Bi-Colour Maulana Peacock 5cm

Bi-Colour Maulana Peacock 

African peacock cichlids have a cult following of their own. With so many colour variations a mixed peacock aquarium is a true spectacle to see with all the activity and colour. These fish are often the best alternative to a saltwater aquarium because of how vibrant these cichlids are and many of the popular colour strains have been developed in captivity through line breeding. For the Malawi peacock purists or for African cichlid keepers searching for a more natural fish, then the bi-colour peacock would be a great consideration. 

Bi-colour peacocks get their name due to the split body colour of these fish. Their whole aesthetic is based on two contrasting colours blue and yellow which work together in such a way to create this spectacle. From the face to just past the eye the bi-colour peacock spots a metallic ocean blue which transitions to yellow. This once again glittering yellow colour is quite prominent up until a quarter of the way into the fish and then begins to fade back to blue. It’s quite interesting to see how these colours both look like a gradient but are also broken up with the faint vertical stripes on the body. The fins also range between yellow and blue whilst also having a blend of the two colours through spots or stripe-like patterns. These fish do get fairly since they max out at 17 cm and African peacocks in general are commonly known to be semi-aggressive fish. They however only display aggression when it comes to territory, social hierarchy, and breeding. 

Trying to find the males and females in bi-colour Maulana peacocks is fairly easy. The easiest method is to look at the egg spots on the anal fin of the fish. Males will have lots whereas females will have little to none, another common method is to look at the tips of the dorsal and ventral fin. In males, these tend to be more pointed whereas in females they are rounded. The wild habitat of African peacock cichlids in lake Malawi.  

Tank Recommendations for your Bi-Colour Maulana Peacock  

The bi-colour peacock is a very active fish that needs a tank which is at least 470 litres and around 4 feet minimum length. The main consideration for these fish is actually the aquarium environment itself. Since dragon-blood peacock cichlids can be aggressive to one another, it is best to have a lot of visual breaks in the tank.

These fish also need a higher PH of around 8.0, this can be maintained through the use of crushed coral or aragonite sand and conditioning salts. To also make the colours pop on the bi-colour peacocks, keeping them on a blue background would also be great. 

Suitable Tank Buddies

The bi-colour peacock is fairly peaceful and can be kept with other colour variations of the peacock species. Overstocking peacocks in aquariums is common to avoid aggression or territorial behaviour, however, this can lead to more water changes and maintenance. This can be avoided by keeping minimal fish in a large aquarium with lots of visual breaks.  Consideration can be made to keep them peaceful Mbunas and Haps. 

Usually Compatible

Other African peacocks like dragon blood or neon blues and other common species such as electric yellow labs.

Sometimes Compatible

Larger haps such as venustus, Fuscodichromis and small Africans such as julidochromis.

Rarely Compatible

Shrimp and nano aquarium fish like neon tetras, ember tetras, and also very aggressive South American cichlids such as the Oscars and Jaguar Cichlids.

Feeding your Bi-Colour Maulana Peacock Cichlid

Bi-colour peacocks like other peacock cichlids are very easy to feed. It is an opportunistic feeder and will readily eat a wide range of foods both dry, fresh, and frozen. Their diet should contain good quality African cichlid pellets with high contents of spirulina or greens. Feeding these fish once a day will be perfectly fine.