Melanochromis Auratus As A Tankmate? Fish Profile For Aquarium

Melanochromis auratus

• Common Name:
• Locations Collected From: Has a wide distribution on the western and southern sides of the lake.
• Approximate Size: 3 – 3.5 inches
• Food: Not picky.  Will eat flake, pellet live foods, and frozen foods.
• Water Conditions: Very tolerant, but likes a pH between 7.5 – 8.5 with a temperature between 76 and 82 degrees.
• Breeding Behavior: Mouthbrooder.  Males are very rough on the females even with multiple females and may need to be separated until the female is ready to spawn.  They like to have caves to hide in.  They are very aggressive while defending their territories, and will often times kill other fish in the process.  I have seen males decide that half of a 55-gallon tank was their territory and no other fish was allowed to go on that side of the tank. 
• Tankmates: Should do well with some Labidochromis species (Perlmutt, Mbamba), Psuedotropheus species, and other Melanochromis species.  They are usually too aggressive for the more peaceful open water species (Copadichromis, Placidochromis, Protomelas) and Aulonocara species. 

Further Reading

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