Cichlid Auratus Yellow | Melanochromis auratus

Auratus cichlid ( Melanochromis auratus ) or what we know as niasa fish is a very characteristic fish. This African cycloid is beautiful but also fierce. They are usually kept by experienced ornamental fish hobbyists. These fish measure up to 12 cm and can live between 8 to 10 years. Another name for this fish is golden mbuna.

Niasa fish food

In the wild, this species is a herbivore. Sometimes in rare cases, they can also become carnivores. On the other hand, in an aquarium, niasa fish can eat all kinds of food until they become fat! Be careful not to overeat him.

You can feed him flaky food (there are products specifically designed for cyclists made from spirulina), pellets, or dried worms. You can also complete the menu by adding fresh vegetables every day (spinach, broccoli, and others). Be careful, it is very important to avoid all food products that contain hemoglobin (such as bloodworms).

These fish will also eat the algae that cover the rocks. Sometimes they can even attack plants (watch out for fragile plants which can be damaged by voracious niasa fish).

Niasa fish behavior

The male Niasa (bottom) has two horizontal lines.

Niasa fish are quite active or even sometimes aggressive. They have a strong character that many people like. This is especially true during the breeding season, where the niasa will exhibit a very territorial character.

They like to be accompanied by similar fish. Make a herd with one male and three females. Niasa males are polygamous fish. You’ll see this fish burrowing into the bottom of the tank very often, so it can change its environment in quite a significant way.

Fish that match with niasa fish

Be careful in choosing fish friends because Melanochromis auratus has a strong character. Niasa fish will tend to dominate other aquarium inhabitants. Even the big fish won’t be given a chance because they are fast, agile, and aggressive!

Do not keep two males in a small aquarium as this can lead to inter-species territorial disputes. The bigger your tank, the better chance you have of keeping more than one male without a problem. When in doubt, simply create a herd of one male and three females in your tank.

Given the aggressive and territorial character of this fish, do not mix it with fish species that are shy, calm, or prone to stress. Also don’t include other territorial fish species as they will inevitably fight. Melanochromis auratus is slightly more tolerant of non-territorial fish. Keep the niasa fish with other fish of the same size as it.

Niasa fish breeding

Water conditions should be as close as possible to the conditions of their natural environment according to the following parameters: 26 °C, pH 7.5, and gH 16 °dGH. In a community aquarium, it is unlikely that the fry will survive. If you want to breed this species, create an aquarium specifically dedicated to breeding.

Pairs are formed only for breeding and males are polygamous fish. After mating, the female will collect the eggs in her mouth and store them for about three weeks. Take this female after one week of incubation to put her in a special aquarium. During the period when the female keeps the eggs in her mouth, she will not eat (this behavior is normal).

When the fry reach a size of 1 centimeter (0.4 inches), they are removed from their mother’s mouth. Once out, they will be rejected throughout the aquarium. After that, they will look for hiding places, especially near rocks. This breeding can produce 10 to 40 tails.

Niasa fish aquarium

Niasa fish like open spaces just like their natural environment. Choose an aquarium with a long area (at least 120 cm) with strong filtration. Its natural habitat consists mainly of rocks and very few (or no) plants. Create this rocky scene by stacking stones (prepare a hiding place in this pile for the female to rest there).

On the vegetation side, avoid fragile plants as Melanochromis auratus will happily destroy them and uproot them. Instead, choose a strong plant like Anubias that you can tie between two rocks. Do a water change of about 20% every week because the habit of digging the ground fish will pollute the aquarium.

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