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Sunshine Peacock
Aulonocara baenschi
📍 Africa - Lake Malawi
The Sunshine Peacock is a stunning African cichlid from Lake Malawi known for its brilliant yellow coloration and iridescent blue markings. Males display vibrant colors and engage in fascinating mouthbrooding behavior, making them popular among cichlid enthusiasts. They are moderately easy to care for but require proper tank setup and compatible tankmates.
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Care Guide
Diet
Feed high-quality cichlid pellets as a staple, supplemented with live or frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, and daphnia 2-3 times weekly. Offer occasional vegetable matter like blanched spinach. Feed once or twice daily in portions they can consume within 2-3 minutes.
Behavior
Sunshine Peacocks are active hunters that spend much of their time sifting through substrate in search of food. Males are territorial and will display dominance through color intensification and fin flaring. They exhibit mouthbrooding behavior where females incubate eggs in their mouths for protection.
Breeding
Breeding is moderately difficult and requires stable water conditions and proper male-to-female ratios. Provide caves or PVC pipes as spawning sites. Females are mouthbrooders and will release fry after 2-3 weeks; provide fine foods like infusoria and newly hatched brine shrimp for fry.
Tank Mates
Small size may trigger predatory response; keep in large groups
Bottom dweller that avoids conflict; nocturnal nature reduces interaction
Peaceful algae eater that occupies different niche; nocturnal
Small and peaceful but may be harassed; requires group of 6+
Schooling fish that may trigger predatory instincts if kept in small numbers
Common Diseases
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)
White spots on body and fins, rapid breathing, lethargy, rubbing against objects
Increase temperature to 28-30°C (82-86°F), perform 25% water changes daily, use aquarium salt or commercial ich treatment; maintain for 10-14 days
Malawi Bloat
Abdominal swelling, loss of appetite, lethargy, difficulty swimming, pale coloration
Perform large water changes, reduce feeding, offer high-quality foods, use antibiotics if bacterial infection suspected; improve water quality and reduce stress
Fin Rot
Frayed or deteriorating fins, white or black edges on fins, fin loss
Perform frequent water changes, improve water quality, use antibiotic medication, remove sharp decorations that may cause injury
Hole in the Head (HITH)
Pits or holes in head region, loss of appetite, lethargy, white stringy feces
Improve water quality with frequent changes, provide varied diet with quality foods, use metronidazole treatment, reduce stress and overcrowding
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Quick Facts
- diet
- Omnivore - primarily carnivorous with some vegetable matter
- lifespan
- 4-6 years
- max size
- 13 cm (5 in)
- tank size
- 55 gallons minimum
- temperament
- semi-aggressive
Water it likes
- ph
- 7.5-8.5
- ammonia
- 0 ppm
- nitrate
- <20 ppm
- hardness
- 10-18 dGH
- temperature
- 75–82°F (24–28°C)