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How to look after
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Freiberg's Peacock Cichlid
Johnson 1974

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi - Freiberg
Eureka strain
more images here

(Other members of the genus Aulonocara)

ADULT SIZE: 12 cm

WATER CONDITIONS: Moderately hard and alkaline

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 25-28 C

FOOD: Feed Aulonocara jacobfreibergi live and dried foods

DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from Lake Malawi

AQUARIUM CARE: This species lives on the boundary between the rocky shore and the open sanded areas of Lake Malawi, typically at a deeper, darker level than the mbunas. It lives in groups often amongst caves. Peacock cichlids are sand sifters, feeding on invertebrates that dwell in the substrate, although in the aquarium they will eat most live and dried foods. Male fish are some of the most spectacularly coloured of all freshwater fish, and they are highly prized by hobbiests for this reason.

Peacock cichlids are not as robust as many other Malawi cichlids, and fish of this genus should certainly not be kept in a mbuna tank. They can be kept with other calmer Malawi cichlids. A tank of Aulonocara males of different species can be quite a site, although this obviously prevents breeding. Pairs of different species should not be kept, as interbreeding is common in captive examples of this genus.

For more about a typical tank set-up see Setting up a Lake Malawi Cichlid Aquarium.

BREEDING: A relatively easily bred cichlid; Aulonocara jacobfreibergi is a typical matriachal mouth brooder. The breeding display consists of prolonged body shaking - quite a sight. Males can be very persistent, and it is essential that there are adequate hiding places for females.

Have you bred Aulonocara jacobfreibergi? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Aulonocara jacobfreibergi breeding reports

Similar species to Aulonocara jacobfreibergi

Other members of the genus Aulonocara

Other cichlid species

Other species from Lake Malawi

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Freiberg's Peacock Cichlid

Eureka strain

Eureka strain

A nice colourful male

A nice colourful male

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Freiberg's Peacock Cichlid
breeding notes

BREEDING: A relatively easily bred cichlid; Aulonocara jacobfreibergi is a typical matriachal mouth brooder. The breeding display consists of prolonged body shaking - quite a sight. Males can be very persistent, and it is essential that there are adequate hiding places for females.

Have you bred Aulonocara jacobfreibergi? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?

This page summarises breeding reports provided by visitors to this site, along with some statistical analysis. Please feel free to contribute - whatever your experience!

1 breeder has filled in a breeding report, a summary of which is shown in the graphs below. You can read the full reports here.

To add details of your experiences of Aulonocara jacobfreibergi, why not fill in a Breeding and maintenance Report.

Would Aulonocara jacobfreibergi be a good addition to a community tank?
graph1
  1. Never
  2. Doubtful, only with VERY calm fish
  3. Only with species of similar size
  4. Yes, a good community fish
How would you describe the disposition of Aulonocara jacobfreibergi?
graph2
  1. Very timid
  2. Slightly timid
  3. Neutral
  4. Somewhat aggresive on occasions
  5. Very aggressive

In which water conditions do you keep these fish?
graph3
  1. Very soft and acidic
  2. Moderately soft and acidic
  3. Neutral
  4. Moderately hard and alkaline
  5. Very hard and alkaline
At what average temperature?
graph4
  1. 10-15°C
  2. 16-19°C
  3. 20-23°C
  4. 24-27°C
  5. 28°C+

What, if any is the biggest difficulty encountered when breeding these fish?
graph5
  1. Poor egg production
  2. Poor egg survival
  3. Poor fry survival rate
  4. Deformities
  5. Skewed sex ratio
How would you describe sex ratios when breeding Aulonocara jacobfreibergi? If you are unsure please leave this question unanswered.
graph6
  1. Almost all males
  2. Somewhat male heavy
  3. Roughly equal
  4. Somewhat female heavy
  5. Almost all females

In general, how difficult is Aulonocara jacobfreibergi to keep and breed?
graph7
  1. Very easy
  2. Easy
  3. Average
  4. Difficult
  5. Very difficult
How sucessful have you been at breeding Aulonocara jacobfreibergi?
graph8
  1. Very unsucessful
  2. Fairly unsucessful
  3. Average
  4. Fairly sucessful
  5. Very sucessful


Remember, each record represents only one persons experience; if you had different results, or used different methods, please share your experiences

Water conditions: Neutral Water temperature: 28oC+
Disposition: Somewhat aggresive on occasions Community tank?: Only with species of similar size
Spawning Method: Other (see below)Breeding problems:
Poor egg survival
Sex ratio: Almost all femalesBreeding difficulty: Very easy
Sucess: Fairly sucessfulYears Experience: 1
Other Comments:
Date this record created: 19th August 2012Breeding date: 2012
Breeder: Location:

Fishkeeping Facts and Tips

Cichlids? There are estimated to be over 2000 different Cichlid species in the wild, of all sizes, shapes and colours. Many require very specialist conditions such as those coming from the sandy/rocky waters of Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. Others, such as the Apistogramma dwarf cichlids from the Amazon basin require softer water and a well-planted tank. In general cichlids do not make good community fish as they can get quite aggressive, especially when spawning - but a specialist cichlid tank is certainly a sight to behold, and can be very rewarding for the more experienced aquarist


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