I have a male one, I didn't know much about them to begin with as I am new to fishkeeping. When other fish started dying I then realised it was the autoris. He's ultra aggressive and has killed and will kill any other fish i put with him in the matter of hours. I have to keep separated from other fish at the moment while I try and find someone with a tank where he may be suited, nobody wants to know lol.
You nailed it on the female coloration. Not many know about how the females will darken if without a spouse or to show dominance. Every tank I’ve ever had over the decades, the Auratus has always been the top of the hierarchy.
I had a Nasty Male Auratus named Putin for years and he killed everybody too. I tried different tanks with different fish but he basically hated everyone. He was Super aggressive! I felt bad donating him to a Local Fish Store but the Owner said maybe if he was placed in a new environment he would change. I highly doubt it!
@@manicrymesmy first cichlid was an auratus I put him with community fish not knowing they were aggressive however he was the chilliest auratus cichlid I ever had. He died when I went on vacation. Ammonia spike cause the filter turned off. Every single auratus I bought after was a demon
Yes.... Absolutely agreed.... Good info.... My Auratus is now the #1 most dominant in the tank.... Incredibly territorial and aggressive towards those who attempt to either invade his territory or challenge his dominancy.. They're beautiful but , In my opinion very contentious..... Tanks for sharing....
That's really an amazing fish really love those Cichlids got myself... I have a thing for agressive fish. But M. auratus are not only agressive but beautiful and interesting fish!
Lol, yes... I remember having one and it ruled the entire tank. We named him/her "Elvis..." All of the other fishes hung out near the "top" zone of the tank.
Every time I've ever had one, it's always been the alpha. Sometimes it shifts, but it's not long until they make a push back. My experiences have pretty much been the same as yours.
+MaxwellReviresco Yes I think that because these fish are so fast it makes them confident in their fighting, making them so aggressive! Thanks for watching!
dwsdarius Ah ok, but perhaps you aren't aware but Melanochromis group have the ability to change sex. in an environment where the dominant male is absent, the most dominant female can literally change sex, not just coloration. There are saltwater wrasse capable of the same thing but this is one of the few freshwater fish capable of doing it. Apparently the males a can change into females too but I have never witnessed such a feat. Whatever he or she is at this point, she's gorgeous! =)
Awesome video man! Um just now stumbling across this,I was doing a search for Auratus and your video popped up,just trying to find out more info about them. I have a 90 gallon African Cichlid tank that I set up approximately 7 years ago. Within the first 3 months I purchased about 10 Cichlids and a Pictus catfish, and over the last 7 years most of my fish have died off, with the exception of my Pictus, Auratus,and a yellow Cichlid with light black tiger stripes. I originally purchased 2 Auratus, both were about an inch long when I first bought them and they were both mainly yellow,with a couple of black stripes and some white separating the black and yellow,always thought they were very striking looking, just beautiful fish. They were somewhat timid at first,never really engaging in too many fights but over the course of the next couple of years,as they got bigger I noticed that they were starting to take on a little more aggression,and also noticed one Aurutus remained mostly yellow while the other one turned a very dark brown,almost grayish black with yellow stripes,very similar to yours. He was the more aggressive of the 2 but still not as aggressive as the alpha Male in my tank,a very light pink,almost white African cichlid who was about 5 1/2" long and ruler of the tank. He passed late last year and my darker Auratus took over as the role of alpha male. I never replaced any of the fish that died off so I'm only down to 3 fish,and my Auratus has mellowed out a little unless another fish passes thru his personal space and he quickly chases them around the tank for a few seconds. I'd love to add a few more fish but something tells me that since he has already shown dominance in the tank that most any fish I add would surely be bullied unless I invest a good chunk of money in a larger Male cichlid and even then it would be a gamble. I'll have to check out some more of your videos,definitely like the commentary and it's a sweet looking setup.
Wow, yes that sounds like the Auratus alright! Maybe being that yours is older, if you try again with some young mbuna they'll be able to grow up and possible keep up, if not dominate him
I agree...I have had two Auratus and they were hands down the most aggressive and active cichlids I ever had to deal with. They have killed several over cichlids to the point I had to take them out of my tank and give them to the pet shop. My personal favorite cichlid is melanochromis chipokae. He was the alpha male in the tank but not actively aggressive. Must better to look at as well. Just as quick and powerful as the auratus minus the big attitude.
I definitely agree--most aggressive by far even if they're not the biggest! Mine continues to expand his territory, he wants the whole thing! I've always read that mbuna don't really like plants but he is guarding my java fern on one side of the tank and his cave way on the other side. The other fish just don't even know what to do as he zooms back and forth.
Putting small caves like pvc pipes in mbuna tank is common but it’s a bad practice imo. This encourages them to be very territorial. Their habitat has big boulders of rocks. You don’t really see them in the wild stuck in a small cave.
Great informative video. Our Auratus recently turned the exact same color as yours, I looked it up and thought it must be a male, but it said the males turn blue as they get older. It got darker after adding about four new fish to the aquarium. We've had it for about a year and a half to two years and it's about 3 inches. Nice looking tank too!
Thank You...yes these are very strange fish. Some one just told me a few weeks ago that these fish can change gender....now I'm not 100% sure about that but it just makes this species even more interesting!
She is a beauty Darius. Love the colors on her finnage. I recently started with M. Chipokae. Still young around 2.5-3" or so. Looks like 10 females/3 males. We'll see how crazy they turn out to be...
Yea I've heard the Chipokae are worse. But that's generally due to their larger size and people keeping them in too small a tank. Large amounts of females will help. Not a fish suited for an all male tank. Probably be the top dog no problem.
AJK Aquaria mines in a 150 gallon hes only about 4 inches long but he killed 3 of his females previus when he was in a breeder tank with 5 females. now hes in with allsorts he jasnt killed anything but he wont allow any other fish to fight. if they do he goes steaming over n breaks it up
I have this fish. I bought it because there was one that was standing out with his crazy colors but then after like a week with my other mbunas this guy became the boss. He stressed the heck out of all my fish and one is dead now, he ate his eyes and all. Now he’s still the boss with two mbunas left and he will probably kill them two, he’s hard to catch so I can’t do anything. The only one he don’t attack is my turtle, he just goes and like nibs on his Shell.
I have two of those in my 75 gal. they were added at the same time, one with male color and the other is female color. they are only about 3 in in length right now and certainly not the biggest in my tank. I don't know how they will act as they get bigger but for now, they have fallen in line with the others and are a great addition to the tank. I have other mbuna species in with it that are much smaller and none have been picked on yet. only time will tell. thank you on the information. it was a great help.
hi, i have 13 of these auratus cichlids which are 3 months old in a 5 gallon tank. i bought from a pet store and they told me that they are zebra danios. I am a beginer. i had to cycle my tank and got to know that zebra danios are the hardest of all.. basiclly i feed them the fish food pallets. when i got to know that they are cichlids, i started to give mosquitos now and then. I understood from ur video that they will grow to 3 to 4 inches and my tank is small. i can afford for upgrading the tank with 36"x20"x20"=14400 cubic inches i.e., 235ltrs/ 62UsGallons .. will this size of tank be sufficient for them... this is the final size of the tank i can go with...
Hello, wow that's big mistake for the petstore to sell these as zebra danio! A 62 gallon is not a bad size, but as they mature it will be best to remove some of the males as they will most likely fight to the death; probably 2 males and 5-6 females in this tank. Males with turn to the mostly black color while females keep their juvenile coloration. They are mbuna which are naturally algae eaters in the wild so algae flakes and wafers will help improve color and health with these fish.
So territorial amazingly aggressive. I had one yrs ago she killed about every fish I had. lol like the way you elaborated on the aggressiveness on this fish .
+Carolina Fish Keepers Thanks, yes that's a common technique that females use to look tougher....but its good that you have a female and not a male because females are mean but males are just nasty!
Thank You, that's actually a DIY Led light that I made using LED Light Strips, here's a link to it: www.ebay.com/itm/5M-RGB-5050-Waterproof-LED-Strip-light-300-SMD-44-Key-Remote-12V-Supply-Power-US-/381732461535?hash=item58e1071bdf:g:rmMAAOSwgZ1Xq~JA
Uh oh... I’m going to have to keep an eye on mine lol. I saw him at a pet store last week and just had to buy, but had minimal knowledge. I’m worried now because I have a mixed Malawi tank with some peacocks and OBs I want to stay safe. he’s definitely close to the biggest in the tank too. Him and a few other fish have sized each other up but the first few days have seemed pretty peaceful, maybe I got lucky?
Beautiful tank! I wish I had watched your video before buying a second Auratus. I had no idea they were so agro. I thought Johannis were bad! The new Auratus is a male and he is constantly trying to kill the female I've had since the tank was set up. Both are juveniles and the male is just slightly bigger than the female. Will he grow out of this behavior as he matures sexually and switch to mating behavior? Do you think it is possible for the fish to be female with male colors like yours even though it's still a juvenile?(measures 2.5" long with the girth of a football, lol) At this point, I'm thinking the new fish will have to go. It's a shame, because he is a beautiful variation. I'm not sure if he could be a hybrid or if it's possible for Auratus to have an OB gene, but he is speckled and gorgeous. Any suggestions? Rearranging the tank doesn't help. He dominates everyone in the tank and isn't even close to being the biggest fish, but he tries to kill the female Auratus. Luckily, she has lots of hiding spots. The rest of my Mbuna are really peaceful. (as peaceful as cichlids can be, anyways)
+De Luth I have to agree with Caleb that these fish are just mean fish regardless of their gender! It is possible that a female could change colors at a smaller size...mine changed when she was 2 inches; however if yours is attacking a larger female Auratus it definitely sounds like a male...which is bad news! My female was insane and I can't imagine how bad a male would be! I believe that part of that aggression is from the fact that they are faster than most other Mbuna which boast their confidence making the A*#holes towards other fish! As you said, no matter how much you rearrange the tank they will still be nasty, so the only solution that I would recommend is getting rid of it! They do good in species only tanks where they can deal with their own kind! I know its hard to just get rid of a fish but every trick that work on other Mbuna won't work on these fish! You can separate them for sometime, overstock your tank, or try any other trick that work on other Mbuna but from my experience these fish are just mean! Good luck in making your decision!
I bought 2, and not knowing much about them, I got a blue one(male) and a yellow(female) they are both young and small but the male is smaller. will they breed?
thanks. :) I bought another female today smaller. turns out, the big one I bought is another species. they look almost identical in color and stripes, but the bigger one looks more like a bass. and is a mustard yellow. any idea what this species can be? whatever it is, it's the most aggressive fish in my tank
I found out a way to add more fish into a tank with a dominant M. auratus, the new fish need to be half his size or smaller. it worked for my tank, at least. (Keep in mind this doesn't give them a complete pass, they just probably won't be killed.)
Yeah I could imagine that they wouldn't bother smaller fish that aren't as much as a threat....but I don't think I'll be keeping this fish again! Thanks for watching!
I have the same one and he/she grew into a black one. But recently he/she started turning its black parts into light grey... what could this mean? (Just to mention, I only had one Melanochromis and 2 electric yellow labs. But a few days ago I thought it’s a good idea to buy a 2nd Melanochromis to make a pair with the one I had. Although the one I had has already turned into an adult, the one I bought it still a baby. But could it be that my older one is changing color because there is a 2nd one like him in the tank now?)
Yes that could be the case...females change into male coloration to show dominance when there are no males in the tank...perhaps your juvie is a male? How's aggression? There are few African cichlids as nasty as melanochromis arutus
@@dwsdarius The Adult one that was already there was the tank bully. Extremely aggressive to everyone. The baby is still very calm and friendly, but it seems as though the adult has began to calm down and not chase after everyone that much anymore. Maybe the baby is a male?
Just rescued one two days ago an its in with 10 barbs all 2in an bigger 8in pictus catfish 12in pleco 2 golden rams an 2 electric blue rams an 14 clown loaches holding its own nobody bothers the lil guy(1.5in)maybe
@@dwsdarius i have female im assuming cause it looks exactly like that but she changes color on belly from dark to the yellowish color....do only males dig caves????
You think I could house one of these with some convicts? If not I have some juliodochromis cichlids, but he might be too aggressive for that too. IF I HAD TOO, could I put it in with my Red Devils and Dovii? Haha that seems like a bad idea but could calm his aggression for sure, if not kill him.
Lol, definitely cross red devils and dovii off the list. They are most likely too aggressive for julies...but convicts should be able to handle their aggression...if possible try to get a female, they are a bit milder
My little bastard was picked on then once he grew up he killed cichlids twice his size. I couldn't believe it. He's killed so many fish yet I can't rid of him
Nice looking fish. Auratus cichlid is the only common name that it has been called, that I know of. It is definitely an aggressive species of Mbuna. What's the dark colored fish with the pink on it's dorsal fin, anal fin and tail?
Thanks, I think you might be talking about my Victorian cichlid, its a Haplochromis sp. 35...not to dominate so he's not showing off as much color as he could!
I agree about Auratus being very aggressive. I have an albino in the "reject" tank (sadly). She's beautiful but was attacking her tankmates. I turned in the other one to my lfs hoping she'll come down...Wrong!!!
A mature female (usually around 4-5 in) will hold eggs in her mouth every couple of months regardless if a male is present or not; look for periods where she doesn't eat but it looks like her mouth is full. If its a male look for dancing behavior in front of other cichlids to seduce them. Both of those methods take a while to fully know. The most sure, fastest way to know is to catch the fish and vent it (check underneath for male or female organs)
DWSDARIUS FISH TANKS omg that’s awesome advice. And I see you have a large tank as a amateur fish keeper I’ve kept 5 fish 2 algae eaters and 2 cray fish in a 30 gallon I got them all at the same time. I watched a few videos and begin to think they tank is too small. But they all get along well and I’ve seen other videos where they say keep them in a crowded tank so they can spread the aggression. So now I’m thinking bigger tank yes ...but what’s a right size to where there isn’t too much room to become territorial but will accommodate the size the will be when all full grown
@@sabrinawilliams5938t depends on the type of fish, if you have other cichlids than its hard to give a tank size because of how unpredictable cichlids can be. If you have yours with non cichlids, than your melochromis will say as the alpha fish and won't need as big of a tank. But ideally, a 55g would work
I thought that with this species in the absence of a male the dominant female was actually capable of changing it's sex from female to male as some marine fish can ??
No they only change appearance, not completer gender...even though mine showed male colors she continuously produced eggs throughout my time of keeping her
I have a male one, I didn't know much about them to begin with as I am new to fishkeeping. When other fish started dying I then realised it was the autoris. He's ultra aggressive and has killed and will kill any other fish i put with him in the matter of hours. I have to keep separated from other fish at the moment while I try and find someone with a tank where he may be suited, nobody wants to know lol.
You nailed it on the female coloration. Not many know about how the females will darken if without a spouse or to show dominance. Every tank I’ve ever had over the decades, the Auratus has always been the top of the hierarchy.
Thanks, yes I think its their speed...if gives them so much confidence which leads to aggression
That's true that was my first cichlid! Ten years ago, that was my great introduction to cichlids 😂 he killed everyone 😞
I had a Nasty Male Auratus named Putin for years and he killed everybody too. I tried different tanks with different fish but he basically hated everyone. He was Super aggressive! I felt bad donating him to a Local Fish Store but the Owner said maybe if he was placed in a new environment he would change. I highly doubt it!
@@manicrymesmy first cichlid was an auratus I put him with community fish not knowing they were aggressive however he was the chilliest auratus cichlid I ever had. He died when I went on vacation. Ammonia spike cause the filter turned off. Every single auratus I bought after was a demon
Yes.... Absolutely agreed.... Good info.... My Auratus is now the #1 most dominant in the tank.... Incredibly territorial and aggressive towards those who attempt to either invade his territory or challenge his dominancy.. They're beautiful but , In my opinion very contentious..... Tanks for sharing....
Thanks, my female is bad but I could imagine yours being a male being much worst! Hopefully he doesn't kill anyone as tank boss!
that cichlid looks awesome amazing video dwsdarius
Thank You!
That's really an amazing fish really love those Cichlids got myself... I have a thing for agressive fish. But M. auratus are not only agressive but beautiful and interesting fish!
Indeed!
This is one of the best series out there bro. Hope you don't run out of amazing fish. Lol. You'll get them when your salt is up. Lol. Awesome bro
Thanks Mike....yes when I get my reef started this series is going to go to a new level!
Another amazing fish! She's a beauty. Very cool that she has some male coloration to her.
Thanks, yeah its nice to have the male colors without that aggression of a male because males are always worst!
You have beautiful fish!
Thanks
I enjoyed the background of your Female Auratus! She looks pretty cool.
Thanks, its nice to still have a fish that came from one of my first trips to the lfs!
That is impressive!
Lol, yes... I remember having one and it ruled the entire tank. We named him/her "Elvis..." All of the other fishes hung out near the "top" zone of the tank.
My fave looking fish may be the Electric Blue.
Nice tank and fish
Thank you!
Every time I've ever had one, it's always been the alpha. Sometimes it shifts, but it's not long until they make a push back. My experiences have pretty much been the same as yours.
+MaxwellReviresco Yes I think that because these fish are so fast it makes them confident in their fighting, making them so aggressive! Thanks for watching!
Great video Darius!👍
Thanks Tray!
amazing tank those fish are beautiful congratulations
Thank you!
Awesome amazing fish DWS!:)
Thank You!
Nice video and info :)
Thanks!
Thank you this was so helpful! Wondering why I’m having so many problems with my others
Hear it!!! On Point!!! Thank You!
Thank you!
Beautiful range of fish !
Thank you
Thank you! amazing video.
Thank You!
That's an exceptionally beautiful auratus variety, not all auratus have the orange running through the middle of the white lateral stripe.
Thanks, yes when you look pass the aggression she's a beautiful fish!
dwsdarius That's a male!
twas brillig Nope, a female! She shows male coloration for dominance, but she's held eggs multiple times...a common trick with auratas females!
dwsdarius Ah ok, but perhaps you aren't aware but Melanochromis group have the ability to change sex. in an environment where the dominant male is absent, the most dominant female can literally change sex, not just coloration. There are saltwater wrasse capable of the same thing but this is one of the few freshwater fish capable of doing it. Apparently the males a can change into females too but I have never witnessed such a feat. Whatever he or she is at this point, she's gorgeous! =)
twas brillig Wow, now that you mention that, I do think she may have changed into a male! She kept that male coloration all her life!
Awesome video man! Um just now stumbling across this,I was doing a search for Auratus and your video popped up,just trying to find out more info about them. I have a 90 gallon African Cichlid tank that I set up approximately 7 years ago.
Within the first 3 months I purchased about 10 Cichlids and a Pictus catfish, and over the last 7 years most of my fish have died off, with the exception of my Pictus, Auratus,and a yellow Cichlid with light black tiger stripes.
I originally purchased 2 Auratus, both were about an inch long when I first bought them and they were both mainly yellow,with a couple of black stripes and some white separating the black and yellow,always thought they were very striking looking, just beautiful fish.
They were somewhat timid at first,never really engaging in too many fights but over the course of the next couple of years,as they got bigger I noticed that they were starting to take on a little more aggression,and also noticed one Aurutus remained mostly yellow while the other one turned a very dark brown,almost grayish black with yellow stripes,very similar to yours. He was the more aggressive of the 2 but still not as aggressive as the alpha Male in my tank,a very light pink,almost white African cichlid who was about 5 1/2" long and ruler of the tank.
He passed late last year and my darker Auratus took over as the role of alpha male. I never replaced any of the fish that died off so I'm only down to 3 fish,and my Auratus has mellowed out a little unless another fish passes thru his personal space and he quickly chases them around the tank for a few seconds.
I'd love to add a few more fish but something tells me that since he has already shown dominance in the tank that most any fish I add would surely be bullied unless I invest a good chunk of money in a larger Male cichlid and even then it would be a gamble. I'll have to check out some more of your videos,definitely like the commentary and it's a sweet looking setup.
Wow, yes that sounds like the Auratus alright! Maybe being that yours is older, if you try again with some young mbuna they'll be able to grow up and possible keep up, if not dominate him
I agree...I have had two Auratus and they were hands down the most aggressive and active cichlids I ever had to deal with. They have killed several over cichlids to the point I had to take them out of my tank and give them to the pet shop. My personal favorite cichlid is melanochromis chipokae. He was the alpha male in the tank but not actively aggressive. Must better to look at as well. Just as quick and powerful as the auratus minus the big attitude.
Yes Melanchromis species can be a handful, I've only kept aratus and johanni
That’s true for me the most aggressive Cichlid ever
Try chipokae cichlid not only are bigger than auratus but their aggression is insane
I definitely agree--most aggressive by far even if they're not the biggest! Mine continues to expand his territory, he wants the whole thing! I've always read that mbuna don't really like plants but he is guarding my java fern on one side of the tank and his cave way on the other side. The other fish just don't even know what to do as he zooms back and forth.
They are little monsters...which is why I don't think I'll ever get one again!
Putting small caves like pvc pipes in mbuna tank is common but it’s a bad practice imo. This encourages them to be very territorial. Their habitat has big boulders of rocks. You don’t really see them in the wild stuck in a small cave.
Beautiful fish
Thanks!
Great information as always and definitely a very aggressive cichlid however, my Kenyi and Cobalt were even more mean and stronger.
Thank you, I've had some pretty bad Kenyi's too, but this fish in my opinion still sits at the top of the list for aggression!
Oh dang I got one he small right now guess he gonna be a monster later on
Great informative video. Our Auratus recently turned the exact same color as yours, I looked it up and thought it must be a male, but it said the males turn blue as they get older. It got darker after adding about four new fish to the aquarium. We've had it for about a year and a half to two years and it's about 3 inches. Nice looking tank too!
Thank You...yes these are very strange fish. Some one just told me a few weeks ago that these fish can change gender....now I'm not 100% sure about that but it just makes this species even more interesting!
Can you tell me the name of that orange cichild? I also brought it,
I thought it was a electric banana cichild, but now the colours are light orange
Red zebra cichlid?
She is a beauty Darius. Love the colors on her finnage.
I recently started with M. Chipokae. Still young around 2.5-3" or so. Looks like 10 females/3 males. We'll see how crazy they turn out to be...
Thanks, I hear that Chipokae's are not as bad....but only time will tell!
dwsdarius I have a male chipokae by far the hardest fish in my tank makes my auratus look timid
Yea I've heard the Chipokae are worse. But that's generally due to their larger size and people keeping them in too small a tank. Large amounts of females will help. Not a fish suited for an all male tank. Probably be the top dog no problem.
AJK Aquaria mines in a 150 gallon hes only about 4 inches long but he killed 3 of his females previus when he was in a breeder tank with 5 females. now hes in with allsorts he jasnt killed anything but he wont allow any other fish to fight. if they do he goes steaming over n breaks it up
I have this fish. I bought it because there was one that was standing out with his crazy colors but then after like a week with my other mbunas this guy became the boss. He stressed the heck out of all my fish and one is dead now, he ate his eyes and all. Now he’s still the boss with two mbunas left and he will probably kill them two, he’s hard to catch so I can’t do anything. The only one he don’t attack is my turtle, he just goes and like nibs on his Shell.
They are insane fish...if I ever keep them again it will be a species tank with maybe 6 of just that one species
I was rearranging the tank and mine decided he wasn't afraid of my hand anymore so he started to nip at it
I have two of those in my 75 gal. they were added at the same time, one with male color and the other is female color. they are only about 3 in in length right now and certainly not the biggest in my tank. I don't know how they will act as they get bigger but for now, they have fallen in line with the others and are a great addition to the tank. I have other mbuna species in with it that are much smaller and none have been picked on yet. only time will tell. thank you on the information. it was a great help.
Thank you, hopefully you get lucky; a lot of people have bad experiences with these fish
hi, i have 13 of these auratus cichlids which are 3 months old in a 5 gallon tank. i bought from a pet store and they told me that they are zebra danios. I am a beginer. i had to cycle my tank and got to know that zebra danios are the hardest of all.. basiclly i feed them the fish food pallets. when i got to know that they are cichlids, i started to give mosquitos now and then. I understood from ur video that they will grow to 3 to 4 inches and my tank is small. i can afford for upgrading the tank with 36"x20"x20"=14400 cubic inches i.e., 235ltrs/ 62UsGallons .. will this size of tank be sufficient for them... this is the final size of the tank i can go with...
Hello, wow that's big mistake for the petstore to sell these as zebra danio! A 62 gallon is not a bad size, but as they mature it will be best to remove some of the males as they will most likely fight to the death; probably 2 males and 5-6 females in this tank. Males with turn to the mostly black color while females keep their juvenile coloration. They are mbuna which are naturally algae eaters in the wild so algae flakes and wafers will help improve color and health with these fish.
So territorial amazingly aggressive. I had one yrs ago she killed about every fish I had. lol like the way you elaborated on the aggressiveness on this fish .
It's still the most aggressive fish I've owned!
i have an auratus that is colored up the same as yours and i also think mine is a female and yeah she is aggressive and just wide open. great video
+Carolina Fish Keepers Thanks, yes that's a common technique that females use to look tougher....but its good that you have a female and not a male because females are mean but males are just nasty!
What light do you use on this tank ? Colors is very beautifull
How many kelvins ?
Thank You, that's actually a DIY Led light that I made using LED Light Strips, here's a link to it:
www.ebay.com/itm/5M-RGB-5050-Waterproof-LED-Strip-light-300-SMD-44-Key-Remote-12V-Supply-Power-US-/381732461535?hash=item58e1071bdf:g:rmMAAOSwgZ1Xq~JA
Thank you :)
My female looks just like yours also.. Fish looking awesome
My male Kenyi and Red Top Zebras are my most agressive fish in my tank
Thanks, I've kept Kenyi before and they can be nasty as well!
very nice another amazing fish
Thanks James!
Uh oh... I’m going to have to keep an eye on mine lol. I saw him at a pet store last week and just had to buy, but had minimal knowledge. I’m worried now because I have a mixed Malawi tank with some peacocks and OBs I want to stay safe. he’s definitely close to the biggest in the tank too. Him and a few other fish have sized each other up but the first few days have seemed pretty peaceful, maybe I got lucky?
Hopefully, these guys can be NASTY so hopefully your lucky!
Beautiful tank! I wish I had watched your video before buying a second Auratus. I had no idea they were so agro. I thought Johannis were bad! The new Auratus is a male and he is constantly trying to kill the female I've had since the tank was set up. Both are juveniles and the male is just slightly bigger than the female. Will he grow out of this behavior as he matures sexually and switch to mating behavior? Do you think it is possible for the fish to be female with male colors like yours even though it's still a juvenile?(measures 2.5" long with the girth of a football, lol) At this point, I'm thinking the new fish will have to go. It's a shame, because he is a beautiful variation. I'm not sure if he could be a hybrid or if it's possible for Auratus to have an OB gene, but he is speckled and gorgeous. Any suggestions? Rearranging the tank doesn't help. He dominates everyone in the tank and isn't even close to being the biggest fish, but he tries to kill the female Auratus. Luckily, she has lots of hiding spots. The rest of my Mbuna are really peaceful. (as peaceful as cichlids can be, anyways)
no he will not mine is a female and she runs my tank and she's the smallest..I can only imagine how a male is
+De Luth I have to agree with Caleb that these fish are just mean fish regardless of their gender! It is possible that a female could change colors at a smaller size...mine changed when she was 2 inches; however if yours is attacking a larger female Auratus it definitely sounds like a male...which is bad news! My female was insane and I can't imagine how bad a male would be! I believe that part of that aggression is from the fact that they are faster than most other Mbuna which boast their confidence making the A*#holes towards other fish! As you said, no matter how much you rearrange the tank they will still be nasty, so the only solution that I would recommend is getting rid of it! They do good in species only tanks where they can deal with their own kind! I know its hard to just get rid of a fish but every trick that work on other Mbuna won't work on these fish! You can separate them for sometime, overstock your tank, or try any other trick that work on other Mbuna but from my experience these fish are just mean! Good luck in making your decision!
I kept mines with bumblebees they both were just as bad together always running circles.
I bought 2, and not knowing much about them, I got a blue one(male) and a yellow(female) they are both young and small but the male is smaller. will they breed?
They won't breed until they are both about 3 inches, the large female may make it hard for the male to breed with her, but its not impossible
thanks. :) I bought another female today smaller. turns out, the big one I bought is another species. they look almost identical in color and stripes, but the bigger one looks more like a bass. and is a mustard yellow. any idea what this species can be? whatever it is, it's the most aggressive fish in my tank
what species is that silver grey looking one at 5:59? I have one that's mustard yellow that looks similar to that one, same horizontal black stripes
What is the one with light blue with red on top
That my cobalt red top , scientific name: Maylandia Greshakei
I found out a way to add more fish into a tank with a dominant M. auratus, the new fish need to be half his size or smaller. it worked for my tank, at least. (Keep in mind this doesn't give them a complete pass, they just probably won't be killed.)
Yeah I could imagine that they wouldn't bother smaller fish that aren't as much as a threat....but I don't think I'll be keeping this fish again! Thanks for watching!
I have the same one and he/she grew into a black one. But recently he/she started turning its black parts into light grey... what could this mean? (Just to mention, I only had one Melanochromis and 2 electric yellow labs. But a few days ago I thought it’s a good idea to buy a 2nd Melanochromis to make a pair with the one I had. Although the one I had has already turned into an adult, the one I bought it still a baby. But could it be that my older one is changing color because there is a 2nd one like him in the tank now?)
Yes that could be the case...females change into male coloration to show dominance when there are no males in the tank...perhaps your juvie is a male? How's aggression? There are few African cichlids as nasty as melanochromis arutus
@@dwsdarius The Adult one that was already there was the tank bully. Extremely aggressive to everyone. The baby is still very calm and friendly, but it seems as though the adult has began to calm down and not chase after everyone that much anymore. Maybe the baby is a male?
That's cool, you'll know for sure wants its about 3 inches or so which is when the color would change
I love the colour of the auratus but not the aggression. I used to have one about 5or 6years ago.
Thanks, I'm glad that mine is calming down a little...she still willing to fight anyone, anywhere for any reason...but she's a lot better than before!
Still looks really nice though
Just rescued one two days ago an its in with 10 barbs all 2in an bigger 8in pictus catfish 12in pleco 2 golden rams an 2 electric blue rams an 14 clown loaches holding its own nobody bothers the lil guy(1.5in)maybe
He'll definitely hold his own, its the rest you have to worry about...he might start with the rams
Yea i was kinda think that cause they did the ol circle dance then looked at each other an swam opposite direction
Rams are bigger for now lol
@@dwsdarius i have female im assuming cause it looks exactly like that but she changes color on belly from dark to the yellowish color....do only males dig caves????
I thought bumblebees was the mostly dominant until I got some of these guys! Then boom! One Became the alpha in a week
Yes these are some little monsters
You think I could house one of these with some convicts? If not I have some juliodochromis cichlids, but he might be too aggressive for that too. IF I HAD TOO, could I put it in with my Red Devils and Dovii? Haha that seems like a bad idea but could calm his aggression for sure, if not kill him.
Lol, definitely cross red devils and dovii off the list. They are most likely too aggressive for julies...but convicts should be able to handle their aggression...if possible try to get a female, they are a bit milder
Just got my first batch of fry and I do have another female that looks like the male and I think she’s holding.
Yeah they take on the male coloration to try to intimidate tank mates
My little bastard was picked on then once he grew up he killed cichlids twice his size. I couldn't believe it. He's killed so many fish yet I can't rid of him
Nice looking fish. Auratus cichlid is the only common name that it has been called, that I know of. It is definitely an aggressive species of Mbuna. What's the dark colored fish with the pink on it's dorsal fin, anal fin and tail?
Thanks, I think you might be talking about my Victorian cichlid, its a Haplochromis sp. 35...not to dominate so he's not showing off as much color as he could!
I agree about Auratus being very aggressive. I have an albino in the "reject" tank (sadly). She's beautiful but was attacking her tankmates. I turned in the other one to my lfs hoping she'll come down...Wrong!!!
I don't know why but Melonochromis species are insane!
The only fish that can learn ultra instinct
Lol
Should I worry about this fish in my hatchling turtle tank with a Chinese algae eater and a school of Danios?
my auratus does the exact same I had two in my tank and I thought they was both males bcuz of color until I saw the fry
nice OG peacock
Thank YoU!
imo auratus and chipokae tied for most aggressive
+Linh Nguyen I never kept chipokae before... but I could imagine them being just as aggressive! Thanks for watching!
+dwsdarius Chipokae are predatory fish. They also get bigger than auratus. Ive kep them both, and imo the chipokae is a tad more aggressive
Karen neeskens Wow if they are more aggressive and bigger than the auratas they must be monsters...and that's too bad because they look good!
My fish started off yellow now it looks like this one. How the heck did that happen
Male took on adult coloration...or female feeling extra manly!
@@dwsdarius how can I tell if my fish is really a male or just a female taking the male color.
A mature female (usually around 4-5 in) will hold eggs in her mouth every couple of months regardless if a male is present or not; look for periods where she doesn't eat but it looks like her mouth is full. If its a male look for dancing behavior in front of other cichlids to seduce them. Both of those methods take a while to fully know. The most sure, fastest way to know is to catch the fish and vent it (check underneath for male or female organs)
DWSDARIUS FISH TANKS omg that’s awesome advice. And I see you have a large tank as a amateur fish keeper I’ve kept 5 fish 2 algae eaters and 2 cray fish in a 30 gallon I got them all at the same time. I watched a few videos and begin to think they tank is too small. But they all get along well and I’ve seen other videos where they say keep them in a crowded tank so they can spread the aggression. So now I’m thinking bigger tank yes ...but what’s a right size to where there isn’t too much room to become territorial but will accommodate the size the will be when all full grown
@@sabrinawilliams5938t depends on the type of fish, if you have other cichlids than its hard to give a tank size because of how unpredictable cichlids can be. If you have yours with non cichlids, than your melochromis will say as the alpha fish and won't need as big of a tank. But ideally, a 55g would work
Thankfully he is the smallest one in my tank
I have 2
I thought that with this species in the absence of a male the dominant female was actually capable of changing it's sex from female to male as some marine fish can ??
No they only change appearance, not completer gender...even though mine showed male colors she continuously produced eggs throughout my time of keeping her
yea dude lbs for lbs that is the most aggressive african cich
Nice.male.bro
Thanks...but its a female showing male coloration!
Wtf are u serious?
dogglet1234 Yes, I've had her for about 3 years and she has held eggs many times she just keeps that male coloration I guess to look tough!
Ooh lol.amazing
Maybe she changed to male coz there were no males...
Yes I believe if I had a male she sould have kept her female colors
She dont have a egg spot
Egg spots don't determine gender...both male and females can have egg spots...males just tend to have more