM	#7
doox00 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: West Michigan Posts: 928	there are some jelly fish the size you are referring to that are super deadly, saw a show on discovery about it a month or two ago.

03/17/2006, 12:05 AM	#9
padros4 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 31	Hmmmm...I don't know what they are. They definitely don't look like any rotifer I've ever seen, and they don't really look like that other thing someone suggested...I forgot the name already. But thanks for the suggestions! I thought of a better way to describe them...they look like those little ghost guys in pac-man, minus the eyeballs and colors! I turned off the pumps again and found like 10 of them. I think they're multiplying. Ha...and thanks for the reassuring fact about those tiny, super lethal jellies! W/ my luck, that's what I have in my tank and I'm going to die the next time I put my hand in there.

03/17/2006, 12:13 AM	#10
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Rotifers aren't saltwater creatures, so that's unlikely. Without a photo, there's not much chance of getting further with an id, and even a photo might not help. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

03/17/2006, 12:41 AM	#11
nctommy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 181	The lethal jelly fish refered to by doox00 is the box jelly fish. I doubt that it what it is but you can search them. I did and here is the first one on the list http://www.barrierreefaustralia.com/.../jellyfish.htm

03/17/2006, 01:48 AM	#12
ReefNutPA Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Pottsville, PA Posts: 852	My guess would be the medusa stage of hydroids. Normally they will attach to the tank wall and you'll see a tiny round spot with protruding arms. Tom