(Please note that the fish shown in the photo is only a representative of what an adult specimen would look like. The color may vary based on the age and sex of the fish you receive.)
Scientific Name: Aulonocara Astuartgranti
Common Name: Blue Peacock Cichlid
Adult Size: 6 inches
Life Expectancy: 6 - 10 years
Habitat: Lake Malawi, Africa
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Ideal Tank Conditions:
- Temperature Range: 78°F
- pH Range: 7.0 - 8.0
- Hardness Range: 6 - 10
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Diet & Nutrition: Omnivore but it will eat mostly meaty foods. Provide them with a meaty diet; pellets, frozen and freeze-dried daphnia, bloodworms and brine shrimp are excellent choices. Avoid tubifex worms as they contribute to a disease called "Malawi bloat." Shrimp mixes are also a good choice.
Breeding & Spawning: Mouth brooder; should have their own breeding tank. A cichlid couple guarding their babies can be a force to reckon with and this aggression is acted out on other tank mates. A 100 gallon tank is suggested.
Gender: Males are more colorful with the back part of their dorsal and anal fins being sharper. Females are drabber with darker vertical bars and rounded anal and dorsal fins.
Compatible Tank Mates: See Compatibility Chart