The German Red Peacock is another popular variant of this cichlid which may develop a lighter red color. OB peacock cichlids, like the red and strawberry types, are a crossbreed, this time between Mbuna and the peacock cichlid. The breed has been in the hobby for around 15 years and wears a cocktail of colors and shades. However, the meaning of OB is orange blotched.
Males are brightly colored with a brilliant metallic head, but the body may be dominated by blue or orange to yellow cast. Egg-spot are common on males as well. To ensure your peacock cichlids are well taken care of, you will need to pay attention to their natural habitat when setting up your fish tank and also replicate their wild diet to ensure the fish remain healthy.
Therefore, when establishing your peacock tank, it is crucial you replicate the Lake environment in the aquarium. For instance, Lake Malawi is widely considered to be an alkaline water body, and the tropical climate keeps the surface temperature warm.
For this reason, keep your peacock cichlid tank fairly basic with a ph of about 7. Pet stores sell rift lake salts African cichlid salt which contain calcium and bicarbonate and can be used to buffer water alkalinity and hardness to mimic the African great lakes conditions.
Also, the lake is known for its water clarity and is extremely stable in terms of its ph and other key parameters. Ergo, try to keep your water chemistry within the acceptable range, with minimal to no spikes. Another aspect of the lake that is imperative to mimic is the sandy and rocky areas in the water where peacock cichlids live. Before you get to set up your Aulonocaras aquarium, you will have to select a tank.
I recommend you go with a gallon, though any tank size from gallons will be adequate. Of course, the size of your tank will also depend on how many fish you plan on keeping, and whether yours will be a community or a species only aquarium. That said, remember all cichlids exhibit some aggression and territorial tendencies, which means you may want a bigger tank if you have other aggressive species. Otherwise, add lots of rocks and driftwood to break the horizontal line of sight, and provide refuge spots for vulnerable fish as well.
Lastly, peacock cichlids are active swimmers, so a horizontal tank is preferable as it gives the fish more swimming space. When you set out to put up your peacock cichlid aquarium, you will first need to add a sandy substrate and a lot of rocks to replicate their wild habitat. This is especially important because Autonocaras are bottom-dwelling hence the base of your tank plays a part in keeping the fish comfy and settled.
You may want to avoid gravel substrates because sharp pebbles can easily cut the fish gills as they swim and feed near the bottom. Even so, sandy substrates are known to get blown up into freshwater aquarium filter intakes and damage them. Plus make sure when you add decorative rocks, they will easily sift through the substrate.
Some people recommend using crushed coral as a substrate in peacock tanks to help harden the water, which can work, but putting the coral in the filter would be much better. Therefore, you will need hardy species like Java fern and anacharis which will grow deep root in the substrate. You can add driftwood in your aquarium as well, albeit the need to exercise caution because natural wood, like peat moss, will release tannins into the water and lower the ph in your tank.
Like most African cichlids, peacocks will probably be the fish that test your filtration because they are big active fish hence feed more and produce a lot of waste.
Consequently, canister filters are the best to use in Aulonocaras fish tanks as long as you clean the enough; at least once per month. Moreover, whatever filter you purchase, make sure the rating is at least double the actual volume of your tank to ensure the water stays crystal clear akin to the clarity of Lake Malawi. One final point about water quality; when doing your water changes, you can either opt for frequent, little changes or a big, occasional change.
I recommend small-frequent changes to keep your aquarium water chemistry stable considering cichlids come from a unique natural setting.
However, you can try to compare both chops in your tank to see which works best for your fish and schedule. However, the fish exhibit predatory tendencies in nature and feed on insects and small invertebrates a lot. Typically, peacocks dive close to the sand substrate to retrieve the food. Therefore, in the aquarium, you should feed them adequate fleshy foods, but for a daily treat, quality cichlid pellets should be the core of their diet.
A properly constituted diet is especially because the fish grow fast and big and need to maintain a healthy immune system and a bright coat. For the meat diet, you can feed your cichlids with brine shrimp live or frozen or frozen daphnia. You should avoid tubifex worms and all mammal meat as it can cause Malawi bloat. Aim to give the fish several small portions throughout the day instead of a single large feeding. Also, make sure the fish can eat the whole portion in less than 5 minutes to keep leftovers from accumulating in the tank and cause water quality issues.
Moreover, make sure you feed your fish with sinking pellets as peacock cichlids are bottom-dwelling and will rarely come up to the water surface to feed. Most cichlids have a reputation for being aggressive and having an outright bad attitude. However, peacock cichlids are more amiable hence can live better in a community aquarium than most of their cousins.
This substrate should only be used for African Cichlid tanks because it naturally raises the PH of your aquarium water. In my opinion, these fish almost need to have as real of an environment as possible. Meaning try and mimic their natural environment as best as possible. By doing this I am suggesting buying or finding real rock, preferably store bought rock such as Slate, Tulfa, and lace rock etc.
Store bought rock is probably the safest because anything found outside may have unseen bacteria or organisms living on it that will not be suitable for your aquarium. If you decided to go with rock dwelling species, then it is reccommended to build a structure in the tank to create caves and overhangs so the fish will feel at home.
Trust me, if the fish feels comfortable, you will see them more. Lighting is an easy hurdle to overcome when setting up a Tang tank. These fish usually do not come from an environment containing lush vegetation, so you will not need any fancy lightning to keep these fish happy.
So experiment a little, and see which one suits your needs. Tanganyikan Cichlids are a tropical fish, so they will need a submersible heater. Most brands of heaters show the appropriate wattage per gallon, so read the directions carefully.
I keep my tang tank at a constant 78 degrees F. I would say that is probably a temperature to aim for. African Cichlids in general like a naturally alkaline hard water. The easiest way to achieve this is to use well water as most city water is quite the opposite. Also, most bottled water is neutral to acidic, so stay away from this if possible.
On a side note, Most Tanganyika fish have been tank raised and will usually adapt to different Ph levels using a slow drip acclimation method. The chances of getting Wild fish are very rare, unless you order your fish from a supplier.
I will also provide you with the proper water parameters for keeping fish from this lake:. All this information has been gathered from personal experience, and I hope you do decide to setup A Tanganyika Tank all for yourself. Much luck to you, and if you have any questions, you can message me through My Aquarium Club. Please leave me a comment. ChaosReborn is a champion veteran at My Aquarium Club. Display name. Email to be Notified Optional. Get notifications. By clicking 'Submit' or otherwise submitting this form you agree to the Site Terms and acknowledge our Privacy Policy.
M y A quarium C lub. Please sign in To submit your vote please sign in or sign up , it is free and takes a few seconds. New Lake Tanganyika Build Litres. Want to About African Cichlid lake malawi Lake Malawi Cichlid Fans - I need advice. Ferris Do ya feel lucky punk? Retired Moderator. A 9" Front would be a baby - these guys can get to 15" and very much like Oscar's, they grow quickly.
A 5 footer, at least 24" deep, is the minimum for Fronts IMO. Ferris said:. Click to expand I'd say 23 fish max for an 80 gallon tank. You must log in or register to reply here. Most reactions Latest Discussions C. New to Cory Catfish. Does it look normal?
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