Species Profile
Auratus Cichlid
Melanochromis auratus
Also known as: Golden Mbuna
Cichlidsaggressive
Adult size
4.5″
Minimum tank
75 gal
Temperature
75–82°F
pH
7.8–8.6
Schooling
Solitary OK
Water level
mid
Grows from juvenile
Typically sold at ~1.5″ and reaches 4.5″ over ~1 year. Plan tank size for the adult, not the fish at purchase.Diet
Pellets, blanched veggies
Notes
One of the most aggressive Mbuna, adult males kill anything that resembles them. Females yellow with black stripes; males brown-black. Not a community fish even by Mbuna standards. Single tank dominant or species-only.
Photo: Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA / Wikimedia Commons · Source · CC-BY-2.0