Aulonocara Blue Red Sided Peacock Malawi African Cichlid

Overview

The Blue Red Sided Peacock is a stuartgranti-group Aulonocara with a metallic blue head and back and a warm red-orange flush along the flanks, similar to the Red Shoulder forms. Like all peacocks it has a sleek, bullet-shaped body and patrols open sand in search of food. Endemic to Lake Malawi, it suits keepers with a spacious, hard water rift lake aquarium.

• Adult Size: Males around 13 cm (5 in); females smaller and plainer
• Lifespan: 6–10 years

Origin

• Native to: Lake Malawi, east Africa
• Habitat: Intermediate zone where rocky shores meet open sand

Feeding

• Diet: Omnivorous, mainly invertebrates sifted from sand
• Preferred Foods: Quality cichlid pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp, mysis, spirulina flake, daphnia
• Feeding Habits: Two or three small meals daily; avoid fatty mammal meat

Tank Mates

• Best with: Peaceful haps, Copadichromis, Placidochromis, Yellow Labs; one male with several females
• Avoid: Other Aulonocara (they hybridise), boisterous Mbuna, small fish, similar-looking males

Aggression & Behaviour

• Temperament: Relatively peaceful for a Malawi cichlid; males chase rivals
• Territoriality: Males hold a spawning territory among the rocks

Experience Level

• Difficulty: Intermediate
• Challenges: Needs hard alkaline water, strong filtration and careful stocking

Water Parameters

• Water Type: Freshwater, hard and alkaline
• Temperature: 24–28°C (75–82°F)
• pH: 7.5–8.5
• Hardness: 10–25 dGH
• Flow: Slow to moderate
• Tank Size: Minimum 250 litres with a 120 cm footprint; larger for a mixed group

Final Notes

This is a maternal mouthbrooder: females carry eggs for around four weeks and can be moved to a nursery tank to release fry. Males colour up slowly and can take a year to show full red flanks, so be patient with juveniles. Provide fine sand, rock piles, open swimming space and weekly 30 to 50 percent water changes. A mature male against dark rock is spectacular.