# auratus help....



## Robchester_2000 (Sep 9, 2008)

hi, i'm new to cichlids, i went out bought books, researched tank setup, water conditions etc, had it all straight in my head, then went in the pet store, and believed everything the fish shop guy said. 

now i have two baby auratus, (i liked the colors, wasn't till i got home and did research i realised these are almost a whole different kettle of fish to other malawi's) and a greyish blue adolescent with faint bluish vertical stripes. not sure what the grey one is?? 

they are in a 10 gallon tank for the next two weeks, set up as a malawi biotope, lots of rocks piled against the back. 

the water is perfect, ph 8, and they seem fine

my problem is this.

i would like to breed eventually, and i am planning on upgrading to at least a 30 gallon next month, but now i am worried because i have some auratus, i'm gonna need to just have auratus' because they'll attack everything else, or do i take them back and swap them for something easier?
what should i do? they are fascinating, but i'm worried i won't be able to handle them.


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## roc-aquarium (Aug 26, 2008)

Honestly, I'd seriously consider bringing these bad boys back. Auratus are rather difficult to keep, let alone breed. They are going to outgrow a 30 gallon tank in no time.


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## Fishboydanny1 (Jun 13, 2008)

choose Labidochromis.... their pretty, and you could easily breed them in a 30, in fact, the minimum size is 25 gallons. there are also subspecies; mbamba, and more. do a little research, and decide what you want... I reccomend the labs....


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## Kogo (Mar 14, 2008)

Auratus are actually quite easy (as are most all mbuna) to keep and breed (although mbuna are not recommended for small tanks). Their only problem is that dominant males can become quite aggressive (even for mbuna) so be forewarned and cautious when mixing. 

mbuna as a group, are best kept in warm (80F) tanks of at least 55g with other mbuna in high concentrations with lots of rockwork. they are constant diggers so be sure to add your rockwork before your gravel so they won't crush themselves or topple aquascaping.


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## MondoAquatics (Oct 11, 2008)

Auratus are easy to keep - It will just be the other fish in the tank with them that will be hard to keep. They are as mean and nasty as they are beautiful. We've had the same one auctioned off at least 3 -4 times already at our club.

Jeff
MondoAquatics.com


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## AquaticMadness (Oct 12, 2008)

I would also add sand is a better substrate. The 30 gallon will not be big enough and you will want a bunch of mbuna to spread out aggression. I breed many peacocks and mbuna in 30 gallon tanks. It is almost the perfect size and my fish are very prolific.


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