Cichlids · Cichla
Peacock bass
Cichla kelberi · Araguaia and lower Tocantins drainages, Brazil
Photo: Igor Balashov, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist
At a glance
Water temperature ≈
24–28 °C 75–82 °F
pH ≈
6–7.5 neutral water
Adult size
58.5 cm 23 in
Swims ≈
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together ≈
Fine alone
Current ≈
Gentle a steady gentle flow
Food
Meaty foods
Temperament ≈
Semi-aggressive
Where it comes from
Home water
Araguaia and lower Tocantins drainages, Brazil
Tocantins, Araguaia
Lives in river habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Keep apart
-
Need a different pH and small enough to be eaten
-
Small enough to be eaten
Agassiz's dwarf cichlidAltum angelfishAmano shrimpAngelfishAngelicus L136Betta (Siamese fighting fish)
-
Need a different pH and aggressive and small enough to be eaten
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Peacock bass get?
About 58.5 cm (23 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Peacock bass need?
24–28 °C (75–82 °F).
What pH does a Peacock bass need?
pH 6–7.5.
Does a Peacock bass need to be kept in a group?
No. It can be kept on its own.
Is the Peacock bass aggressive?
It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.
What does a Peacock bass eat?
Feed meaty foods: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and quality sinking pellets.
Where does the Peacock bass come from?
Araguaia and lower Tocantins drainages, Brazil.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 24 | Estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 28 | Estimate |
| pH min | 6 | Estimate |
| pH max | 7.5 | Estimate |
| Adult size (cm) | 58.5 | Sourced |
| Flow | Moderate | Estimate |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | middle | Estimate |
| Habitat | river | Estimate |
| Smallest happy group | 1 | Estimate |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Estimate |
| Diet | Carnivore | Sourced |
| Behaviour tags | eats_small_fish | Sourced |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.