Maleri Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara maleri)

Decide whether this Malawi cichlid suits your aquarium

The Maleri Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara maleri) is a live freshwater haplochromine cichlid associated with Lake Malawi in East Africa. The Aulonocara genus is endemic to Lake Malawi, and its members are known in the aquarium hobby as peacock cichlids, aulonocaras or peacocks. Plan around an adult length of 15 cm. This fish suits an intermediate keeper who can establish hard, alkaline water, provide a large filtered Malawi aquarium and manage aggression through careful community planning.

We class the care level as intermediate because the daily feeding is straightforward, but the aquarium itself needs deliberate preparation. Water chemistry must suit Malawi cichlids, the biological filter must handle a substantial community, and every companion must pass a narrow compatibility screen. A general tropical community assembled by appearance alone is not suitable.

Keep the water at 24–26°C, pH 7.5–8.5 and 10–30°dH. OATA’s Malawi cichlid guidance says ammonia and nitrite should remain at zero and nitrate should not exceed 20 mg per litre above the normal tap-water level. These figures make the first decision practical: test the water you can consistently provide before choosing livestock.

For a reasonable Malawi community, use an aquarium of at least 200 litres. OATA says these cichlids can be kept in groups of at least 15 and warns that small groups often fight. That is community-scale advice, not permission to place 15 fish into any 200-litre aquarium without considering adult dimensions, filtration capacity and the composition of the group.

Choose the dispatch size without confusing it with growth

One purchase supplies one Maleri Peacock Cichlid in the size selected. Use the live size selector to choose between 3 - 4 cm, 4 - 5 cm, 6 - 7 cm, 7 - 9 cm and XL. The size you select is the size supplied, not the adult size. Plan the permanent aquarium around the 15 cm adult length rather than treating a smaller dispatch grade as a smaller kind of cichlid.

A centimetre label gives the dispatch length range. XL is a named dispatch grade and does not state a numerical adult length. Do not use a size label to infer sex, life stage, origin or future colour. Select it according to the aquarium and stocking plan you have prepared, then assess whether the intended community can safely receive another Malawi cichlid.

Understand exactly what the offer means

• Purchase unit: one live fish of the selected size.
• Permanent planning length: 15 cm.
• Community plan: at least 200 litres for a reasonable Malawi community, with the final stocking level assessed against adult dimensions and filtration.
• Sex: Sex is guaranteed only when the selected option explicitly states male or female. This Maleri Peacock Cichlid listing has no sex-guaranteed option.

Aulonocara cichlids are strongly sexually dichromic as a genus, but do not infer sex from colour. OATA also notes that many Malawi cichlids show sex differences only as adults rather than as juveniles. Treat every option without an explicit male or female label as unsexed for purchase planning.

The gallery is there to help with recognition and presentation, not to set the purchase quantity or promise an exact colour. The gallery images are representative, based on reference photographs of this species, so colours can look slightly different from the live animal.

Make the decision before ordering

1. Measure the aquarium and confirm that it is at least 200 litres if it will hold a reasonable Malawi community.
2. Test the established water against 24–26°C, pH 7.5–8.5 and 10–30°dH.
3. Count the planned adult community rather than relying on the present size of its members.
4. Check every proposed companion against the Malawi-only compatibility rule below.
5. Choose the dispatch size from the live selector without reading sex or age into the label.

Build a large, structured Malawi aquarium

Use an aquarium of at least 200 litres for a reasonable Malawi cichlid community, and go larger when the planned adult population, dimensions or territorial layout require it. A larger volume generally makes temperature and water quality more stable, but volume alone does not resolve an unsuitable footprint, weak filtration or a poorly composed group.

Prepare and mature the aquarium before adding this fish. If this is your first setup, follow our guide to preparing and maturing a tropical aquarium. The filter needs an established population of beneficial bacteria capable of processing the waste produced by the fish already present. Every new addition and every increase in feeding raises the biological load.

Give the aquarium structure and open space

Use coral sand or a similar substrate that helps buffer the water. Malawi cichlids often dig and rearrange substrate, so place rocks and other heavy décor securely rather than balancing them on loose sand. Provide robust structure, crevices and visual breaks while retaining open swimming room. The aim is to create usable space without building unstable piles or blocking circulation around the aquarium.

Digging will uproot any plants present. If plants are included, favour the hardiest kinds that can grow attached to décor and position them where routine digging is less likely to disturb them. Treat plants as optional structure rather than relying on them to make an unsuitable community safe.

Check the completed layout

• Stability: press and test each heavy feature before livestock enters the aquarium.
• Circulation: leave routes for filtered water to move around and behind the décor.
• Swimming room: preserve open areas rather than filling every part of the tank with rock.
• Maintenance access: leave enough room to siphon waste and inspect the filter intake.
• Territory changes: use movable décor so the layout can be rearranged if aggression becomes focused.

Do not use visual styling as a replacement for water quality or stocking control. A dramatic rockscape still needs an oversized filter, strong aeration and a community selected for the same hard, alkaline conditions.

Keep hard, alkaline water within the target range

Keep the water at 24–26°C, pH 7.5–8.5 and 10–30°dH. Maintain carbonate hardness at 10–15°dKH, ammonia at zero and nitrite at zero. Nitrate should not exceed 20 mg per litre above the normal level in your tap water. Use these values as one connected water-quality plan rather than choosing only the temperature.

Measure the source water and aquarium water before trying to alter either. Our water chemistry guide explains what the principal tests measure, while the water matcher helps compare your readings with the stated range. Record results so that a gradual drift can be seen before it becomes a sudden welfare problem.

Use the numbers as decisions

For example, pH 8.2, general hardness 15°dH and temperature 25°C all fall within the target values. That does not make an ammonia reading acceptable: ammonia and nitrite still need to be zero. Read the whole test panel rather than using an in-range pH result as a general declaration that the aquarium is ready.

A buffered substrate can support the intended chemistry, but it does not replace testing. Test after water changes, after significant stocking changes and whenever behaviour, breathing or feeding alters. Make corrections steadily and address the cause of a change, such as increased waste, a blocked filter or unsuitable replacement water.

Size filtration for the whole community

Run a well-established biological filter at all times. The RSPCA explains that aquarium filters support beneficial bacteria that convert toxic ammonia into nitrite and then into the safer nitrate. A filter is therefore life-support equipment, not simply a device for making the water look clear.

OATA recommends an oversized filter for the crowded conditions needed for successful Malawi communities, together with strong aeration to maintain dissolved oxygen. Choose capacity for the planned adult community and its feeding load, not merely for the aquarium’s empty volume or the present dispatch size of the fish. Check the intake and outlets so that digging fish or shifted décor cannot obstruct them.

Follow a weekly maintenance rhythm

1. Test ammonia and nitrite at least once per week and confirm that both remain at zero.
2. Change 25% of the aquarium water at least once every week.
3. Use a siphon to remove solid waste from the substrate during the water change.
4. Treat replacement tap water with conditioner to remove harmful chlorine or chloramine before adding it.
5. Check the filter for blockages and confirm that water flow and aeration remain effective.

Protect the biological filter when cleaning

If the filter media needs cleaning, do not run it under the tap. Rinse it lightly in aquarium water removed during the partial water change. This reduces the loss of beneficial bacteria that would otherwise be exposed to chlorine or chloramine. Clean only what is needed to restore flow rather than stripping every part of the filter at once.

Respond to waste at its source. Uneaten food, a growing population and a blocked filter can all raise the load. Removing debris is useful, but the lasting decision is to correct feeding, restore filtration and keep stocking within what the matured system can process.

Feed small portions twice a day

Feed twice a day, giving only what the fish can eat within a few minutes. In the wild, the Maleri Peacock Cichlid is carnivorous to insectivorous and takes invertebrates from sandy areas, so use a quality cichlid pellet or granule with a higher animal content as the principal prepared food.

Vary that staple with suitable frozen foods. OATA names brine shrimp, prawns and cockles for the more predatory part of the Malawi group. Mysis shrimp, daphnia and bloodworms can be offered in moderation. Offer pieces appropriate to the fish’s mouth and distribute the food so that it can be consumed promptly.

Judge the portion by what happens next

• Food disappears within a few minutes: the portion is near the intended level.
• Food remains on the substrate: remove it and reduce the next portion.
• One fish takes most of the food: spread the same controlled portion across more than one point.
• Interest in food falls: test the water and compare the change with the fish’s normal behaviour.
• Body condition changes: review portion size, access to food and water quality together.

Do not compensate for competition by repeatedly adding food until every fish appears full. Excess food breaks down and releases waste into the water, increasing pressure on the filter and making ammonia, nitrite and nitrate control harder. The correct response is to improve distribution, observe which fish feeds and keep the total portion within the few-minute rule.

Vegetable matter and spirulina-based food should remain a limited part of the diet. Variety means rotating suitable animal-content foods and formats, not changing the dietary basis at every meal. Introduce unfamiliar food in a small amount so that uneaten material can be removed quickly.

Use feeding time as a daily welfare check. Confirm that the fish approaches food, swims normally and maintains body condition. A reduced intake can be an early sign that water quality, social pressure or health needs attention, so investigate the change instead of masking it with richer or larger meals.

Follow the arrival steps in order

Prepare the matured aquarium and verify its water readings before the parcel arrives. Live fish cannot be left unattended, so someone must be at the delivery address to receive it. The Tropical Fish Co delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy explains the packing, receiving and claim requirements.

Use this arrival sequence

1. Receive the parcel in person and start filming before it is opened. Begin with the parcel still sealed and the outer box visible.
2. Open it in one continuous take. Show the fish still inside the sealed bag so its condition can be seen before anything is disturbed.
3. Inspect the fish on the day it arrives. Keep the recording continuous through the opening and sealed-bag view.
4. Float the bag for 20–30 minutes before releasing the fish. Acclimatise slowly and do not pour the bag water into the aquarium.

Every delivery should be filmed from the sealed parcel onward. If an arrival problem needs a Live Arrival Guarantee claim, contact us on the same day with the order number and the short continuous unboxing video.

Introduce the fish without overloading the filter

Before introducing the fish, confirm again that ammonia and nitrite are zero. OATA advises increasing fish numbers slowly because the beneficial-bacteria population must grow whenever livestock and feeding increase. Adding too much biological load too quickly can cause new tank syndrome, with ammonia or nitrite rising beyond what the filter can process.

Malawi cichlids are best added in planned groups so that one newcomer does not receive all the aggression while settling. The aquarium and filter must be able to support every addition. Do not add a large number merely to meet a social target if the matured system cannot process the resulting waste.

Record the date, test readings and feeding response after introduction. Those simple notes give you a useful baseline if breathing, colour, swimming or aggression changes over the following days.

Use the first week to check settling and water quality

During the first week, compare the fish with its own behaviour from one check to the next. Look for normal swimming, interest in food, clear bright eyes, intact scales and undamaged fins. A single observation is less useful than a consistent routine that shows whether the fish is settling, declining or being repeatedly displaced by another cichlid.

Check the same signs each day

Water testing comes first because even small amounts of ammonia can stress Malawi cichlids. Confirm zero ammonia and zero nitrite rather than assuming clear water is safe. Also check that nitrate remains within the stated limit, the temperature remains inside 24–26°C and the filter has not been obstructed by moved substrate.

Do not respond to hiding by adding food repeatedly. Watch whether the fish emerges, whether another fish blocks access to feeding areas and whether food reaches the substrate uneaten. If social pressure is concentrated, use the aggression actions in the compatibility section rather than treating appetite alone.

Escalate a genuine health change

If swimming, breathing, appearance, condition or feeding changes, test the water and contact us for health guidance. Share the measured values and the order in which the signs appeared. Do not begin a disease treatment based only on colour variation or one missed feed; establish the water-quality and social context first.

Plan growth without reading sex from colour

Use 15 cm as the adult planning length for this fish. OATA notes that most Malawi cichlids grow to around 10 cm, while some reach up to 25 cm. Those group figures explain why a Malawi aquarium must be planned around the named animal and the complete adult community rather than a single rule for every cichlid.

Growth changes the amount of swimming room, waste and food required. Reassess the aquarium as the community develops instead of waiting for crowding, repeated conflict or deteriorating water quality. Keep records of water tests and note whether formerly open routes are becoming blocked by territories or décor.

Do not infer sex from appearance

Aulonocara is strongly sexually dichromic as a genus, and OATA notes that many Malawi cichlids show differences between sexes only once adult. Colour, egg spots or body size can therefore be poor purchasing shortcuts when the option itself has no sex label. Treat sex as unknown and do not build a breeding ratio around an assumption made from a dispatch image or size grade.

The gallery scenes show vivid yellow fish with blue facial markings, but juveniles and unsexed fish may not show adult colours. The images represent the listed animal rather than the exact individual sent. Use the pictures for visual orientation while allowing for natural differences in colour and presentation. Lighting, background and individual condition can also affect how colour appears at a particular moment.

Understand breeding behaviour

All Aulonocara species are maternal mouth brooders at genus level. This means parental egg care is associated with the female’s mouth. Keep breeding ambitions secondary to stable water, adequate space and a compatible adult community.

Where possible, OATA advises keeping more females than males of each Malawi species to reduce repeated harassment of one female. Because this offer does not guarantee sex, do not assume a selected combination will produce that ratio. Observe the actual social pattern as the fish mature and adjust the community only through a full stocking assessment.

Screen every companion before adding it

Keep this fish only with other Malawi cichlids or with carefully screened species of Synodontis catfish that also naturally inhabit Lake Malawi. OATA gives that as the compatibility boundary for the Malawi group. It does not make every Malawi cichlid or every Synodontis an automatic match.

Begin with water requirements. Every proposed companion must suit 24–26°C, pH 7.5–8.5 and hard water at 10–30°dH. Then assess the adult community, aquarium dimensions, filtration capacity and expected aggression. A fish that tolerates the chemistry can still be a poor social fit.

Malawi fish vary in aggression, adult size and use of space. Browse the African cichlid collection for candidates, then assess each named fish rather than matching only by collection, colour or trade group.

Use one practical stocking rule

A proposed companion passes only when the aquarium can support both animals as adults, the water requirements align, the filter can process the combined load and the social plan does not concentrate aggression on one fish. If any part remains uncertain, ask us for one stocking and compatibility assessment before adding it.

Invertebrates and general community fish do not fall within OATA’s stated Malawi compatibility boundary. Do not use them as experimental companions. The safer decision is to keep the community within the named Malawi cichlid and screened Lake Malawi Synodontis categories.

Manage aggression through the community plan

Plan for aggression rather than treating it as an unusual event. OATA describes all Malawi cichlids as aggressive and says they should be mixed with caution. The group can be kept in numbers of at least 15, and a slight overstocking is required to spread aggression, but this approach requires enough aquarium space, oversized filtration and strong aeration.

Do not interpret slight overstocking as permission to exceed the biological capacity of the aquarium. More fish produce more waste, consume more oxygen and increase the consequences of a blocked filter or missed maintenance. The group structure, aquarium dimensions and filtration must be planned together.

Add fish in a deliberate order

1. Confirm that the aquarium and filter can support the intended adult community.
2. Test for zero ammonia and zero nitrite before increasing the population.
3. Add Malawi cichlids in planned groups rather than placing one isolated newcomer into established territories.
4. Add the more peaceful species first and the more aggressive species later.
5. Rearrange décor when necessary so established fish must find territories again.
6. Observe feeding access, hiding and injuries after every change.

Where possible, OATA advises keeping more females than males of each species so that one female is not repeatedly harassed. This offer does not supply a sex guarantee, so that ratio cannot be assumed from colour, body length or the gallery.

Act on focused aggression

• One fish blocks another from food: distribute the controlled portion across more than one feeding point and reassess the social match.
• One territory controls most of the aquarium: rearrange the décor to break up established boundaries.
• A fish hides more than normal: test the water, identify the aggressor and review the complete community.
• Fins or scales become damaged: treat the conflict as a welfare problem rather than waiting for the hierarchy to resolve itself.
• A new addition receives all the aggression: stop further additions and reconsider the introduction plan.

The objective is not an aquarium with no displays or territorial behaviour. It is a community in which aggression is not repeatedly concentrated on one animal and in which every fish can swim, feed and maintain condition.

Answer common Maleri Peacock Cichlid questions

How big does the Maleri Peacock Cichlid get?

It reaches 15 cm, so plan the aquarium around that adult length.

What size aquarium does the Maleri Peacock Cichlid need?

OATA’s Malawi group guidance recommends an aquarium of at least 200 litres for a reasonable community; assess the final volume and dimensions against the complete adult stocking plan.

How many Maleri Peacock Cichlids should be kept together?

OATA says Malawi cichlids can be kept in groups of at least 15 and warns that small groups often fight; this is a community figure and the aquarium and filter must support the whole adult group.

Is this fish suitable for beginners?

We class it as intermediate because it needs hard, alkaline water, substantial filtration and active aggression management, even though OATA considers Malawi cichlids usually undemanding apart from their aggression.

What does the Maleri Peacock Cichlid eat?

Feed animal-content cichlid pellets or granules as the staple, varied with suitable frozen food; OATA’s Malawi guidance says to offer only what can be eaten within a few minutes, twice a day.

What temperature and pH does it need?

Keep it at 24–26°C, pH 7.5–8.5 and hard water at 10–30°dH.

Is the Maleri Peacock Cichlid aggressive or a fin-nipper?

OATA describes all Malawi cichlids as aggressive and says they should be mixed with caution, so provide a properly composed group, enough space and structured territories.

What animals can it live with?

OATA says Malawi cichlids should only be kept with other Malawi cichlids or some Synodontis catfish that naturally inhabit Lake Malawi; screen every candidate against the water, adult community and aggression plan.

How does this fish arrive alive in the UK?

Start filming with the parcel still sealed before opening or floating the bag. Tropical Fish Co’s policy says live fish are hand-bagged in pure oxygen, placed in an insulated box with a heat pack when the weather calls for it, and carried by a licensed live-animal courier; someone must receive the parcel in person.

Check the public identity and care references

• Wikipedia — Aulonocara: genus range, aquarium trade names, sexual dichromism and maternal mouth brooding.
• OATA — How to look after African Malawi cichlids: group water values, aquarium planning, feeding, maintenance and compatibility.
• RSPCA — Fish environment: biological filtration and aquarium waste processing.
• Tropical Fish Co — Delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee policy: packing, receipt, unboxing video and acclimatisation procedure.