Above: Alex Andon with a jellyfish tank you can make at home. Photograph by Garry McLeod
Alex Andon is the founder and president of Jellyfish Art. He has a B.S. from Duke University in biology and environmental science. His article in MAKE Volume 27 shows you how to convert a standard aquarium into a habitat that can support jellyfish.
One of Alex’s beautiful desktop jellyfish tanks that he makes.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I live in San Francisco and run an e-commerce business, called Jellyfish Art, selling pet jellyfish. On the weekends, I like archery and table tennis.
How did you become interested in jellyfish?
Through studying marine biology at Duke. Anatomically, they’re incredibly simple animals, yet they’ve been around for about 500 million years. I had always despised jellyfish as a kid because their painful stings would keep me out of the water all summer. But when I first saw them displayed at a public aquarium, I realized how beautiful and mesmerizing they are. When I learned they need a special aquarium design in order to live in captivity, I was intrigued by the challenge and started experimenting with different designs in my garage.
Here’s a video of one of Alex’s jellyfish capturing a fish.
Can you tell us about one of your favorite tools?
The Dremel is my favorite because it’s a janky quick substitute for just about any other tool.
From the Pages of MAKE
MAKE Volume 27, Robots!
The robots have returned! MAKE Volume 27 features a special package with robotics projects for every age and skill level. They play music; they outwit your pets; they learn from their mistakes! In addition, we’ll show you how to build a special aquarium to keep jellyfish, create pre-Edison incandescent lighting, spy via the internet, and make a go-anywhere digital message board! All this and much, much more, in MAKE Volume 27.
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