Peacock cichlid

Quick facts

Adult size

14 cm

Lifespan

can live up to 10 years

Tank zone

mid-bottom

Temperament

semi-aggressive

Difficulty

intermediate

Water parameters

Temperature

24–28°C

pH

7.5 to 8.5

Hardness

10 to 25 dGH

Tank requirements

Minimum volume

250 L

Minimum length

120 cm

Flow

low

Lighting

any

Substrate

sand

Hiding spots

needed

Open swimming room

needed

Feeding

Diet: omnivore, feeds primarily at the mid-bottom.

Cichlid pellets, frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp. More protein-tolerant than mbuna; the Malawi bloat risk from high-protein food is lower in Aulonocara than in Maylandia/Labidochromis.

Compatibility

• Less aggressive than mbuna; peacocks are the Malawi cichlid for people who want color without nonstop aggression
• Keep with other peacocks or with mild haps (Copadichromis, Protomelas). Mixing peacocks with mbuna usually goes badly; the mbuna bully the slower peacocks off food
• Sand substrate is important; peacocks sift sand through their gills to find invertebrates. Gravel prevents this natural feeding behavior and can damage gills
• Hybridization is rampant in the hobby. 'OB peacock' is a hybrid between Aulonocara and mbuna; any multi-colored peacock without a species name is probably a hybrid. Purists keep single-species tanks
• Males color up only when dominant; subdominant males stay dull brown and look like females. In a small tank, only one male gets full color

Habitat

Genus Aulonocara is endemic to Lake Malawi with 20+ recognized species. Found over sand and intermediate (sand-rock transition) zones rather than pure rock like mbuna. Use enlarged sensory pores on the head to detect invertebrate movement in sand; they hover motionless over the substrate and strike when they feel vibration. The iridescent blue/orange/yellow coloration of males is among the most intense in freshwater fish.

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder. Males display their brilliant coloring on a sandy territory to attract females. After spawning, the female incubates 20-40 eggs in her mouth for 21-28 days without eating. Fry are released as free-swimming miniatures. Males of different Aulonocara species hybridize freely, so keep only one species per tank to avoid muddying the lineage. Dozens of color varieties exist, both wild-type and line-bred.

Common problems

Hybridization between different peacock species or between peacocks and other haplochromines is the biggest concern for breeders. Tank-raised hybrids are common in the trade and sold under made-up names. Males need space to establish territories; in undersized tanks, dominant males suppress the color of subordinates. Bloat from high-protein diets is a risk, as with all Lake Malawi cichlids.

Bioload

Bioload coefficient: 4.5 (moderate-heavy; larger-bodied than mbuna with similar feeding intensity).

Bioload coefficients are calibrated against the neon tetra as the anchor (1.0). See the methodology page for the formula and how each value was derived.

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Stocking ideas by tank size