Kande Island Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara kandeense)

Overview

Kande Island Peacock Cichlid is a Lake Malawi peacock cichlid with the care anchor Aulonocara kandeense. It suits aquarists who can provide hard, alkaline water, open sand, rock structure and carefully chosen Malawi tank mates.

This is not an mbuna-style rock fighter. It is still a cichlid, so males can be territorial, but the best display comes from space, stable water and a calm Malawi community plan.

Quick facts

• Scientific name: Aulonocara kandeense
• Adult size: around 13 cm
• Care level: moderate
• Temperament: semi-aggressive but calmer than many mbuna
• Temperature: 24-26C
• pH: 7.5-8.4
• Minimum aquarium: 250 litres

Care notes

Keep in a mature Malawi aquarium with strong filtration, open swimming space and rockwork that breaks lines of sight. Feed quality Malawi cichlid pellets with small invertebrate-based frozen foods and spirulina support.

Livestock orders are packed for temperature stability and sent by licensed live-animal courier with our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Tank mates

Best companions are suitably sized Aulonocara, calmer haps and Synodontis catfish in a properly sized aquarium. Avoid cramped mbuna mixes, tiny community fish and soft acidic setups.

Species facts

Published records for Aulonocara kandeense — useful when planning the aquarium around the adult fish rather than the size supplied.

• Where it lives: Lake Malawi where it occurs only around Kande Island, in Malawian waters (Wikipedia)

Keeping notes

Swims mainly in the middle to lower part of the aquarium.

Sources

• Wikipedia — Aulonocara kandeense