For months, my reef was at war. It started with a single frag—one innocent addition to my frag tank. But hidden in its polyps was a monster. Aiptasia. A relentless, invasive pest that spread like wildfire. Before I knew it, my frag tank, my sump, even my overflow box—all were overrun. My once-thriving zoas? Choked out, refusing to open. I fought back. I scraped, I siphoned, I scrubbed. But Aiptasia doesn’t just die—it multiplies.
Desperate, I turned to nature. Peppermint shrimp. Six of them. Weeks passed, and not a single Aiptasia head disappeared. Useless.
But here’s the twist—my secret weapon had been in my tank all along.
Penny Lane.
I didn’t get Penny to eat Aiptasia. I got her because I love Copperband Butterflies. Ever since I first saw one on a marine screensaver 25 years ago, I knew one day I’d have one in my tank. She’s been with me for four months now—graceful, beautiful, and a joy to watch.
This morning, I noticed something strange. My display tank—once littered with Aiptasia—was completely clean. I put two and two together and had a wild idea. I grabbed six zoa frags, each covered in Aiptasia, and placed them in the display.
I expected it to take weeks.
I came home after work and every single Aiptasia was gone. Vanished.
I was floored. I needed to be sure. So I grabbed a rock with at least 50 Aiptasia heads and dropped it in. Before it even hit the sand, Penny was on it, picking them off one by one.
Penny Lane, Slayer of Aiptasia. My beautiful assassin.
No chemicals. No shrimp. Just one determined butterfly, restoring balance to my reef.
Desperate, I turned to nature. Peppermint shrimp. Six of them. Weeks passed, and not a single Aiptasia head disappeared. Useless.
But here’s the twist—my secret weapon had been in my tank all along.
Penny Lane.
I didn’t get Penny to eat Aiptasia. I got her because I love Copperband Butterflies. Ever since I first saw one on a marine screensaver 25 years ago, I knew one day I’d have one in my tank. She’s been with me for four months now—graceful, beautiful, and a joy to watch.
This morning, I noticed something strange. My display tank—once littered with Aiptasia—was completely clean. I put two and two together and had a wild idea. I grabbed six zoa frags, each covered in Aiptasia, and placed them in the display.
I expected it to take weeks.
I came home after work and every single Aiptasia was gone. Vanished.
I was floored. I needed to be sure. So I grabbed a rock with at least 50 Aiptasia heads and dropped it in. Before it even hit the sand, Penny was on it, picking them off one by one.
Penny Lane, Slayer of Aiptasia. My beautiful assassin.
No chemicals. No shrimp. Just one determined butterfly, restoring balance to my reef.
