▷ Turquoise Goldfish in the Aquarium | All information and details

Datasheet Turquoise Goldperch

German name:
Turquoise Goldperch

Scientific name:
Melanochromis auratus

Origin:
East Africa

Size:
Body length 9cm – 11cm

Aquarium

Length:
Length from 120 cm width

Contents:
from 250 liters

water values

Temperature:
22°-27°C

pH:
7.2 – 9.5

GH:
3° – 12° dH

Behave

Area:
lower third

Lining:
Omnivores: live food, frozen food, dry vegetable food

Behave:
Males are aggressive, not tenacious with other perch species

Number:
Harem keeping, at least 5 animals

Difficulty level:
Beginner

Origin

The most common is Melanochromis auratus in the south of Lake Malawi widespread and it belongs to the family of cichlids. Its habitat extends from Jalo Reef along the west coast to the Crocodile Rocks. On the other hand, the turquoise fish is not found on the eastern coast of the African Lake Malawi. He belongs to the genus of Mbunas, which means “those who live in the rock”. This name also describes the habitat of the turquoise goldfish. He lives in his East African homeland rocky shore areas. There he likes to eat the algae growth on the rocks and also takes in many different small invertebrates.

Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA, Melanochromis auratus (female), CC BY 2.0

gender differences

The males have a characteristic dark color pattern. They also have stripes that shimmer bluish on the sides of their bodies. The anal fin of the male fish is yellow. Once males become sexually mature, their color changes from black to turquoise green. The female fish, on the other hand, do not change their colour. The females are colored yellow – the same coloring can also be observed in young animals. Females’ side stripes are black, as is the edge of their dorsal fin. Their caudal fin looks spotty due to their coloring.

Male turquoise goldfish grow up to 11 centimeters in length, while females only up to 9 centimetres. These features make it relatively easy to tell males and females apart.

Vlad Butsky from San Jose, CA, USA, Melanochromis auratus (male), CC BY 2.0

breed

The turquoise goldfish is a mouthbrooder. This means that after the female has laid her 15-35 eggs, she takes them in her mouth.

In order for the eggs to be fertilized, the male perch shows the female his anal fin, which is equipped with egg spots. This triggers a snapping reflex in the female, while the male releases his sperm into the water. The final fertilization of the eggs takes place in the female’s mouth. After about three weeks, the ca. 1 centimeter large young hatch.

socialization

The turquoise gold perch should only be kept in larger aquariums. It can only be socialized with rock cichlids of the same size or larger. Due to the aggressive nature of males, it is best if one male is kept with 3-4 females. Living together with other perch species is suboptimal, since the turquoise gold perch can be hostile towards other species.

In order for the fish to feel comfortable in the aquarium, the tank should have a sandy or pebbly substrate. In order for the perch to retreat and hide, it is necessary that there are high rocks or stone structures in the aquarium. In addition, the aquarium can be planted with plants such as Anubias or Java fern, as these plants are very robust. The fish would dig up plants that were too tender.