Auratus Cichlid

The golden mbuna cichlid, or auratus cichlid, is a classic African mbuna family cichlid from Lake Malawi. These cichlids were among the first introduced to the aquarium trade and are easy to breed in an aquarium. The cichlid gets along with most other Africans and has a unique gold, brown, and yellow color pattern.

Quick Facts

Care Guide

Tank setup: Use a sand or crushed-coral bottom and stack plenty of rockwork with caves and hiding spots so each male can claim a territory and others can escape. Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika cichlids need hard, alkaline water; crushed coral or aragonite sand helps hold the pH up.

Feeding: Mbuna are mostly plant eaters. Feed a vegetable-based flake or pellet once or twice a day, and avoid high-protein foods, which can upset their digestion.

Tankmates: Keep mbuna with other mbuna of similar size and temperament, stocked in a group to spread out aggression. Avoid mixing them with peaceful peacocks and haps unless the tank is large, and avoid closely related species that look alike, which can crossbreed.

Good to know: Auratus are one of the more aggressive mbuna. Males turn dark brown and black as they mature, while females stay gold.