Sunshine Peacock
Aulonocara baenschi
Cichlidae
About
The sunshine peacock is a brilliantly coloured haplochromine cichlid endemic to Lake Malawi, found over the sand-and-rock margins around Nkhomo and the Maleri Islands. Dominant males glow in canary yellow with an electric-blue face and fins, while females stay a plain silvery grey. Milder-mannered than most mbuna, males are nonetheless firmly territorial toward rivals and their own kind, so the fish is best kept as a harem in a hard-water, sand-and-rock Malawi aquarium rather than a soft-water community.
Care
Keep in hard, alkaline water (pH 7.7-8.4, high GH/KH) at 24-26 C in a tank of 200 L or more with open sand for sifting and rockwork for cover. Best as a harem of one male to three or more females in a dedicated Malawi setup, not a soft-water community.
Diet
Carnivore that sand-sifts small invertebrates in the wild; offer cichlid pellets plus frozen brine shrimp, mysis and cyclops, and avoid protein-heavy foods that cause bloat.
Tankmate compatibility
Possible with care (210)
Avoid (61)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- VentingStrong · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition
The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.
- Egg spotsA hint only · from about 6 months
The yellow or orange ocelli on the anal fin of Malawi cichlids, traditionally explained as a lure that draws the female into mouthing them, fertilising the eggs she is already holding.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Sunshine Peacock need?
- A Sunshine Peacock needs an aquarium of at least 200 litres (52.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 120 cm (47.2 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Sunshine Peacock need?
- Sunshine Peacock does best at 22–28 °C (71.6–82.4 °F), pH 7.2–8.6 and a general hardness of 10–25 °dGH.
- What group size does a Sunshine Peacock need?
- Sunshine Peacock is a social species — keep a group of at least 4 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Sunshine Peacock suitable for beginners?
- Sunshine Peacock sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.