Aulonocara Dragon Blood Fire Fish Peacock Malawi African Cichlid
Image for illustration purposes only. Exact colours, patterns, and size may vary between individuals.
Delivered alive, guaranteed
Live fish delivery is £20 per order, delivered Thursday, Friday or Saturday, arriving before 1:00pm on the day you choose at checkout. Packed by aquatic specialists and shipped overnight with a dedicated livestock courier, every fish is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee with automatic refunds. See How Live Fish Delivery Works for full details.
When will my fish arrive?
| Order placed | Delivery day |
|---|---|
| Up to Monday 11:00am | Thursday (that week) |
| Monday after 11:00am – Tuesday 11:00am | Friday (that week) |
| Tuesday after 11:00am – Wednesday 11:00am | Saturday (that week) |
| Wednesday after 11:00am – Sunday (any time) | Thursday (following week) |
Overview
The Dragon Blood, or Fire Fish, Peacock is a line-bred hybrid Aulonocara with an intense pink to red-orange body flecked with fine iridescent spots, and unusually both sexes carry colour. It has the sleek, bullet-shaped peacock build and busy, sand-sifting habits of its wild ancestors. Developed from Lake Malawi stock, it suits keepers wanting bold colour in a hard water cichlid tank.
- Adult Size: Around 15 cm (6 in); males slightly larger
- Lifespan: 6–10 years
Origin
- Native to: Captive-bred hybrid; ancestors from Lake Malawi
- Habitat: Not found in the wild; sand and rock rift lake style
Feeding
- Diet: Omnivorous, leaning towards invertebrates
- 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: Other peacocks and haps of similar size, Yellow Labs, Placidochromis
- Avoid: Pure Aulonocara strains you wish to breed, aggressive Mbuna, small fish
Aggression & Behaviour
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive; relatively calm for a Malawi cichlid
- Territoriality: Males defend a spawning site 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
Because females are also coloured, sexing is harder than in wild peacocks; look for the larger size and pointed fins of males, and vent them if in doubt. A maternal mouthbrooder that hybridises freely, so keep it away from pure strains. Provide fine sand, rock piles, open water and weekly 30 to 50 percent water changes. Few Malawi cichlids offer this much red in one fish.
Please Note
The livestock that is sold on our online site is not held in store at our Birchwood Aquatic Centre shop. Species sold at the Birchwood Aquatic Centre physical store may differ from ones available to order to your door.
Frequently Asked Questions
In insulated boxes designed for live transport, packed by aquatic specialists,
overnight with a licensed live-animal courier, arriving before 1pm.
It is covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.
Photograph it within 4 hours of delivery, email info@birchwoodaquaticcentre.co.uk with your order number, and the refund is processed automatically. The cover continues for 7 days after arrival.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. You pick your day at checkout; please choose a day someone is home.
Yes. One basket, one checkout; the fish arrive with the specialist courier and the rest of your order ships as normal.
We can deliver to UK mainland only for live fish.
Follow the five-minute acclimatisation steps in our When Your Fish Arrive guide: float the bags, add tank water gradually, net the fish in, lights low, feed tomorrow.