Peacock cichlids are a type of fish that originate from Lake Malawi. Peacock cichlids are fish whose male use there bright colors to attract females. Thus, the colors of the male fish is one of a main features to look for in any aquarium that features these fish.
However, if you place the wrong type of fish into the aquarium with the peacock cichlids, the fish may become aggressive towards each other. Fish that exhibit aggression tend to flare their fin and chase the other fish in the aquarium, potentially causing injuries to those same fish. Thus, using a compatibility chart to ensure that the different types of fish in the aquarium are compatible with each other is essential.
How to Care for Peacock Cichlids
The aquarium that you establish for the peacock cichlids should reflect the natural habitat in which they are found in Lake Malawi. Therefore, you should provide light sand for the fish to live on the bottom of the aquarium, as well as rocks upon which the fish can exhibit their territorial behaviors. The temperament of the fish vary slightly within the species of peacock cichlid, as some fish of that species is more milder than others.
Thus, it is important to ensure that each species of fish has similar temperament within the aquarium. In establishing a breeding group of peacock cichlids, the ratio of the fish should be specific to ensure that the fish remain healthy. For instance, the aquarium should contain one male of a specific species of fish, as well as three or four females of that same species.
Should the number of females be less than the number of male, the male is potentially giving too much attention to the female, which can lead to stress for the female fish and cause her colors to fade. Additionally, it is recommended to avoid placing multiple males into the same aquarium, as the males will become aggressive towards one another and fight for dominance of the aquarium. However, fish of different species tend to get along with one another due to the different colorations of their scales.
The size of the aquarium in which you are to keep the peacock cichlids is also important to the success of the aquarium. Small aquariums may contain only the breeding pair of fish, but larger aquariums allow for other species of fish to be added to the tank. For instance, you can add mbuna or haps to the aquarium, as both species require the same type of water to survive as do the peacock cichlids.
The water should have a pH level of approximately eight, and should remain within the low eighties in temperature. Additionally, you can also add bottom-dwelling species of fish, such as catfish, to the aquarium, as they perform the scavenging of the sand on the bottom of the tank without competing for its use with the peacock cichlids. Species of fish that you should not add to the aquarium to house the peacock cichlids include other fish that live upon the rocky area of Lake Malawi, and who are also aggressive towards other fish of the same habitat.
These types of fish will exhibit aggression towards the peacock cichlids, leading to their nipping at the fin of those fish. Additionally, you should also avoid fish from the areas of South America for the aquarium. These types of fish require soft water, which may lead to shock for the peacock cichlids and their system.
Adding species with different requirements for the water to there aquarium could lead to those species becoming sick or even dying within the tank. In establishing the physical setup of the aquarium, there are a few features that will ensure that the health and coloration of the fish is maintained. Providing light sand in the tank will allow for the scales of the fish to reflect and exhibit their color to the viewer of the aquarium.
Additionally, incorporating rock stacks into the aquarium will provide visual breaks for the male fish to establish their territories within the tank. Feeding the fish a diet of spirulina-laced pellets twice per day, as well as providing brine shrimp as an occasional treat, will help maintain the colors of the fish. Finally, changing the water in the aquarium regular will help maintain the water parameters required of the species of fish.
Maintaining the tank for the peacock cichlids requires some additional features to the aquarium in order to ensure the survival of these species of fish. Providing light sand within the aquarium will allow for the scales of the fish to appear more bright to the viewers of the tank. Incorporating rock formations into the aquarium will allow the male cichlids to exhibit their territories without the fish from that species continuously fighting with one another.
Additionally, feeding the fish a diet of spirulina-laced fish food twice per day, as well as providing brine shrimp as an additional food source, will help to maintain the bright colors of the fish. Finally, changing the water within the aquarium at regular intervals will help to maintain the water parameter required of the cichlid species. You should of noticed that peacock cichlids need alot of care.
One of the most important thing is to ensure that you’re water is clean and moddern equipment is used for filtration. It’s harder than it looks. You cant just set it up and leav it alone.
Also, the fishes behavior depends on the aquariums size. It’s also vital that you dont add too many new fish at once. Youll want to monitor the tank closely.
