Melanochromis Auratus
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- Melanochromis Auratus
- Venustus Cichlid
Melanochromis Auratus
Rather unlike it’s complicated, mouthful of a name, Melanochromis Auratus makes an uncomplicated fish to house in an aquarium.
Habitat: Melanochromis auratus are from Lake Malawi. Lake Malawi has many rocky areas, as well as some grassy and sandy areas to provide ample cover to its inhabitants. They live in moderately hard water with the pH above 7.4. Melanochromis auratus females are bright yellow with dark brownish black lines running the length of their bodies and dorsal. The rest of the fins are clear or yellow except the caudal fin which is a combination of white and yellow.
Appearance: Though the young males of this species look like the females, they turn a very dark black color as they mature. The lines that run the length of the body turn a beige/yellow/white color. The fins are black or clear and the dorsal fin has a lovely yellow glow. When in breeding condition, the males also sport bright yellow/white egg spots on their anal fin. These males can get to 20 cm in total length. The male that I chose to keep was 12 cm in total length.
Aquarium Care: A large aquarium with plenty of hiding places such as clay flowerpots of various sizes and shapes. You can also arrange for two plastic caves and some rock and slate caves put in the aquarium. Be innovative: don’t throw away the the fish stuff boxes or the white plastic dividers and use them to create walls. Some aquarists have really used their imagination to create a comfort zone for their fish. To quote a few examples, they added clear plastic livebearer breeding-trap boxes. Then to be more creative they took the motors off several outside power filters and added the empty boxes and lids. A box of plastic plants was just thrown in on the top. To say the least the tank looked interesting.
Maintain temperature at 25C, pH 8.0, and the water hardness at 280 ppm. Water changes should be done 50% weekly.
All kinds of small to medium-sized cichlid pellets and other kinds of pellets can be fed. Also different kinds of flakes, bloodworms, white worms, brine shrimp, and plankton can be added to their diet.
Breeding and related info: The female does mouth breeding, The young ones surprisingly grow fast with adequate care but have to be housed separately from the mother.These fish like to eat. With lots of the proper food, they grow rather quickly. After a month, THE mature males started to show a change in color. With the research that has been done, we know that only one male should be kept in the aquarium.