Cichlids · Aulonocara
Sunshine peacock
Aulonocara baenschi · Lake Malawi: western shore sand-rock zones at Usisya, Nkhomo Reef, Benga, Maleri Is., Chipoka
We don't have a photo of the Sunshine peacock yet. If you keep one, send us a picture of your fish and your name goes on its card.
Give us a picture and get creditAt a glance
Water temperature
25–29 °C 77–84 °F
pH
7.5–9 hard, alkaline water
Adult size
12 cm 4.7 in
Swims
Bottom mostly on the floor and in caves
Keep together
5 or more a shoal feels safe
Current ≈
Gentle a steady gentle flow
Food ≈
Eats most foods
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Where it comes from
Home water
Lake Malawi: western shore sand-rock zones at Usisya, Nkhomo Reef, Benga, Maleri Is., Chipoka
Lives in lake habitat.
Shaded: the countries it comes from. 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.
Good together
-
Candy stripe L015
Plecos · 10 cm · bottom -
Zebra L046
Plecos · 8 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Boeseman's rainbowfish
Rainbowfish · 10 cm · mid-water -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Cherry barb
Barbs · 5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Need a different pH and small enough to be eaten
-
Small enough to be eaten
-
Aggressive and will eat the sunshine peacock
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 Sunshine peacock get?
About 12 cm (4.7 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Sunshine peacock need?
25–29 °C (77–84 °F).
What pH does a Sunshine peacock need?
pH 7.5–9.
Does a Sunshine peacock need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 5.
Is the Sunshine peacock aggressive?
It can be. It is semi-aggressive, so choose tank mates carefully.
What does a Sunshine peacock eat?
It eats most foods: flakes, small pellets and frozen foods.
Where does the Sunshine peacock come from?
Lake Malawi: western shore sand-rock zones at Usisya, Nkhomo Reef, Benga, Maleri Is., Chipoka.
What fish can live with a Sunshine peacock?
Good tank mates include Candy stripe (L015), Zebra (L046), Amano shrimp, Boeseman's rainbowfish, Bolivian ram.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 25 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 29 | Sourced |
| pH min | 7.5 | Sourced |
| pH max | 9 | Sourced |
| Adult size (cm) | 12 | Sourced |
| Flow | Moderate | Estimate |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | bottom | Sourced |
| Habitat | lake | Sourced |
| Smallest happy group | 5 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Semi-aggressive | Sourced |
| Diet | Omnivore | Estimate |
| Behaviour tags | eats_small_fish,hard_water | Estimate |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
