Peacock Hueseri 5cm

Peacock Stuartgranti Hueseri
 

African Peacock Cichlids have a massive 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 African Cichlid keepers searching for a more natural fish, the Hueseri Peacock would be a great consideration.

Peacock Stuartgranti Hueseri actually gets their name from the famous cichlid aquarist Eberhard Hüser who has worked with not only this species but a whole range of African Cichlids. The colouration of these fish is a blend of both complimenting and contrasting colours with a mostly metallic blue upper half and a mild orange in the belly area. The range is also found in striations and spotting through the fins, there are also darker blue stripes that run vertically across the body. The dorsal fin also has an icy white rim which is also present in the pelvic fins. These fish do get fairly large since they max out at 17 cm and African peacocks, in general, are commonly known to be semi-aggressive fish. However, they only display aggression when it comes to territory, social hierarchy, and breeding.

Trying to find the males and females in Hueseri Peacocks is fairly easy. The easiest method is to look at the colours and fin structure, males will be much more vibrant and may even possess a nuchal hump whereas females will be smaller, have fewer colours, and more rounded fins. Males will have bright orange egg spots which are a key part of the breeding process. After laying the eggs the female will capture the eggs in her mouth which the male will fertilize. The female will mouth brood the eggs until they reach a free-swimming size.

Tank Recommendations for your Peacock Stuartgranti Hueseri

The Hueseri Peacock is a very active fish that needs a tank that is at least 470 litres and around 4 feet minimum length. The main consideration for these fish is actually the aquarium environment itself. On rare occasions, Hueseri Peacock cichlids can be aggressive to one another, so 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. Peacock cichlids are maternal mouth brooders meaning the female will raise the eggs and fry in her mouth before spitting them into a safe place in the aquarium.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Hueseri 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 with peaceful Mbunas and Haps. 
 
Usually Compatible

Other African peacocks like Dragon Bloods 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, and Ember Tetras, and also very aggressive South American Cichlids such as Oscars and Jaguar Cichlids.

Feeding your Peacock Hueseri

Hueseri Peacocks like other Peacock Cichlids are very easy to feed. It is an opportunistic feeder and will readily eat a wide range of foods being 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.