From Aqua Guide, the free encyclopedia
Peacock Cichlid
Aulonocara stuartgranti
- Temperature
- 23–29 °C
- pH
- 7.5 – 9
- Min. tank size
- 243 L
- Lifespan
- 6-8 years
- Diet
- carnivore
- Care level
- moderate
| Scientific classification | |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name: | Aulonocara stuartgranti |
| Family: | Cichlidae |
| Origin: | Africa (Lake Malawi, East African Rift) |
| Care Characteristics | |
| Care Level: | moderate |
| Diet: | carnivore |
| Max Size: | 13.00 cm |
| Water Type: | freshwater |
| Temp Group: | tropical |
| Temperament: | semi aggressive |
| Min Group: | 5+ together |
| Varieties: | This is the section that matters most for peacocks, because the trade has made a mess of them. Aulonocara stuartgranti alone shows significant geographic variation, and forms such as stuartgranti "maleri" and stuartgranti "mbenji" may turn out to be distinct species. They are traded under locality names — Ngara, Chilumba, Usisya, Maleri, Mbenji and many more — and each is a distinct population worth keeping separate. Hybridisation with related species is documented, and mixing Aulonocara species in aquaria produces exactly that. On top of the natural forms sit a large number of man-made strains. OB peacocks carry a blotched pattern derived from crossing with other Malawi genera. Dragon blood, strawberry, ruby red, sunshine and firefish are line-bred or hybrid creations with no wild equivalent. They are attractive and they are not species. Worse, some brilliantly coloured "peacocks" have been artificially dyed. If the colour looks impossible, it probably is. If you want a fish you can identify in five years, buy a named locality form from a breeder who keeps species and populations separate, and keep one Aulonocara species per tank. |
| Lifespan: | 6-8 years |
Quick Tips
- Bioload:Medium to high
- Min Tank:243 L
- Substrate:Sand (it sifts) with rock caves; aragonite buffers pH high
- Plant Safe:Plant-safe (sifts sand; few plants in Rift setups)
- Filtration:High (hard alkaline water; strong filtration)
Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara stuartgranti) is a species of fish in the family Cichlidae. It is native to Africa (Lake Malawi, East African Rift). The peacock is the Malawi cichlid people buy for colour, and a dominant male in a mature tank is one of the most spectacular fish in fresh water — metallic blue over the face and flanks, shading to gold and orange along the body. It reaches 130 mm standard length and comes from Lake Malawi. It hunts differently from most cichlids. A peacock hovers just above the sand, motionless, listening — enlarged sensory pores on the head detect the movement of invertebrates buried in the substrate, and the fish strikes down into the sand when it senses one. Watching that happen is the reason to keep them over sand rather than gravel. That feeding method also makes substrate a hard requirement. Fine sand is essential; coarser gravel or small pebbles can inhibit feeding, damage gill filaments and even be ingested. Two warnings run through this page: hybridisation, and what the trade has done to it.
Compatibility
- Temperament
- semi aggressive
- Keep in
- Groups of 5+
- Swims
- middle
- Fin nipper
- No
- Delicate fins
- No
Species similar to Peacock Cichlid
Matched on family, then category, then water type