Peacock · Lake Malawi, line-bred

Strawberry Peacock

Aulonocara sp. (line-bred)

A peacock that traded blue for coral — soft, saturated, unhurried.

Display only, not for breeding purposes

This line is kept and sold as display stock only. No breeding pairs, no breeding lines, no breeding rights are sold with any fish on this page.

Display only, not for breeding purposes

Strawberry Peacocks are the calm centre of a Malawi tank. Ours carry a saturated coral-pink body over a faint metallic spangle, with the soft blue face and lyre tail of a classic Aulonocara. They are a peaceful, deliberate fish that spends its day hovering over open sand, sifting for food — a beautiful contrast beside the rock-dwelling mbuna.

At a glance

Typical size: 5–6 in (13–15 cm)
Water temp: 76–82°F / 24–28°C
pH: 7.8–8.6
Hardness: 12–20 dGH
Minimum tank: 55 gal, 75 gal for a group
Temperament: Peaceful, easily bullied
Diet: Carnivorous sand-sifter
Care level: Beginner to intermediate

Size tiers

Pricing is based on size and species. Call Mike for current pricing on the size you want.

Juvenile

1.5–2 in — unsexed

Colour comes late · call for price

Sub-adult

2.5–3 in — sexing visible

Females silver-grey · call for price

Young adult

3.5–4.5 in — pink developing

Habitat features

Open sand with scattered rock — peacocks want swimming room above the substrate.
Fine sand is essential; they sift it through their gills to find invertebrates.
Caves and overhangs at the edges for females to retreat into.
Dim, warm lighting brings out the pink; bright white washes it grey.

Water

Temperature 76–82°F, steady, with good oxygenation.
pH 7.8–8.6 built on crushed coral or Aragonite in the filter.
Nitrate kept low; peacocks are less tolerant of poor water than mbuna.
Moderate flow — no crashing current, but no dead corners either.

Compatibility

Good tank mates

✓Other peaceful peacocks and calm haps of similar size.
✓A harem — one male to three or four females.
✓Peaceful catfish and plecos that stay off the sand line.

Avoid or use caution

✕Mbuna, especially Johanni and other aggressive Melanochromis — the peacock will lose.
✕Any fish that will out-compete it at feeding time.
✕Boisterous tank mates that rush the glass; peacocks spook easily.

Diet

Quality cichlid pellets as the staple, sized small enough to swallow whole.
Frozen mysis, brine shrimp and daphnia — the closest thing to their natural sifting diet.
Small sinking granules so they can work the sand without competing at the surface.
Avoid heavy vegetable or spirulina-only diets; peacocks are micro-predators.

Keeper notes

Do not keep with aggressive mbuna unless the tank is very large and heavily broken up.
Males colour best in a harem with a slightly bigger male for competition, not a smaller one.
Peacocks are prone to Malawi bloat from rich or overfed diets — feed light and often.

See it in person

Every fish can be viewed before you buy. Appointments in Kingston or Battersea.

Reminder: display only, not for breeding purposes.

Call 613 331 2847 Contact info