Hitchhiking Medusae - 10/14/06
Crew, thanks for all your help in the past, you are the best.
<<Happy you think so <grin> >>
So I have what appear to be some medusa-like, free-swimming discs, about ¼” maximum in size with 10-14 tentacles that have popped up and started swimming around.
<<Hmm, some hitchhiking jellyfish maybe (Cassiopeia sp.)?
They pulse around the tank and either attach to the glass, rock or coral, or worse I siphoned 5 off of my bipinnata (my favorite coral).
<<On your gorgonian eh...as noxious as these are I doubt they were doing any more than resting>>
As they are free swimmers this is new to me, it seems that a red-legged hermit won't do the job.
<<Why do you assume these are a "bad" thing?  Either way, it is likely they will pass as quickly as they appeared>>
I'm loath to add a butterfly fish as I have so much coral.  Should I try Lysmata wurdemanni?
<<I think you need to identify or ascertain whether or not these medusae are a threat...else just enjoy them while they are present>>
I have 2 cleaner shrimp in the tank, a Foxface, hippo tang, orchid Dottyback, and 2 clowns.  It's a 75G display with 55G sump, so I have no load problems and change water regularly.
<<Mmm...ultimately too small for the Hippo tang in my opinion>>  
They look sort of like:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Cnidarians/bugs.jpeg
Or
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Cnidarians/Anthozoans/AnemonePIX/Anemone_10X.jpg
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/Cnidarians/Anthozoans/AnemonePIX/Anemone2060.jpg
Are they the "early" stage of a glass anemone and they are just waiting to turn into polyps?
<<I don't believe so, no>>
They aren't in plague proportions but I see them swimming around every time I look at the tank.  Thoughts, or like most pests should I just wait for it to pass?
<<You make no mention of any deleterious effects from these newcomers...I would simply enjoy them for what they are as I truly expect they will "pass">>
All the best,
Marc Weiser
<<Regards, Eric Russell>>

Re: Hitchhiking Medusae - 10/17/06
Thanks for the response.
<<Quite welcome>>
I agree on the Hippo Tang, bad advice early on.  The wife thinks it should even go!
<<Ah, yes!  These fish are quite susceptible to developmental retardation when kept/grown-up in too small quarters>>
On my "swimmers" I'll watch.  The corals don't seem to be reacting negatively, anything I should be watching for?
<<Just that, negative reactions...but likely not a concern as previously stated.  Cheers, Eric Russell>>

Upside down jellyfish 9/8/04
Hello.
<howdy>
I have been planning on making a clam tank and have been designing it for over a month. then I saw an article talking about the upside down jelly fish. and I admit it, I want one. The tank it would go into will be shallow with a wide bottom, gentle current flow, and bright lights. the only problem is, according to the article, they secrete their stinging cells in their mucus, and it can kill other animals in the tank.
<they really do best in a species tank.  muddy lagoonal set up would be nice. Do consider some Thalassia sea grasses too for the biotope>
my question is, are clams vulnerable to the stinging of the upside down jelly fish?
<they would be a very unnatural combination and the clams might easily outcompete the jellies as filter feeders. Not recommended. Please do consider setting up a natural display>
No dolphins were harmed in the making of this email.  I did have to kill a few baby seals though.
<ahhh... OK, Club Happy in Boise. Just Happy in Pgh - Anthony :)>

Jellyfish
I was looking into my tank at my new Blue Linckia Starfish (thank you for the advice by the way, he's doing great!) and I saw a tiny (about 1mm) jellyfish swimming around my clownfish, it must have come in with my live rock. I could tell that it is a jellyfish because of the way it was moving; it's really quite unmistakable. What should I do with it? Will it harm my fish?  Do you have any idea how large it will get? If I decide to get rid of it what can I do with it, I don't want to kill it.  Thanks, Elizabeth 
<Liz, jellyfish are not reef safe and most are toxic to people. Take it back to the store and see if they want it. I don't believe you would want to set up a small tank for it and furnish it the necessary plankton it needs to survive at this stage. James (Salty Dog)><<Uhh, one millimeter... just ignore it... they too shall pass. RMF>>