Hi all,

Although I live in the midlands I often call into a decent proper aquatic shop that I know a few hourse from home when I'm in that part of the country.

I have always had great experience here, the fish are healthy and happy and the owner knows what he is talking about.

Anyway, I called in yesterday specifically looking for some nice small cichlids to put in my 65 ltr community tank. The owner wasn't there but the girl on duty was very nice and polite and seemed to know her stuff, or so I thought. I went away with my new fish and a nice new book as well.

I got home and put my new Banjo catfish and my two new cichlids into the tank and all seems fine. The cichlids are happy and causing no problems and are lovely to look at. The Banjo hasn't been seen since but I think that's normal, plus my substrate is a lovely soft coral sand so he's probably buried in it underneath a plant.

I then went online and tried to find out some information about my new purchases. So, I googled "Melachromis Auratus" and to my shock and horror, if the websites are to be believed, they really aren't a suitable fish for my tank and according to some sites "the most aggressive African cichlid there is".

So, what do I do now? At the moment they are only 1.5 inches long and causing no trouble after there first night but are they going to turn into the fish from hell and kill everything in sight?

Help please, I really know nothing about Cichlids and was relying on the expert opinion of the fish shop I dealt with (bigger fool me)

Hi Pointer,
The most obvious solution here is to return the fish to the pet shop. Most pet shops will take them back especially if its only a day later,explain to them that they arent suitable for your tank and that you purchased in error. They should have no problem with taking them back.

Gavin

lol of all the fish to end up with

They are headbangers - best to bring them back alright.

Hi pointer,

I have a few Melachromis Auratus in my malawi tank with yellow labs and kenyis and I have no bother with them at all. The labs and kenyis were in my tank long before the Melachromis Auratus arrived and I think they knew there place so to speak. Even now the Melachromis Auratus are adults and there is still no trouble. Once ur tank is big enough and maybe a male with 2 or 3 females I'd say they might be ok. Shame to send them back so soon coz they're nice fish.

Best of luck with them

Hi all and thanks for replying.

I went in looking for some kind of a dwarf cichlid like Kribensis or MacMasters as I have a pair of Rams and I was told they are also good in a community tank.

Because it's not my local shop it would take me half a day and plenty of petrol to return them and end up costing me far more I'd be saving.

If anyone in the Westmeath area is interested in taking them PM me.

What about asking your LFS for a swapsie. if they are good and healthy cant see them mindin too much. I've done it a couple of times, especially if they know ya

Great idea but I haven't really got an LFS, just a couple of pet shops that sell fish if you know what I mean.

I'd happily give them away for free to a fish keeper that wants them.

Beautiful fish, I just don't want them killing all my other fish.

I won't pass comment upon your new purchases as I know little about Malawi Cichlids but something I read after in the thread caused me a little concern,
"my substrate is a lovely soft coral sand"
if you already have Rams in here and were looking to add Kribs or, even worse, Macmasteri I would really like to point out to you that Coral sand is hardly the best substrate for any of these fish, although Kribs will tolerate harder water with higher pH at a pinch the other two Dwarf Cichlids are from softer, lower pH waters in South America and Coral sand, being primarily made up of shells of Coral Polyps, is not really conducive to making your water ideal for the conditions required for these fish - in fact Coral sand and gravel is often used as a hard water buffer to raise the hardness and pH of water...exactly the opposite of what you would ideally be trying to create. Perhaps someone could clarify also about the Banjo Catfish, I think, but am not sure, that these also come from soft water too?
Now, for your new Auratus the use of Coral sand or gravel would be fine as Lake Malawi water is hard and alkaline...but you mightn't be keeping those anyhow? I have read about these too and there have been a few posts on this Forum regarding them if my memory serves me right (use 'search' function to look back). But a 'normal community fish' they aren't - this could actually be said of many, if not most, Malawis too...they're just too boisterous - much the same, actually, could be said of Kribs when they get the reproductive urge upon them - they can be little demons too.
They could be fine for a while but I think you shouldn't make any long term plans to keep them, and anyway a 65 ltr tank wouldn't be really big enough anyway.

Sorry to be being the bringer of bad news, but these are a couple of things you ought to be aware of.

John

Yeh banjo catfish are from south america, most wild caught, have been bred but not much... PH 6-7.5, wouldnt go much higher, they seem to be prone to fungal infections in high PH,
Auratus are mad!! however, as i have said before, in the correct size tanks are usually ok...please do research before buying......PM me if you want any further info!!!!
Best of luck!!

M. auratus is definitely not for beginners, even though it is often purchased by unsuspecting and naïve admirers. The reason for being a difficult or problematic fish is due to the fact that it is far more aggressive than the majority of Mbuna. Adult males are perhaps the most aggressive of any Mbuna available, period. They are violently intolerant of male conspecifics (i.e., fish of similar appearance). Simply do not try and keep more than one of these males in anything less than 125 gallons. Males can be quite effective at laying claim to almost half of a 50-gallon aquarium, fighting anyone who trespasses, unless to spawn.

well ive made mistakes to but i would keep em in my view .