THEY pulsate round their tanks in dazzling colours like a mesmerising lava lamp.

Thousands of jellyfish have made their home in a village near Carlisle and are being looked after by entrepreneur Rory Fox.

The former William Howard School pupil now sells about 200 jellyfish a month and even makes his own special tanks for them to live in.

Rory, who now runs the unusual thriving business, said: “A friend of mine used to keep tropical fish and I got into that and then my love for jellyfish grew out of that. I guess you could say it was a hobby that grew.

“I just wanted to do something different. If you have a hobby as a job then you can’t really go wrong.

“From an aquarium I bought five moon jellyfish and they quickly became 50 then 1,000.

“I found that there was no-one in the UK selling them, so I decided to start breeding my own.”

Rory, who was training to be a plumber, now makes tanks for his jellyfish as they have to be kept in a specialised environment.

He said: “You can’t have a tank with corners as they can rip or get trapped.

“They are really delicate.

“You also have to protect them from getting sucked into the filtration.”

The jellyfish range in price from £17.50 to £50 each.

“The price depends on the size and the species,” said Rory.

Rory, whose business is called UK Jellyfish, sells his jellyfish all over the UK and has some sales in Russia and America.

On his website he says looking after so many jellyfish is like being a dad to 10,000 babies.

He said: “A fish courier usually collects them and takes them to wear they need to be. They travel in special tanks.

“I don’t sell many in Europe.

“People like to have them in their homes as jellyfish are really cool and the relaxing, rhythmic movement of the jellyfish really captivates you and is a great way to de-stress.”

But has he ever been stung?

He said: “The sting on my jellyfish is so small humans can’t feel it. How strong the sting is depends on their potency but I’ve never been hurt.”

Rory says he is not sure if he will breed jellyfish as a lifelong career.

He said: “I don’t know if I will do it forever. I’m thinking about the pets side of the business.

“I have a new, lucrative client and I may just do this for him and no one else. I can’t say anymore as I have signed a non-disclosure agreement.”

You can see his jellyfish in Maryport Aquarium and the Trafford Centre in Manchester, and gracing the homes of enthusiasts from the North East to Russia, France to the Ukraine.

Rory’s jellyfish recently appeared on BBC Radio 1.

Jellyfish are found all over the world, from surface waters to the deep sea.

Large, often colourful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide.

Jellyfish are eaten by humans in certain cultures, being considered a delicacy in some Asian countries, where species in the Rhizostomae order are pressed and salted to remove excess water.

They are also used in research.