TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Auratus cichlid
★New · no ratings yetIllustration

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Auratus cichlid

Melanochromis auratus · Auratus, Golden mbuna, Malawi golden cichlid, Auratus mbuna

Territorial and a bully; do not keep with other black-and-yellow mbuna.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
11 cmAdult size ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
200 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • Auratus cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like auratus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Auratus cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful cardinal tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like auratus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • Auratus cichlid is aggressive and will bully peaceful black neon tetra.
  • Rift lake cichlids like auratus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like auratus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.8–8.6 vs 5.5–7.5). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like auratus cichlid need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: 7.8–8.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

57 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ?5 or more
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Territorial and a bully; do not keep with other black-and-yellow mbuna. Needs lots of rockwork.

  • cave

Food

Quality spirulina-based cichlid pellets and flake once or twice a day; keep protein low and add vegetable matter such as spirulina and blanched greens.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Easily colour-sexed as adults: mature males turn dark (black-brown with pale stripes), while females, juveniles and subordinate males stay golden. Males are larger.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

Maternal mouthbrooder, best spawned as one male with at least three females. The female carries the eggs for several weeks and does not eat in that time; some breeders strip the fry at about two weeks.

Pairing

Keep one male with 3-5 females; a lone female is harassed to exhaustion and two males will fight.

Setup

150-250 L rockwork tank with many caves, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.6) and strong filtration. Keep a bare 60 L tank handy to move a holding female.

What starts it

Stable warm water (26-28 C), regular water changes and a good male-to-female ratio; the male displays and leads a female to a flat rock or cave.

Eggs

Up to about 40 eggs per spawn, carried by the female for several weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases free-swimming fry after 3-4 weeks. Feed finely crushed flake, spirulina powder and newly hatched brine shrimp from day one; do small daily water changes. Remove the female after release so she can recover.

Common mistakes
  • Too few females so the male harasses them
  • Mixing similar-looking mbuna that hybridise
  • Soft or acidic water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi – southern part
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (southern rocky coasts)
HabitatRocky shoreline
Native rangeAbout 150 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the auratus cichlid

A hardy, common mbuna in which females are golden and mature males turn dark. It is one of the most aggressive and territorial mbuna. Described by Boulenger in 1897 from Monkey Bay.

Boulenger described the auratus in 1897, then in another genus. It was among the very first mbuna exported for aquariums. Its golden stripes made it famous, along with its reputation for aggression.

First described by George A. Boulenger in 1897.

  • Females and young are gold with black stripes.
  • Dominant males reverse this, becoming dark with pale yellow stripes.
  • Auratus means 'golden' in Latin.

Sources

14 facts checked with sources