Articles by Mike&Terry

As many of you have probably heard, Albert Thiel lost his battle with cancer on Sunday, April 23, 2017. His family needs our help as they have been financially devastated due to his exorbitant medical expenses. Randi Horlick started a gofundme campaign about 4 months ago to help them. Sadly, the...

When I first started keeping SPS (small polyped stony) corals, I had done my research. Well, I thought I had, but as it turns out there is always more to learn and SPS corals are not all that forgiving when it comes to learning. It is for this very reason that most reputable retailers will...

The Pearlberry is one of those corals that most people look at and think “It’s soooo beautiful – I’m going to try my hand at keeping SPS!” For sure, this is an inspiring coral – it is one of the most spectacular corals in our system, and we sure do love to stare at it. But as most SPS keepers...

The Bold and Curious Tinker’s Butterflyfish Chaetodon tinkeri The Tinker’s Butterflyfish (C. tinkeri) is a member of the marine butterflyfish genus Chaetodon (familyChaetodontidae) and one of five species in the subgenus Roaps. It isnamed for Spencer W. Tinker who discovered it in Hawaii...

Male and female Macropharyngodon bipartitus in the author’s aquarium. The Blue Star Leopard Wrasse, also referred to as the Divided Wrasse, Vermiculite Wrasse (as well as a few other common names) is one of thirteen species of leopard wrasse in the Macropharyngodon genus. As with most leopard...

Acropora secale is buff. It works out. Not like a “10 minutes on the treadmill” kind of work out, either. This coral is one of the most dense that I have ever kept in my system. It is a high-energy, high-output kind of coral. It obviously loves to consume high amounts of calcium and other ions...

Figure 1. A close up look at the author’s “California Tort” (A. tortuosa) showing classic green and blue coloration. Tortuosa are an especially interesting species of Acropora. As SPS lovers have come to know, the variety of color and growth forms in this group of corals perpetually attracts...

The Indian Gold Ring Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus truncatus) is named for a short tail fin that does not have the elongated shape with pointed ends that is typical of other members of the genus. Other common names for this species are Spotted Bristletooth and Squaretail Bristletooth. C...

Figure 1. A. efflorescens captive colony Last month, I wrote about the thick, fusing branches of Acropora austera. This month, I present another thickly growing SPS, the beautiful A. efflorescens. The “efflo” as is frequently called in the aquarium trade, is a plating coral that is rare by SPS...

The Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish A True Asian Beauty Genicanthus semifasciatus G semifasciatus male with a unique shoulder marking The Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish is a true beauty to behold. Males are gorgeous with irregular vertical bars on the upper body, mask-like yellow markings on...

We are a very mobile race of beings. We have access to every square inch of the planet and even the moon. Staying in one place for your whole life just is not an option to some. Jobs call for relocation. Families grow and need space to grow. Sometimes we cut in line at the zoo, only to be put on...

Species Profile By Mike & Terry Lauderdale A Reef2Reef Spotlight: The Regal Angelfish Pygoplites diacanthus Angelfishes are arguably one of the most vivid, visually appealing animals available for stocking in the marine aquarium. While their brilliant coloration and striking patterns...