Peacock cichlid

Water parameters

Tolerated range for this species. Aim for the middle of each band rather than the extremes.

Tank and habitat

Substrate: sand.

Behavior

Plant interaction: may nibble soft.

Feeding

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

Origin and habitat

All 19 recognized Aulonocara species are endemic to Lake Malawi in East Africa. Found in mixed habitats where rocky areas meet sandy substrates, typically at depths of 5-50 meters depending on species. Their most notable adaptation is the enlarged sensory pores on the head (supraorbital pores and expanded lateral line canals) that detect vibrational cues from prey buried in sand. This system allows them to locate and capture small invertebrates in the substrate even in low-light conditions. Strongly sexually dichromatic, even by haplochromine standards: males display vivid blue, yellow, red, or orange coloration, while females remain drab grey-brown. All species are maternal mouthbrooders. Less aggressive than mbuna, making them suitable for community setups with other medium-sized nonaggressive Malawi cichlids. The type species is A. nyassae. A. baenschi (the "Sunshine" or "Yellow Regal" peacock) is among the best-known species in the trade but is Critically Endangered due to collection pressure. Several other species are also threatened by overcollection. Numerous line-bred and hybrid varieties exist in the trade, including "Dragon Blood" and "OB" forms, which should not be confused with wild-type species (hobby trade). Feed on benthic invertebrates in the wild.

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

Further reading

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