(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.