All Aulonocara are mouthbrooders, females keep fertilized eggs in their mouth for 3 weeks for full development. Heads and tails develop approx. 4-5 days mouthbrooding the eggs. Only males show bright beautiful colors, females are a grey to brown color with some barring. Looking close females may show a hint of color in the face or other parts of the body matching the males’ colors. Aulonocara Lwanda Hai Reef Peacocks See Video are easy to keep in clean freshwater 40 gal & up, 78F PH 7.2-8.6 hard water.  Although a variety of foods are suitable, excess feeding can cause specimens to reach extra-large sizes not common in the wild. I use small feedings of my CaliforniaCichlids.com Spirulina Flakes & Color Enhancing Pellets for uniform growth and amazing coloration.  Average mature adult size is 4″-6″ for males with females 1″-2″ smaller. Male coloration begins approx. 2″ & breeding begins 2.5″-3″ size; spawns can range 12 to 50+ eggs depending on size of female.

SPECIES/COMMON NAME: Aulonocara Nyassae / Peacocks

DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Lake Malawi, Africa. Open sandy/pebble bottoms with some rocks for refuge. Does well with anubias plants, minimal rock work like texas holey rock, utah lace rock.

COMPATIBILITY/TEMPERMENT: Mildly Aggressive, Tank Mate options Victorian Haps, Malawi Haps, Malawi Peacocks, Synodontis Cats, Plecostomus.

Captive Bred or Wild: Most offered are captive bred, although wild are avail they generally are not as big as captive bred males.

WATER CONDITIONS: Freshwater 72F-84F optimum temp is 78F / Any colder and Ick becomes a concern, any warmer and oxygen levels are lower in the water. KH 10-15 / PH 7.2-8.4 adjustments are not recomended unless outside of this. 1 TBS Natural Solar Salt per 5 gals, slime coat addative w/ aloe vera.

DIET: Omnivore – Aulonocara peacocks readily accept most foods, its important not to overfeed as this can cause bloat, Pellets & Flakes recomended. When feeding if food on bottom of tank after 5-10 min you over fed, skip a day and feed less next time. Food should be eaten within 5 minutes. It is never advised to over feed.

MAX STANDARD LENGTH: 6″ for adults males 4.5″ adult females

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEXES/REPRODUCTION: Dimorphic / Maternal Mouthbrooder – Males are brilliantly colored females are not colorful and range from greys to browns in wild types. If looking close you can often see hints of color resembling the males in females faces or body giving a clue to specie as females can be impossible to tell apart from 1 specie Aulonocara to another, it is advised not to mix them or certain hybridization will result. When Aulonocara Peacocks are 2.5″-3″ size, Males begin to color & females are ready to breed for the first time. Aulonocara Peacocks are maternal mouthbrooders, 21 days from egg to fry. heads & tails after 5 days. broods 12-48 fry. 3 Males w/ 9 females makes for a quality breeding group without bottle knecking the genetics in off spring scaling up from here for serious production.

AQUARIUM SIZE: 40 gallon & up.

MAINTENANCE:35% water change 1 time per month, vaccume substrate, clean glass, rotate decor, collect any fry from holding females as needed. Maintenance filters every 4 months or sooner as needed. Add water conditioners. Fill with 78F

NOTES: Easy to keep fish, hardy. Very colorful. Wild Cichlids tend to carry some form of Heximitia when collected from the lake. Importers, wholesalers, retailers begin the medication treatment upon arrival. it is advised hobbists practice quarantine tanks and observation before adding new fish to very exspensive aquariums. When medicating new fish from the wild or outdoor ponds from Florida Metronidazole, Solar Salt, Fresh Clean Water, clears them up very well.