Cichlids · Melanochromis
Auratus
Melanochromis auratus · Lake Malawi: rocky shores of the west and south coasts, up the east coast to Nkhomo Reef
Photo: 5snake5, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
24–28 °C 75–82 °F
pH
7.6–8.8 hard, alkaline water
Adult size
11 cm 4.3 in
Swims ≈
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
4 or more a shoal feels safe
Current ≈
Gentle a steady gentle flow
Food
Greens and algae
Temperament
Aggressive
Where it comes from
Home water
Lake Malawi: rocky shores of the west and south coasts, up the east coast to Nkhomo Reef
Lives in lake habitat.
Shaded: the countries it comes from. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Celestial pearl danio
Rasboras & danios · 2.5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Need a different pH and small enough to be eaten
-
Small enough to be eaten
-
Aggressive: auratus, it
-
Aggressive: auratus, it and will eat the auratus
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does an Auratus get?
About 11 cm (4.3 in) as an adult.
What temperature does an Auratus need?
24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
What pH does an Auratus need?
pH 7.6–8.8.
Does an Auratus need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 4.
Is the Auratus aggressive?
Yes. It is aggressive and needs careful planning.
What does an Auratus eat?
Feed mostly vegetables, algae wafers and greens.
Where does the Auratus come from?
Lake Malawi: rocky shores of the west and south coasts, up the east coast to Nkhomo Reef.
What fish can live with an Auratus?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 24 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 28 | Sourced |
| pH min | 7.6 | Sourced |
| pH max | 8.8 | Sourced |
| Adult size (cm) | 11 | Sourced |
| Flow | Moderate | Estimate |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | middle | Estimate |
| Habitat | lake | Sourced |
| Smallest happy group | 4 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Aggressive | Sourced |
| Diet | Herbivore | Sourced |
| Behaviour tags | eats_small_fish,hard_water | Estimate |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.