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

(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

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Freiberg's Peacock Cichlid

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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?

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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? Never Doubtful, only with VERY calm fish Only with species of similar size Yes, a good community fish	How would you describe the disposition of Aulonocara jacobfreibergi? Very timid Slightly timid Neutral Somewhat aggresive on occasions Very aggressive
In which water conditions do you keep these fish? Very soft and acidic Moderately soft and acidic Neutral Moderately hard and alkaline Very hard and alkaline	At what average temperature? 10-15°C 16-19°C 20-23°C 24-27°C 28°C+
What, if any is the biggest difficulty encountered when breeding these fish? Poor egg production Poor egg survival Poor fry survival rate Deformities Skewed sex ratio	How would you describe sex ratios when breeding Aulonocara jacobfreibergi? If you are unsure please leave this question unanswered. Almost all males Somewhat male heavy Roughly equal Somewhat female heavy Almost all females
In general, how difficult is Aulonocara jacobfreibergi to keep and breed? Very easy Easy Average Difficult Very difficult	How sucessful have you been at breeding Aulonocara jacobfreibergi? Very unsucessful Fairly unsucessful Average Fairly sucessful Very sucessful

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

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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 females	Breeding difficulty: Very easy
Sucess: Fairly sucessful	Years Experience: 1
Other Comments:
Date this record created: 19th August 2012	Breeding date: 2012
Breeder:	Location: