Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara sp.)

Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid overview

The Super Colour Mix is a mixed-colour selection of Aulonocara peacock cichlids for a hard-water Malawi cichlid aquarium. You choose a size, and each purchase brings one live fish of that size; the colour of any individual fish comes from the mix rather than from a named form. These are group fish in a demanding community, so the key decision comes before the first fish: can you give them a large, well-filtered Malawi tank with enough cichlids to spread their aggression?

What each purchase supplies

• Quantity: one live fish per purchase.
• Sizes: 5–6 cm, 6–7 cm and 7–9 cm. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size.
• Colour: taken from a mixed selection, so it cannot be chosen fish by fish.
• Sex: not selectable, as explained below.
• Scientific label: Aulonocara sp., the peacock cichlid genus with the species left unnamed.

Availability is shown against each size when you choose it, and it changes as fish are sold, so check the size you want at the point of ordering.

A genus label for a colour mix

The exact species has not been identified, so the care advice here follows the genus Aulonocara and its care group. FishBase lists 22 species in the genus Aulonocara, and a colour mix can draw on more than one of them, which is why the page does not attach a single species name. The genus belongs to the Malawi cichlid care group covered by OATA's care sheet for African Malawi cichlids. OATA describes Malawi cichlids as colourful, diverse and aggressive fish of the family Cichlidae that originate from Lake Malawi, one of the most biodiverse lakes in the world, and notes that the majority in the aquarium trade are captive bred.

Why choose a colour mix

A mix suits a keeper who wants variety across a group rather than a matched set of one named form. Because each fish is drawn from the mix, no two groups end up looking quite the same, and the character of the tank builds as the fish grow. If you need one particular colour form, a named fish is the better buy; if you want a lively spread of colour in a Malawi community, the mix does exactly that.

What keeping them involves

A Malawi community is a bigger commitment than a single display fish. Each day, check the thermometer, count the fish at feeding time and watch for anyone being chased. Twice a day, feed only what the group clears within a few minutes. Each week, test the water, change 25% of it and look over the filter. None of this is complicated, but the tank is deliberately well stocked, so the routine has to be steady.

Colour, sex and the photograph

Gallery images have been digitally enhanced to improve image quality. Natural colour, pattern, size and maturity can vary between live animals. The single photograph shows one fish from this type of mix, with a blue head and gold-flecked flanks; the fish you receive may carry a different mix of colours, and younger fish are still growing. Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Aulonocara Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid listing has no sex-guaranteed option. OATA explains that many Malawi cichlids only show differences between the sexes once they become adults, not as juveniles, and that the main difference is colour or egg spots on the male's anal fin.

Is this the right fish for you?

• Yes, if you already keep, or are setting up, a hard-water Malawi cichlid aquarium and want colour from several fish at once.
• Yes, if you are happy for each fish's final colour to be a surprise.
• No, if you want a quiet community of small tetras, barbs or other soft-water fish.
• No, if the plan is two or three cichlids in a medium tank.

To compare other fish from the same part of the hobby, browse the African cichlid collection.

Planning a Malawi cichlid aquarium

Size comes first

OATA's starting point is to buy as large an aquarium as is reasonably possible. It recommends at least 200 litres for a reasonable-sized community of Malawi cichlids, while noting that some more specialist species can live in smaller tanks. A peacock mix sold as individual fish fits the community pattern, so 200 litres is the figure to plan around. Larger volumes also hold temperature and water quality more steadily, which matters in a tank that is deliberately well stocked.

Filtration and oxygen

Whatever the size, a filter is always essential. The RSPCA explains how a biological filter works: beneficial bacteria turn toxic ammonia into nitrite, which is also toxic, and then into nitrate, which is safer. Because successful Malawi communities are crowded, OATA recommends an oversized filter, together with aggressive aeration so that there is enough dissolved oxygen for every fish.

The filter needs to mature before the first cichlids go in. Our guide to preparing and maturing a first tropical tank covers that stage, and it applies just as much to a large Malawi setup as to a small one.

Substrate and plants

OATA recommends coral sand or a similar substrate, which helps to buffer the water towards the hard, alkaline conditions these fish need. Expect it to be moved around: OATA notes that Malawi cichlids will often dig and rearrange the substrate, which will uproot any plants present, so only the hardiest plants are worth trying.

Decor and territories

Plan decor that the fish can claim and that you can change. OATA suggests that rearranging the aquarium decor can help to reduce aggression, because fish then have to find new territories. Heavy pieces should sit securely on the base of the tank, so that digging around them does not bring anything down.

Setting up in order

1. Place the heavy decor securely on the base of the empty tank.
2. Add coral sand or a similar buffering substrate around it.
3. Fill with conditioned water, then fit the heater, the oversized filter and the aeration.
4. Let the filter mature, testing until ammonia and nitrite read zero.
5. Check pH and hardness against the ranges in the water section.
6. Stock in stages, a group at a time, as described under introducing new fish.

Working in that order avoids two setbacks that are easy to prevent: decor that shifts once the fish start digging, and a filter asked to cope with a full community before it is ready.

Hard, alkaline water

OATA describes Malawi cichlids as a specialised group that needs particular water. The figures below are its general guide for the group; they are not a measured optimum for any one species in this mix.

How your tap water compares

Test your tap water for pH, general hardness and carbonate hardness before you buy any fish. Hard, alkaline supplies need little adjustment, while soft or acidic water will need the buffering effect of coral sand or a similar substrate to reach the ranges above. Our aquarium water chemistry guide explains what each reading means, and the water parameter matcher lets you set your own results against these values.

Why carbonate hardness matters here

Carbonate hardness is the part of the water's mineral content that resists changes in pH. In a well-stocked cichlid tank, the waste produced by many fish works against that buffer over time, so a steady KH reading is a good sign that pH will stay in the alkaline range. Test it alongside pH during the weekly routine, and if it starts to fall, look at water-change frequency before anything else.

If your tap water is soft

Soft or acidic tap water is not a reason to give up on a Malawi tank, but it does change the plan. Rely on the coral sand or similar substrate that OATA recommends to buffer the water, give it time to work before the fish arrive, and confirm the result with a test rather than an estimate. Once the fish are in, treat every water change as a chance for pH to move, and test after changes until you know how your own tap water behaves in the tank.

Holding the temperature

Set the heater within 23–27°C and leave it there, checking a thermometer each day. The bigger the tank, the steadier the temperature, which is one more reason OATA favours large aquariums for these fish.

The nitrate ceiling

The nitrate figure is set against your own tap water: if the tap reads 10 mg per litre, the tank should stay at or below 30 mg per litre. A crowded Malawi community produces a lot of waste, so nitrate is a useful early signal that feeding or water changes need attention.

Feeding peacock cichlids

OATA is clear that the dietary requirements of Malawi cichlids vary. It divides the advice between two broad groups:

This colour mix is not identified to species, so neither column can be applied to it with confidence. OATA's own advice is to ask the retailer for species-specific guidance, so check with us which food suits these fish before you settle on a regular diet, and tell us what else lives in the tank.

How much and how often

Malawi cichlids should only be fed what they can eat within a few minutes, twice a day. Overfeeding leads to a build-up of uneaten food, which breaks down and releases toxic waste into the water. In a crowded community that waste arrives quickly, so portion control is part of water care, not just part of feeding.

Keeping food waste down

• Offer a small amount first and add more only if it is all taken.
• Remove anything still lying on the substrate a few minutes after feeding.
• Watch nitrate between water changes; a steady rise can follow heavier feeding.
• Look for fish that are gaining weight quickly, since OATA lists a change in body condition as a warning sign.

Feeding a mixed community

When several Malawi species share a tank, watch that every fish gets a share. Scatter food across the surface rather than dropping it in one spot, so that a dominant fish cannot guard all of it, and check that the smaller or newer fish are eating. A fish that stops feeding or hangs back from every meal is worth watching closely, because reduced intake is one of the changes OATA lists as an early warning sign.

Weekly care for a busy tank

A well-stocked Malawi tank relies on a routine that never slips. OATA's weekly schedule for these fish is set out below.

A water-change day in practice

1. Test the tank before you start and note the readings.
2. Siphon out 25% of the water, lifting solid waste from the substrate as you go.
3. Rinse any filter media that need it in a little of the water you have removed.
4. Prepare the replacement water with tap water conditioner and bring it close to the tank's temperature.
5. Refill slowly, then check that the heater, filter and aeration are all running.

Why the filter is never rinsed under the tap

Any chlorine or chloramine in tap water may kill the beneficial bacteria that have established in the filter media. Rinsing the media gently in the water you have just taken out during a partial water change reduces the number of bacteria that are lost, so the filter keeps working at full strength after it has been cleaned.

Why small amounts matter

OATA describes good husbandry as essential because Malawi cichlids can be stressed by even the smallest amounts of ammonia and nitrite. In a tank that is deliberately slightly overstocked, the margin for error is smaller than in a lightly stocked community, so the weekly test is the habit that protects the whole group.

Keeping a record

Note each week's pH, carbonate hardness, nitrate and temperature alongside the date of the water change. When a figure starts to drift, the record makes it easy to see whether the change followed new fish, heavier feeding or a skipped water change, and to correct it before the fish show any sign of stress.

Delivery and introducing new fish

Every fish is hand-bagged in pure oxygen and packed in an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and a licensed live-animal courier carries the parcel. We email the tracking number and your confirmed delivery date so that you know when to be in. The full policy is on the delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page.

Getting the tank ready

OATA's advice before adding any fish is to make sure the aquarium is an appropriate size for the number of Malawi cichlids you plan to keep, and to check that ammonia and nitrite are both at zero. Test the day before delivery and confirm that the temperature is steady within 23–27°C.

Delivery day, step by step

1. Be at the delivery address to receive the parcel, because live fish cannot be left unattended.
2. Before anything is disturbed, begin a short unboxing video in one continuous take: the parcel still sealed with the outer box in view, the box being opened, and the fish still inside the sealed bag. Do this on the day the parcel arrives.
3. Float the sealed bag in the aquarium for 20–30 minutes to acclimatise the fish slowly.
4. Release the fish without pouring the bag water into your tank.
5. If anything has gone wrong, contact us the same day with your order number and the unboxing video (WhatsApp is fastest), and we will arrange a replacement or refund.

The Live Arrival Guarantee depends on three things: someone at the address to receive the parcel, the parcel being opened and inspected on the day it arrives, and a continuous unboxing video that starts with the parcel still sealed.

Introducing Malawi cichlids to a group

OATA recommends adding Malawi cichlids in groups, so that no single newcomer receives all of the residents' attention while it settles, and adding the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive species later. It also warns that the number of fish should only increase slowly, because the bacteria in a matured filter need to grow each time more fish and more food are added. Overstocking too quickly can cause new tank syndrome, when there are not enough nitrifying bacteria to cope, ammonia and nitrite rise, and fish may become ill or die.

The practical answer is to build the community in stages: add a group at a time, test the water over the following days, and only add the next group when ammonia and nitrite have stayed at zero.

Health and behaviour checks

A healthy fish at a glance

OATA describes healthy fish as having clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, no ulcerations or bumps and appropriate swimming behaviour. In a busy Malawi tank, it is worth picking out each fish at feeding time, because one struggling fish is easy to miss in a crowd.

Early warning signs

All fish vary a little in behaviour and appearance, but OATA lists these changes as the ones to watch:

• Swimming: hanging at the surface, sitting on the bottom or swimming erratically.
• Colour: turning darker or paler than normal.
• Temperament: a change in aggression, or hiding more than normal.
• Breathing: gill covers moving faster or slower than normal.
• Appearance: white spots, fluffy growths, or loss of fins or scales.
• Condition: gaining or losing body weight.
• Feeding: eating less or losing interest in food.

Reading aggression in the group

In a cichlid community, temperament is the sign to watch most closely. A fish that suddenly hides far more than usual, or one that is chased wherever it goes, may be taking more than its share of aggression. OATA's tools for that are the ones already covered: a large enough group, slight overstocking, adding fish in groups and rearranging the decor so that territories are reset.

Stress and water quality

Aggression and water quality are linked in a crowded tank. OATA warns that Malawi cichlids can be stressed by even the smallest amounts of ammonia and nitrite, and a stressed community is harder to keep peaceful. Steady water, a matured oversized filter and portion-controlled feeding make every other part of cichlid keeping easier.

When something looks wrong

Test the water first. OATA's advice for any health concern is to check water quality and then contact your retailer, and the readings show straight away whether water quality is part of the problem. Send us what you have seen along with your test results and we can help you decide on the next step.

Stocking a Malawi group

OATA describes all Malawi cichlids as aggressive and says they should be mixed with caution. Apart from that, it calls them usually undemanding aquarium inhabitants that are easy to keep, so success with this mix depends mostly on how the group is put together.

Numbers that spread aggression

Malawi cichlids are not social fish and can be highly aggressive, yet OATA says they can be kept in groups of at least 15 and slightly overcrowded to limit aggression. The reverse is also true: Malawi cichlids kept in small groups will often fight. A slight overstock spreads aggression through the whole population instead of focusing it on one or two fish.

Males, females and a mixed selection

Where possible, OATA recommends keeping more females than males of each species, so that males do not harass one individual female. With an unsexed colour mix that is hard to plan precisely, because many Malawi cichlids only show clear differences between the sexes once they are adults. Plan the group size first; the balance of sexes becomes clearer as the fish mature.

Planning the numbers

Each purchase is one fish, so a Malawi community is built from several purchases, and it can combine this mix with other Malawi cichlids. Decide on the finished group before buying anything: which species, how many of each, and in what order they will go in. A written plan also makes it easier to keep the stocking slightly over rather than far over, and to spread purchases so the filter keeps pace.

Order of introduction

1. Add the more peaceful Malawi species first.
2. Add the more aggressive species later.
3. Add fish in groups rather than one at a time.
4. Build the numbers up gradually so the filter can keep pace.

Common planning mistakes

• Keeping only a few cichlids, when OATA warns that small groups will often fight.
• Adding the whole group at once, which risks new tank syndrome.
• Putting the most aggressive species in first, instead of the more peaceful ones.
• Mixing Malawi cichlids with fish from outside the lake, other than suitable Synodontis catfish.
• Relying on soft tap water without a buffering substrate.
• Feeding more than the group clears in a few minutes.

When tension builds

If one fish is being singled out, rearranging the decor can help, because every fish has to find a new territory at the same time. Watch the group for a few days afterwards and keep testing the water, since stress and poor water quality tend to arrive together.

Suitable companions

OATA's compatibility rule for Malawi cichlids is short: they should only be kept with other Malawi cichlids or some species of Synodontis catfish, which also naturally inhabit Lake Malawi.

Why ordinary community fish do not fit

OATA's rule leaves no room for fish from outside the lake other than suitable Synodontis catfish, and the reasons are easy to see. This tank is kept hard and alkaline, around pH 8.0–8.6, and stocked tightly on purpose with fish that OATA describes as aggressive and not social. A peaceful community fish would live under constant pressure, and its presence would add tension to the cichlid group.

The same hard, alkaline water that suits this mix is a poor match for most community fish, so a Malawi tank is best planned as a Malawi tank from the start. When you choose other cichlids to fill out the group, check each one against OATA's order of introduction, with the more peaceful species first.

Peacock cichlid questions

How big does a Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid get?

The species in this mix have not been identified, so there is no single adult size to quote for it. OATA's Malawi cichlid care sheet says most Malawi cichlids grow to around 10 cm and some reach 25 cm; plan your aquarium with that group-level spread in mind rather than assuming every fish will stay small.

What size aquarium does a Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid need?

OATA recommends an aquarium of at least 200 litres for a reasonable-sized community of Malawi cichlids, and advises buying as large a tank as is reasonable, since bigger volumes keep temperature and water quality more stable. It should run an oversized filter with strong aeration.

How many Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlids should I keep together?

Malawi cichlids are not social fish, but OATA says they can be kept in groups of at least 15, slightly overcrowded to limit aggression, and warns that Malawi cichlids kept in small groups will often fight. That total can include other Malawi cichlids, not only fish from this mix.

Are peacock cichlids suitable for beginners?

They can be, if the aquarium is right. OATA calls Malawi cichlids usually undemanding and easy to keep apart from their aggression, but they are a specialised group that needs hard, alkaline water, a large tank, an oversized filter and careful stocking. A beginner who plans the whole community first is in a far better position than one adding a few fish to an existing tank.

What does a Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid eat?

OATA says Malawi cichlid diets vary: the smaller mbuna are more herbivorous, while some larger utaka are more predatory and need pellets with a higher animal content. Because this mix is not identified to species, ask us which food suits it. Feed only what the fish eat within a few minutes, twice a day.

What temperature and pH do peacock cichlids need?

OATA's broad guidance for Malawi cichlids as a group is 23–27°C, pH 8.0–8.6, general hardness of 12–18°dH and carbonate hardness of 10–15°dKH, with ammonia and nitrite at zero. Coral sand or a similar substrate helps to buffer the water.

Is the Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid aggressive?

Yes. OATA describes all Malawi cichlids as aggressive fish that should be mixed with caution. Keeping them in a large, slightly overstocked group, adding them in groups and rearranging the decor so fish find new territories all help to spread and reduce that aggression.

Which fish can live with peacock cichlids?

OATA says Malawi cichlids should only be kept with other Malawi cichlids or some species of Synodontis catfish that also naturally inhabit Lake Malawi. Add the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive species later.

How does a Super Colour Mix Peacock Cichlid arrive alive in the UK?

Each fish is hand-bagged in pure oxygen inside an insulated poly box, with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and a licensed live-animal courier delivers it. Be at home to receive the parcel, record a continuous unboxing video from the sealed box to the fish in its bag, open and inspect it the same day, and float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish. The Live Arrival Guarantee depends on that video.

Sources

• OATA: How to look after African Malawi cichlids: the UK trade body's care sheet for Malawi cichlids as a group, used for water, tank size, stocking, feeding, maintenance, health and compatibility.
• RSPCA: aquarium environment: welfare guidance on filters and the conversion of ammonia to nitrite and nitrate.
• FishBase: species list for the genus Aulonocara: the genus-level identity behind the Aulonocara sp. label.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee page: packing, courier, unboxing video and acclimatisation, linked in the arrival section.