TankBud

Auratus cichlid

Melanochromis auratus

Also known as Malawi golden cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Auratus cichlid (Melanochromis auratus)
Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
4.3 in
11 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Social
Own kind
One male per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Malawi

Overview

The Auratus cichlid is one of the more aggressive mbuna, and it is not a fish for a first tank.

Did you know

Male and female Auratus cichlids look like two different fish. Juveniles start out yellow, and a dominant male only flips to his dark colors once he matures and claims territory.

Caring for the Auratus cichlid

Give an Auratus cichlid 53 gal (200 L) or more, and plan the tank around its aggression. Load it with stacked rock and plenty of crevices to break up sight lines. It swims mostly in the middle of the tank.

Keep the water hard and alkaline like the lake, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Feed a spirulina-based or vegetable pellet. In the lake they pick at algae and small prey, but they do poorly on a heavy protein diet.

Keep one male with several females, and choose any other tank mates with caution. Females are bright yellow with black and white stripes. A dominant male turns dark brown or near-black with pale gold stripes, and females stay a bit smaller than males.

It is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female holds the eggs and fry in her mouth until they can swim on their own. Breeding them is hard.

Good to know

The Auratus cichlid is a mbuna in the family Cichlidae. Wild populations are listed as Least Concern.

In the wild

Auratus cichlids live in the rocky shallows of Lake Malawi in East Africa, close to shore. The water there is clear and full of oxygen. They use the rock piles for cover and for staking out territory.

Common questions

What size tank does an Auratus cichlid need?

An Auratus cichlid needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Auratus cichlid need?

An Auratus cichlid is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does an Auratus cichlid eat?

An Auratus cichlid eats a spirulina-based or vegetable pellet. It picks at algae and small prey in the wild, but it does poorly on a heavy protein diet.

How big does an Auratus cichlid get?

An adult Auratus cichlid reaches about 4.3 in (11 cm).

How can you tell a male Auratus cichlid from a female?

Males turn dark brown or near-black with pale gold stripes once dominant, and they grow a bit larger. Females stay bright yellow with black and white stripes.

How does an Auratus cichlid breed?

Auratus cichlids are maternal mouthbrooders. The female carries the eggs and fry in her mouth until they can swim on their own, and breeding them is hard.

Related species