This is something that I noticed my auratus do. My original rescued bad boy does this all of the time - follows the catfish around after the mealtime thrash is over, like he's looking to see what gets kicked up and if it's good to eat.



I've also noticed that his offspring do the same thing. Following the cats all over the tank after feeding time. :ph43r:





This guy doesn't have a catfish in his tank, and he doesn't do it all of the time, but I often see him with the loach when it's out and about.



I haven't noticed any of the other mbuna doing this. Do any of yours forage with the bottom feeders?

My Syn. Eupterus is one of the guys always checking the bottom for that NLS mini-pellet everyone else missed, but I have not seen anyone tracking behind him tonight or that I recall.

Sounds like the behavior of some Malawi species that follow big Haps around as they forage in the sand.

BTW, I can't hear the phrase Crazy Auratus without thinking of Kim and Pete and getting a big smile on my face! Cloud 9 [To avoid being mysterious: That was their old screen name on another forum where we met.]

very interesting and great pics, take some more and enter one into the photo contest.

Don, I seriously thought this was a thread about Pete! Giggly

Aura, sounds like they're a bit opportunistic!

I never noticed ours doing that, but my guy was usually too busy trying to spawn to eat.

Great pics, I'll have to keep Pete away from here or I'll have more of those in my tanks. I just cringe everytime we walk by a tank full of them at the LFS...He'll pause and linger, much like a kid in a candy shop. I just distract him really quick if I can!

Kim

Yodahorn, if only they were in focus!

Kim and Don, when I looked at that title I almost changed it. I didn't want to sound like I was calling Pete out, but then I knew he liked auratus, so it still works. fishy

That first picture was taken back in 2005. With that nasty reputation, I've always thought it was funny the way he constantly hangs out with the eupterus. Now his boys do the same thing.

Interesting behavior, Aura!

Cool title as well. Brings back some good memories as well.

Nice fish and pics, BTW!

Are your auratus still getting along with each other?

What is your male to female ratio now?

Just curious.

Makes me want to buy 12 of them and do a Demasoni-style species tank.

Fortunately, I don't have space right now to act on that impulse!

I don't know how I missed this one! Aura they sound like they are very smart "hunters" Giggly Very nice fish BTW!

Preacherboy, I don't have nearly as many auratus as I used to. worry wart!

I lost several fish in my 55 gallon tank including some of the auratus.:Sad: It was back when my Dad was in the hospital. He had to spend a couple of nights in ICU and during that time I was not home and the fish tanks were on their own. Unfortunately, that was when my AquaClear filter stopped working - not unusual, it happens all of the time, but this time I wasn't here to take care of it.

I can't say for sure that that was the cause of the deaths. I don't know how long the filter hadn't been working and I also have an XP2 running on the tank, so I wouldn't have thought it would be that big of a problem. This was a very overstocked tank however, and it's the only reason I could come up with. I know they didn't starve to death in two days!

There was a time that we had a 44 hour power outage and I didn't lose any fish in that tank with no filters running. At that time, there was also no heat in the middle of winter and their activity level was non-existent.

Anyway, since that initial loss, the numbers of auratus have been slowly dwindling down with most of the deaths being the females. I have four males now, two females and two unknowns. I've considered adding more, but they are such a hard fish to keep that maybe this is for the best. I do have two of the males separated out into other tanks and they do just fine that way.

Pseudo, it's funny you say a demasoni style tank because I do believe that auratus have to be kept the same way they recommend for demasoni! In groups of 12+ or as singles. At least that's how it worked for me.

All has been going well with them recently, so I have my fingers crossed. With those two unknown sexes starting to mature, I have a feeling more trouble may be on it's way. Why you little..

Aura, you're probably making a wise decision not to add more. Once those mature ones settle in, it's almost an impossibility. We tried and tried to add adult females for that devil male we had, but he just wasn't having it.

I was in a LFS the other day and saw 4 definite adult males in a 10G tank for sale...I wonder how many survived to go home with someone?


Kim