Auratus Malawi tank setup advice please?

[beercan]

Hi guys, as you may have seen from other posts, my Malawi is a bit funny now he's matured (he's about 4-5" now), and can be aggressive and likes his own teritory. He's my baby and want him to be happy so, I got to thinking...

I have a spare tank setup and was thinking of getting it up and running and getting him a mate.

I just wanted some basic advice from you guys before I trawl Google looking for it.

Basically, I want to set it up so that my (apparently male) Melanochromis auratus will be in this tank, with a female friend, but I want to get it right from the start, so I'm prepared to take the time to research it all.

The tank is 30"L, 15"H, 12"D giving a volume of 88.49 litres (23.37 UK gal).
Will this be big enough for them?
What would be a comfortable number of fish to keep in the tank, (assuming I get other tankmates for the pair)?
Also, can anyone recommend some tankmates (if any)?

Also, I'd like to hear your recommendations for water temp, etc (I know I can google this but would like to hear it first hand)?

Obviously I'll research all this, but you guys know so much you can probably help me a fair bit.

Thanks for any advice you can give.

EDIT: found a few bits of useful info in the pinned section. Is a 30" tank not enough then?

 

[vantgE]

These fish don't pair, you will need a minimum of three females for him, or you can keep him with some other males that can keep up with him. Problem is it will be very hard to find fish to stock the tank with. Auratus are generally considered the most agresive commonly availible mbuna cichlid, so you should be very careful about adding tank mates. The tank should be 55 gallons at a minimum with about twelve fish. What I would do would be is the 55 with maybe six females and some catfish (four synodontis petricola for example), but the females would need to be at least three inches absolutely minimum size, and the catfish as big as possible.
Other tankmates, Maylandia lombardoi or Maylandia crabro, pseudotropheus demasoni, any of the more agresive mbuna, It is easier to say avoid other Melanchromis species, as well as more docile mbuna labidochromis caeruleus, pseudotropheus acie, iodotropheus sperengae, and pseudotropheus saolisio

I'm also thinking tank would be best arranged in two or three distinct clusters of rocks at seperated by open water hopefully this would help prevent the aurutus male form takeing over the entire tank and just one pile instead.
I think it would definately be worth doing this for the guy they are so much happier in groups
My watter temperature is on the cold side at about 72 I think anywhere between here and 78 would be best aslong as it's stable.

Anyways it will be tough to get tankmates for a fish that size and 55 gallon is minimum if this is alright you have lot's of options to go from there

 

[beercan]

Went into the LFS today, the bloke goes:

Yeah he'll be fine in a 30" tank and yeah, you can keep him with any of the other Malawis. Just stick a few in

 

[freddyk]

I would not keep Auratus, or any tankmates that can handle them, in a 30" tank, period. They are very aggressive and should be in at least a four footer. Everything will look fine for a while and you'll be thinking 'look, it worked' and then they'll grow and mature and their true nature will really shine.

The advice your LFS gave you sounds pretty typical and unfortunately wrong.

 

[beercan]

Think I'm going to have to get rid of him...
Suggested to she-who-must-be-obeyed that I set up the 30" tank for the community tank and have the 48" for the Auratus and she says no, so I'm going to have to sort something out..
Hey ho, you live and learn...