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