Sunshine Peacock Cichlid

Aulonocara stuartgranti

Peacocks hover over the sand and listen for buried prey with sensory pits on their heads. Males glow sunshine yellow with a blue face.

A semi-aggressive freshwater fish that grows to 12 cm, lives near the bottom and needs 23–28 °C, pH 7.5–8.6 and an aquarium of at least 200 L.

Care at a glance

Water

Freshwater

Temperature

23–28 °C (73–82 °F)

pH

7.5–8.6

Adult size

12 cm (4.7 in)

Aquarium

200 L or bigger (53 US gal)

Temperament

Semi-aggressive

Group size

Fine on its own

Swims

Bottom

Diet

Omnivore

Wild home

Sandy bays of Lake Malawi

Good to know

• Territorial. Fights other territorial fish in its zone, especially in small tanks.
• Eats invertebrates. Hunts shrimp, snails and crabs.

Tank mates

Good company: Bala Shark, Bloodfin Tetra, Boesemani Rainbowfish, Bristlenose Pleco, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, Firemouth Cichlid, Molly, Rosy Barb, Swordtail, Yellow Lab Cichlid.

Will eat: Amano Shrimp, Celestial Pearl Danio, Chili Rasbora, Crystal Red Shrimp, Ember Tetra, Endler's Livebearer, Ghost Shrimp, Mystery Snail, Neocaridina Shrimp, Nerite Snail, Pea Puffer.

Eaten by: Asian Arowana, Motoro Stingray, Ornate Bichir, Oscar, Siamese Tigerfish.

Fights with: Black Ghost Knifefish, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, German Blue Ram, Kribensis, Red-Tailed Black Shark.

Attacks: Corydoras, Kuhli Loach, Otocinclus, Zebra Pleco.

Attacked by: Flowerhorn, Jack Dempsey.

Eats the newborn fry of: Angelfish, Betta, Black Skirt Tetra, Bloodfin Tetra, Boesemani Rainbowfish, Bristlenose Pleco, Cardinal Tetra, Cherry Barb, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Comet Goldfish, Congo Tetra, Corydoras and 28 more.

Its fry are eaten by: Angelfish, Axolotl, Bala Shark, Black Ghost Knifefish, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Comet Goldfish, Electric Blue Acara, Fancy Goldfish, Firemouth Cichlid, Flowerhorn, Frontosa, Jack Dempsey and 4 more.

Grown ones eat their own newborn fry, so raise the young in another aquarium.

Colours and breeding

• Sunshine rare
• OB Peacock rare

In Aquarius a grown male and female breed in a healthy tank. Their young are born about 1 cm long and take after one of the parents.

The care values are the ones Aquarius uses, based on how these animals live. Tank mates follow the game's rules: water type, temperature and pH, who can swallow whom, fin nipping, temperament and territory.