Flavescent Peacock Cichlid (Aulonocara stuartgranti 'Chilumba') – 3–9cm & XL

Flavescent Peacock Cichlid is the common name used for Aulonocara stuartgranti, a Lake Malawi peacock cichlid adapted to finding small invertebrate prey over sand. This listing carries the trade qualifier "Chilumba" because that is how the supplier line is identified. Chilumba is also historically important to the species name, but the trade label alone does not prove that each sale fish was collected there, descends from a documented locality line, is genetically pure, or is wild caught.

This is a specialist hard-water cichlid, not a general tropical community fish. Plan a long, mature aquarium with open fine sand, stable rock boundaries, powerful biological filtration and calm but well-oxygenated water. Keep the water hard and alkaline at a stable 24-26°C. Adults need considerably more room than the dispatch sizes suggest, and males can become territorial as they mature or display.

Each selected quantity represents one live, unsexed fish in the chosen dispatch-size option. It is not a male-female pair, bonded pair or breeding pair. The protected gallery contains four representative illustrations, including one two-fish scene. Those images do not determine the number, sex, colour, locality or exact appearance of the fish supplied.

What is included with this listing?

The live selector shows the size options currently offered. These are approximate dispatch sizes, not adult-size categories and not guarantees of age or sex. One selected quantity means one fish within the chosen size band when available. An XL option still means one fish; it does not mean a pair. Price, live availability and delivery eligibility are controlled by the selector and checkout rather than by static wording in this description.

Juveniles and subadults may look much less colourful than a mature dominant male. A larger fish is not automatically male, and a smaller fish is not automatically female. Sex, colour development and final social status cannot be promised from dispatch length alone. If a particular sex is essential to a breeding project, obtain separately documented sexed stock instead of treating this size selector as a substitute.

Ordering two or more unsexed fish does not guarantee a compatible group. It may produce multiple males, multiple females or individuals that do not tolerate each other once established. Choose more than one only where the aquarium has the adult footprint, several separated refuges and a cycled spare tank or divider. Social problems can appear later as colour and breeding behaviour develop.

The protected pricing:pair tag is a storefront pricing instruction used for multi-buy presentation. It does not change the sale unit into a pair and does not promise one male plus one female. This distinction is especially important because the current search snippet may display multi-buy wording close to the product price. The actual contract remains one unsexed fish per selected quantity.

Species identity, the Chilumba name and provenance

Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes currently recognises Aulonocara stuartgranti Meyer & Riehl, 1985 as a valid species. The type locality is Mpanga Rocks near Chilumba in Lake Malawi. That makes "Chilumba" a meaningful name in the species' taxonomic history, but it does not turn every aquarium fish sold under the word into a verified specimen from that location.

The supplier record names the Flavescent Peacock and places it in an Aulonocara/Chilumba group. It does not provide collection coordinates, breeder lineage, parent records, sex, generation from the wild, or captive-bred versus wild-caught documentation for the individual dispatched. This page therefore uses "sold as the Chilumba trade line" rather than claiming certified locality provenance.

Aulonocara chilumba should not be presented as the current scientific name. That combination appeared in older catalogue processing, but the authoritative species identity for this listing is Aulonocara stuartgranti. Keeping the accepted name clear helps customers find relevant care and prevents a trade locality word from being mistaken for a separate scientifically accepted species.

Locality and colour labels are unusually sensitive in Lake Malawi cichlids. Closely related populations can differ visibly, aquarium strains can be selected for colour, and trade stock may have incomplete records. A peer-reviewed study of ornamental Aulonocara and related cichlids found genetic disturbance associated with human-mediated hybridisation in parts of the trade. That evidence supports caution; it does not prove that this particular stock is hybrid. The honest conclusion is that purity and locality remain unverified unless the supplier supplies lineage evidence.

For a display aquarium, the fish can still be selected and cared for under the accepted species-level requirements on this page. For a conservation, locality or breeding project, ask for documented provenance before purchase and keep records with the fish. A colour photograph, common name or seller confidence is not a genetic certificate.

Label	What it means here	What it does not prove
Flavescent Peacock Cichlid	Recognised common name for the product and species	Exact adult colour or sex
Aulonocara stuartgranti	Current accepted scientific identity	Genetic purity of an undocumented trade individual
Chilumba	Supplier trade qualifier and an important type-locality reference	Verified collection locality or traceable pure lineage
Peacock cichlid	Common aquarium name for Aulonocara	Interchangeable care for every peacock or Malawi cichlid

Natural range, habitat and sensory feeding

Aulonocara stuartgranti is endemic to Lake Malawi. FishBase records it along the lake coast from Ngara south to Chizi Point and describes a freshwater, bottom-associated species. Specialist natural-history accounts place its many forms around sandy areas and the transition between open sand and scattered rock. This is a non-mbuna peacock, not a specialised rock-grazing mbuna that should be placed in a wall of crowded rubble.

Sand is functional, not merely decorative. Aulonocara have conspicuous widened sensory canals and pores in the head. Experimental work published in the Journal of Experimental Biology showed that A. stuartgranti can use its lateral-line system to detect live invertebrate prey, including in darkness. Field-associated behaviour involves gliding or hovering just above sand and striking towards prey in or near the substrate.

This natural feeding method explains several aquarium needs at once. The fish benefits from an open, smooth substrate it can inspect; it needs small animal-rich foods rather than an algae-only mbuna ration; and it should have calmer feeding zones where every individual can locate food. A coarse, sharp floor can interfere with normal substrate investigation, while food lost deep between rocks can decay beyond reach.

Rock still matters. Use stable groups around the perimeter or rear to define territories, interrupt lines of sight and give a pursued fish a route out of view. Leave broad open sand between those structures. Avoid balancing heavy stone on loose substrate because digging or maintenance can undermine it. Build the support first, then add sand around it.

Aquatic plants are not required to reproduce the species' natural habitat. Hardy hard-water plants can be used if they do not remove the open feeding area and if they tolerate digging, but a lush planted layout in the gallery is illustrative. Driftwood may also alter the visual character and, depending on the material and source water, can influence chemistry; it is not a care requirement for this Lake Malawi fish.

Appearance, colour and sex differences

Adult male A. stuartgranti are known for saturated blue, yellow and population-dependent patterning, while females and juveniles are generally more subdued grey, brown or silver with darker vertical barring. The exact balance of blue and yellow differs among geographic forms and aquarium lines. Dominance, age, diet, stress, lighting and camera processing can also alter what a customer sees.

The four gallery images show blue, barred, male-like representative fish with bright pale dorsal edging. They should be read as illustrations of a possible peacock body shape and display colour, not as a promise that a juvenile or female will develop the same pattern. The images are representative, so fine scale detail, fin edges, colour saturation and background geometry may differ from a living animal.

A newly delivered fish may be pale and may hold its fins close while it settles. That is not by itself evidence of the wrong species or permanent poor colour. Evaluate breathing, balance, body condition and gradual recovery under suitable water before judging display colour. Persistent distress, wounds, spots, rapid respiration or failure to settle requires investigation.

FishBase records a maximum of 11.8 cm total length for male or unsexed specimens. Specialist aquarium references often plan for approximately 12-15 cm, particularly for mature males in captivity. These figures are not contradictory in a useful husbandry sense: published wild records and aquarium growth can use different samples, and responsible stocking should leave room for the larger practical outcome.

Sexual dimorphism becomes clearer in mature, settled animals, but colour is not an infallible dispatch-sex test. Subdominant males can remain muted, young males may not yet show adult colour, and individual females can vary. Venting or breeding history is more informative than guessing from a juvenile photograph, and neither is promised by this listing.

Tank size and adult stocking plans

Use aquarium length and usable floor area before relying on litres alone. For one adult in a species-appropriate or carefully planned Malawi display, start with at least 120 cm of length and approximately 240 litres. A wide 120 cm aquarium offers more useful territory than a tall tank of similar volume. This is a conservative retail recommendation, not a measurement taken from the wild.

For a deliberate social group, use a substantially larger aquarium. A practical starting point is 150-160 cm in length and roughly 350-400 litres or more, with the final size determined by the number, sex balance, companion species and rock layout. A specialist source recommends 160 cm and about 400 litres for a harem group, which is appropriately cautious for mature territorial fish.

Do not buy a 3-4 cm fish for a small permanent aquarium on the assumption that it can be upgraded later. Growth can be faster than expected, while biological load and social behaviour change before an obvious adult length is reached. Prepare the adult home before ordering. A grow-out tank is useful only when it is cycled, correctly mineralised and part of a definite move plan.

A mixed peacock and hap aquarium generally needs at least the group footprint and often more. Every adult species must be assessed separately. The largest or most aggressive fish can set the real minimum, and rock placement can divide a nominally large aquarium into one defendable territory. Stocking calculators cannot fully account for mature male behaviour.

Use the tank volume calculator to estimate filled litres after measuring internal dimensions, then separately record tank length, front-to-back depth and displaced space. The litre result is one planning input, not permission to fill every theoretical capacity. Leave reserve for growth, filtration maintenance and unexpected incompatibility.

Stocking plan	Practical starting aquarium	Main caution
One unsexed fish	120 cm long and around 240 litres	One fish still needs adult swimming space and Malawi chemistry
Two unsexed sale fish	Prefer 150 cm and substantially more volume	They are not a guaranteed pair and may become incompatible
Documented male with several females	150-160 cm and roughly 350-400 litres or more	Female refuge, line-of-sight control and sex certainty are essential
Mixed peacock or hap display	At least 150 cm and sized for the largest adult stock	Species, sex, aggression and hybridisation risk must all be planned
Breeding or locality project	Dedicated, documented species aquarium	Do not mix similar Aulonocara where fry identity matters

Sand, rockwork, plants and equipment layout

Leave a real sand-feeding area

Choose fine, smooth aquarium sand without sharp chips. A shallow practical bed is easier to keep clean than a deep decorative layer and still allows natural investigation. Leave a broad open route across the front or centre. If the entire bottom is covered by boulders, the fish loses the habitat function that distinguishes Aulonocara from rock-bound grazers.

Make rock structures stable and separable

Build two or more stable rock groups rather than one central fortress. Each structure should create cover without trapping waste or a fleeing fish. Place heavy stone on a secure base before loose sand, check that no gap can collapse, and avoid sharp edges. Sight barriers work when a fish can move fully out of another's view, not when a transparent arch merely looks complex to the keeper.

Protect the intake

The smallest dispatch option may be vulnerable to a strong intake or powerful direct jet. Use an appropriate guard or sponge where needed, and position the outlet to create oxygenating surface movement without blasting the substrate. Waste should be carried towards filtration while at least one calmer zone remains available for feeding and rest.

Use plants only where they fit the chemistry

Hard-water-tolerant plants attached to rock can add cover, but rooted plants may be disturbed. Do not soften the water or compromise Malawi conditions to keep delicate plants. Artificial plants must be smooth and aquarium safe. Neither live nor artificial vegetation replaces open sand, stable rock boundaries or adult footprint.

Keep lids and services secure

Use a close-fitting lid around cables and pipework because startled cichlids can jump. Leave safe gas exchange and keep heaters protected from impact. Arrange equipment so a filter can be serviced without dismantling every territory. A mature social layout should survive routine maintenance with minimal disruption.

Water chemistry, temperature and oxygen

Maintain this stock at a stable 24-26°C. Use a reliable thermometer to verify the water; heater dials can be inaccurate, and room temperature can change the result.

Use hard alkaline water, practically around pH 7.5-8.5 and approximately 10-20 dGH. Carbonate hardness also matters because it resists abrupt pH decline. Test the source water and prepare any mineral adjustment consistently. Do not chase an exact pH number with repeated unmeasured doses in an occupied aquarium.

Ammonia and nitrite must remain at zero. At alkaline pH, ammonia problems can become especially hazardous, so cycling and prompt waste removal are not optional. Track nitrate as a trend and set the water-change schedule from the actual aquarium's stocking, feeding and source water. A low nitrate reading does not excuse poor oxygen, unstable pH or social stress.

Provide strong biological filtration and visible gas exchange. Warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cool water, while a heavily stocked Malawi aquarium can have high demand. Surface movement, clean filter media and uninterrupted circulation all matter. Watch for rapid breathing, surface clustering or unusual inactivity, particularly during hot weather or after a power interruption.

The water parameter matcher can help compare a planned range with source water. It cannot test the aquarium or prescribe a safe rapid conversion. If tap water is far outside the target, develop a repeatable preparation method before livestock arrives, record each batch and change chemistry gradually.

Cycling, filtration and maintenance

Cycle the aquarium before ordering. Time alone is not proof: a tank that has contained water for four weeks may still have no useful nitrifying capacity. Confirm that the system processes an appropriate ammonia source and returns to zero ammonia and nitrite. The nitrogen cycle tracker can organise readings and make a hidden stall easier to see.

Choose filtration for the final adult group, not the first juvenile. A suitable internal, external or sump system must provide biological capacity, useful mechanical capture and reliable circulation. Protect small fish from intakes, keep media wet during service and restore flow promptly. Do not replace every mature cartridge at once or rinse biological media under chlorinated tap water.

Begin with a measured partial water change each week, often around 20-30%, and adjust from test results and actual waste production. Match replacement water for temperature and mineral composition. A very large change with poorly matched water can be more stressful than a regular controlled routine, but that is not a reason to postpone maintenance while nitrate and dissolved waste rise.

Siphon open sand gently and remove food trapped around rock bases. Do not churn the entire substrate at once in a mature aquarium. Inspect pumps, heater protection, lid gaps and surface movement during each change. Count fish and compare body condition before moving rocks; a missing or excluded animal can hide until weight loss is advanced.

Keep a cycled spare aquarium, robust divider or established isolation plan when housing more than one cichlid. Adding another cave after serious injury begins may not solve a mature dominance dispute. Equipment for separation is part of responsible stocking, not an admission that the original plan failed.

Check	Useful routine	Reason
Fish count, breathing and body condition	At every feed	Exclusion and illness are easier to address early
Ammonia and nitrite	Before stocking, after changes and whenever behaviour alters	Both should remain zero
Temperature, pH and hardness	On a consistent schedule and after source-water changes	Detects drift before an abrupt correction is attempted
Filter flow and surface movement	Daily visual check	Blockage or power loss can reduce oxygen quickly
Open sand and rock bases	During each water change	Small animal-rich foods can decay out of sight
Backup separation option	Keep ready whenever more than one territorial fish is housed	Incompatibility can require same-day action

What should a Flavescent Peacock Cichlid eat?

This species is best described as a benthic invertivore or small-prey carnivore rather than a generic omnivore. FishBase records sand-dwelling invertebrates, and experimental research confirms specialised detection of live invertebrate prey. In the aquarium, use a high-quality complete Malawi or carnivorous cichlid pellet as the nutritional base.

Add varied appropriately sized foods such as frozen mysis, cyclops, daphnia and Artemia. These provide useful prey-style variety without making an all-live or all-frozen menu necessary. Thaw and portion food appropriately, use trusted sources and remove anything not eaten. A complete prepared staple helps prevent the nutritional gaps that can develop when one favourite frozen food is used exclusively.

Feed small measured portions once or twice daily, adjusted for fish size, water temperature and body condition. Spread food across more than one zone in a group and watch the least dominant fish swallow it. Pouring extra food into one place can strengthen the dominant animal while worsening water quality for everyone else.

Avoid mammal or poultry meat, feeder fish and uncontrolled wild-caught foods. They add avoidable fat, nutritional imbalance and disease risk. Do not treat bright colour as a reason to overuse colour-enhancing food. Healthy colour depends on genetics, maturity, social status, low stress and balanced nutrition as well as pigment ingredients.

Do not buy this fish as an algae eater, snail control or tank cleaner. Its sensory feeding is directed towards animal prey, and it still requires deliberate feeding. It may take small shrimp or very small fish, so ornamental shrimplets and fry cannot be guaranteed safe.

Food type	Role	Use
Complete Malawi or carnivorous cichlid pellet	Balanced staple	Choose a particle each fish can swallow cleanly
Frozen mysis, cyclops, daphnia or Artemia	Small invertebrate variety	Rotate modest portions from trusted sources
Quality flake	Occasional format variation	Use a complete formula and prevent surface waste
Rich mammal meat or feeder fish	Avoidable health and biosecurity risk	Do not use
Algae and leftovers	Not a diet plan	Do not expect the fish to clean the aquarium

Normal behaviour, territory and warning signs

A settled peacock may cruise the lower and middle water, pause above sand, inspect the substrate and move between open areas and rock cover. Mature males can display with extended fins and stronger colour. Brief boundary chases can occur, but constant pursuit across the whole aquarium is not a healthy social arrangement.

A subordinate fish must be able to leave the dominant animal's view, feed and rest. Hiding continuously at the surface, behind a filter or in one upper corner indicates exclusion rather than a successfully shared territory. Torn fins, mouth damage, repeated biting, weight loss or failure to feed requires intervention. Use the prepared divider or spare aquarium before injury becomes severe.

Do not assume that two fish occupying the same rock are bonded. They may have no alternative cover, or one may be suppressing the other without obvious attacks. Positive compatibility means both animals can use space, eat and recover between interactions. Relationships can change after a move, a new companion, a rescape or sexual maturity.

Water and social problems can look similar. Rapid breathing, faded colour and loss of appetite should trigger immediate tests for ammonia, nitrite, temperature and oxygen as well as an aggression review. Medication cannot correct an uncycled filter, low oxygen or a fish prevented from eating.

A single fish can be kept in a suitably large, enriched aquarium and may be safer than an accidental pair of incompatible unsexed animals. A planned social group can show more reproductive and display behaviour, but only where sex balance, adult footprint and separation options are real. The listing does not force either route; it makes the risks visible so the keeper can choose deliberately.

Tank mates and Malawi community planning

This species is often calmer than many mbuna, but "peaceful cichlid" should not be read as ordinary community-fish behaviour. Suitable companions are generally medium-sized, comparatively calm Lake Malawi non-mbuna with overlapping hard-water and temperature needs. The exact adult species, sex and individual temperament matter more than a broad label such as hap or peacock.

Avoid very aggressive rock-dwelling mbuna in a minimum peacock aquarium. Their constant movement and physical approach can prevent Aulonocara from using open sand and feeding naturally. Also avoid large predators, persistent fin or body pickers, tiny fish likely to be swallowed, and soft-water community species that require a chemical compromise.

Multiple Aulonocara species may coexist in a large display, but they are a poor choice where fry identity or locality purity matters. Similar peacocks can hybridise, and females may be difficult to distinguish. A breeding or lineage project should use a dedicated documented species group rather than relying on colour to identify offspring.

Synodontis are sometimes listed as automatic African cichlid companions, but the exact catfish species and adult size must be checked. Bottom-active fish can cross breeding sites, compete for food and alter night-time behaviour. Shared continent or lake does not guarantee compatibility.

The tank mate compatibility checker can help screen broad water and size overlap. It cannot see the territory map, sex ratio or behaviour in the aquarium. Compare the intended companion's full adult requirements and keep a separation plan.

Potential companion	Assessment	Reason
Another unsexed Flavescent Peacock	Possible with substantial planning	Sex and compatibility are unknown; adult space and separation are required
Calm medium Lake Malawi non-mbuna	Possible in a large planned aquarium	Match adult size, diet, water and individual behaviour
Other Aulonocara	Display-only caution	Hybridisation and female identification make breeding records unreliable
Aggressive mbuna	Generally avoid	Chronic pressure can disrupt open-sand feeding and cause injury
Soft-water community fish	Avoid	Conflicting chemistry and social needs
Small shrimp, fry or very small fish	Not guaranteed safe	Small animal prey fits the feeding biology

Mouthbrooding without a pair promise

FishBase records this species as sexually separate with fertilisation associated with the mouth and a bearer reproductive guild. Specialist aquarium observations describe a maternal mouthbrooder: a mature male courts and displays over a sand territory, while the female collects and carries fertilised eggs in her mouth.

That natural history does not mean two purchased fish will breed. Both sale fish may be the same sex, too young, unrelated to the colour shown, genetically undocumented or socially incompatible. A breeding project needs positively identified mature stock, a suitable sex ratio, a large dedicated aquarium and a plan for female recovery and fry.

Do not mix similar peacock species if the fry are to be identified and distributed under a locality or species name. Hybridisation can happen even when adults look different to the keeper. Keep purchase, parent and spawn records, and never sell uncertain offspring as pure Chilumba stock.

A mouth-holding female may eat less, keep her mouth closed or show a fuller throat. Do not repeatedly net, chase or force her mouth open to confirm a spawn. Observe from a distance, reduce social pressure and prepare an appropriate recovery space. Unexplained refusal to eat can also indicate disease or bullying, so do not assume every symptom is breeding.

Fry require stable hard alkaline water, mature gentle filtration and appropriately small complete foods. Their existence can rapidly change the biological load. Breeding should begin only when there is enough rearing capacity and an ethical destination for the juveniles, not simply because adults display.

Health, stress and responsible response

A healthy settled fish should breathe evenly, control its position, show interest in food and maintain a smooth body profile. Fins should open during normal movement, though a newly transported fish may hold them closer for a short period. Compare behaviour over time rather than treating one enhanced gallery image as a diagnostic standard.

Warning signs include persistent rapid breathing, surface gasping, flashing, white spots, raised scales, a hollow belly, unusual swelling, long abnormal waste, wounds, clamped fins or a fish excluded from food. These signs are not a diagnosis. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and temperature, inspect oxygenation and aggression, and document when the problem began.

The phrase "Malawi bloat" is often used loosely for abdominal swelling and decline in African cichlids. Swelling can have different causes, and guessing from a name can delay the correct response. Isolate where appropriate, improve verified husbandry problems and seek qualified aquatic veterinary advice for severe or persistent cases. Do not mix medications at random.

Quarantine new livestock in a fully cycled aquarium with matching chemistry and protected filtration. Separate equipment or disinfect it appropriately between systems. Observe feeding, respiration, skin, fins and waste before moving the fish. A quarantine period is useful only when water quality and stress are managed; a bare uncycled container creates its own disease risk.

Prevention rests on stable water, adequate space, compatible stock, measured feeding and early separation. Bright colour food, salt or routine medication cannot compensate for chronic aggression or ammonia. Keep written test results and photographs so changes are easier to recognise and professional advice has useful context.

Preparing for delivery and acclimation

Finish cycling, rock stability, heater verification and water preparation before ordering. Do not plan to add mineral salts, rebuild the aquarium and introduce a cichlid on the same day. Test the destination water and confirm that the quarantine or display tank is within the intended range before the parcel arrives.

Read the delivery and Live Arrival Guarantee conditions in advance and be present for the confirmed delivery window. Live animals must not be left at the door. Inspect the sealed bag and follow the current claim evidence instructions before opening if anything appears wrong.

Use the fish acclimation guide and match the process to the bag and destination water. Keep lights low, prevent jumping and avoid mixing shipping water into the aquarium unnecessarily. Long acclimation is not automatically safer after extended transport because bag chemistry changes once opened.

Do not feed heavily on arrival. Let the fish regain normal posture and shelter, then offer a small suitable portion. Watch breathing and aggression for the first hours and test water after stocking. A newly introduced unsexed peacock may be challenged by established fish even when the species list looked compatible.

Keep photographs, the order number and water test results. The returns and live-animal support page explains the current evidence and timing requirements. Contact the team promptly rather than waiting for a serious decline or altering the aquarium repeatedly without a record.

How to interpret the gallery

The four gallery images are 1024 by 1024 representative illustrations associated with this product. They are not photographs of the exact individual that will be selected, packed and delivered. Natural variation and dispatch stress mean a sale fish can be less saturated, differently patterned or more subdued.

The first image shows a single blue male-like peacock among driftwood. The second shows two similar fish in a planted scene. The third and fourth provide additional side profiles and scale context. The two-fish scene is not evidence of a pair sale, while the plants and wood are not a claim that this is a soft-water planted-community species.

The images also cannot certify sex or locality. Their blue colour is consistent with one possible mature display expression within the broad A. stuartgranti complex, but Flavescent and locality-associated lines can show different blue, yellow and barred combinations. Use the written identity, care evidence and supplier record as separate information sources rather than treating pixels as provenance.

Image files, media IDs and binary URLs remain protected so content optimisation cannot silently reduce the gallery.

Comparing peacock cichlids before buying

The Aulonocara collection contains species, locality labels and aquarium strains that may look similar as juveniles but should not be treated as identical. Compare adult size, known provenance, expected colour, aggression and breeding goals. A customer building a display has different priorities from a keeper preserving a documented line.

The Ngara Peacock Cichlid is another A. stuartgranti trade locality form, while the Kande Island Peacock is sold under A. kandeense. The Benga Peacock Cichlid provides another recognised peacock comparison. These links are for research and selection, not a blanket recommendation to mix all three in one aquarium.

A man-made colour strain such as the Red Dragon Peacock has a different provenance question from a named natural locality form. Neither is automatically better for welfare. The important point is to label stock honestly and avoid presenting selected or hybrid lines as documented wild localities.

The broader Lake Malawi cichlid guide explains how peacocks differ from mbuna and larger haps. Read that before choosing companions. A tank built for rock-grazing mbuna may contain the right pH but the wrong territory pattern, diet and social pressure for this fish.

Decision	Choose this listing when	Pause and verify when
Display fish	You can provide a long, hard-water Malawi aquarium and accept natural colour variation	You need the exact blue fish shown
Social group	You have 150-160 cm or more, sex planning and separation capacity	You are ordering two unsexed fish and assuming they form a pair
Breeding project	You have documented sexed and provenance-traceable stock	You require pure Chilumba lineage from the trade label alone
Community aquarium	Companions are calm, similarly sized Malawi fish with overlapping care	The aquarium is a soft-water tetra, guppy or planted community

Ordering from Tropical Fish Co

Choose the dispatch size from the live selector, then check the current basket and delivery information before payment. Do not use a search-result snippet as the final source for price, stock or sale-unit details; snippets can combine dynamic price text with older cached wording. The product selector and checkout are authoritative for the order being placed.

Eligible first-time customers can use the current WELCOME10 code for 10% off where its terms apply. A discount does not change livestock suitability, and it should not be used to add extra cichlids beyond the prepared aquarium's adult capacity. Confirm the code and final total at checkout.

Livestock is packed for the published live-animal delivery service and is covered by the Live Arrival Guarantee when its current conditions are followed. Read the policy, remain available for the parcel and prepare the aquarium first. Delivery protection cannot compensate for an uncycled tank or incompatible established stock after arrival.

If the sale fish is intended for a locality breeding project, ask for provenance evidence before ordering. If it is intended for a display, accept that juvenile colour, sex and final pattern can differ from the enhanced gallery. Clear expectations protect both the keeper and the fish.

Evidence and source notes

This care page separates species-level evidence from practical aquarium recommendations and product-specific claims. The following sources support taxonomy, distribution, size, temperature, feeding biology, reproduction and hybridisation cautions. Aquarium dimensions are conservative husbandry recommendations derived from adult size, social behaviour and specialist practice rather than a claim that a wild fish occupies a measured number of litres.

• Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: valid species status, authorship, Lake Malawi distribution and type-locality context.
• FishBase species summary: distribution, 11.8 cm maximum total length, 22-26°C record, feeding ecology and conservation summary.
• FishBase reproduction record: dioecism, mouth-associated fertilisation and bearer reproductive guild.
• Schwalbe, Bassett and Webb, Journal of Experimental Biology: experimental evidence for lateral-line-mediated detection of live invertebrate prey.
• Ontogeny and social context regulate circadian activity: peer-reviewed non-mbuna, sandy-habitat and benthic-invertebrate context plus a clear example of provenance limits in aquarium-trade research stock.
• Genetic differences among Aulonocara and related Malawian cichlids: evidence supporting caution around human-mediated hybridisation and undocumented trade lines.
• AquaInfo specialist species profile: cross-check for sand-rock layout, social-group space, water range, mouthbrooding and avoiding mixed Aulonocara in breeding plans.

FishBase reports the species as Least Concern based on a 22 June 2018 assessment. That species-level category does not reveal the origin of an individual sale fish and should not be converted into an unsupported wild-caught or sustainable-source claim. The supplier record for this product contains no such provenance evidence.

Flavescent Peacock Cichlid questions

Is this really Aulonocara stuartgranti?

That is the current accepted species identity used by Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and FishBase. The supplier sells the line as Flavescent Peacock/Chilumba. The individual fish does not come with genetic or locality documentation, so the page does not promise certified pure lineage.

Is "Chilumba" a species name?

No. Chilumba is a place-associated trade qualifier, not the accepted species epithet. The valid name is Aulonocara stuartgranti. Chilumba is relevant because the species' type locality is near Chilumba, but the product word does not prove each fish's collection history.

How large does a Flavescent Peacock get?

FishBase records 11.8 cm maximum total length for male or unsexed fish. Aquarium planning should allow about 12-15 cm because mature captive males and specialist references can reach the upper end of that practical range.

What tank size does one need?

Use at least a 120 cm aquarium of roughly 240 litres for one adult in a suitable Malawi plan. A social group needs about 150-160 cm and roughly 350-400 litres or more, depending on sex, companions and layout.

Can it live in a 200-litre aquarium?

A typical 200-litre tank is often too short or narrow for the adult social plans promoted in older copy. Aquarium dimensions matter, but this page recommends 120 cm and around 240 litres even for one adult so the fish has a proper open-sand feeding area and territorial separation.

What temperature and pH should I use?

Keep the water stable at 24-26°C, approximately pH 7.5-8.5 and around 10-20 dGH. Avoid abrupt attempts to hit one exact number. Zero ammonia and nitrite, useful buffering and good oxygenation are equally important.

What does it eat?

Use a complete Malawi or carnivorous cichlid pellet with varied small invertebrate foods such as mysis, cyclops, daphnia and Artemia. It is a benthic invertivore, not an algae cleaner, and should not be fed mammal meat or feeder fish.

Is it suitable for beginners?

It is moderate rather than effortless. A prepared beginner can succeed with a fully cycled large aquarium, hard alkaline water, careful stocking and a separation plan. It is not suitable as a first fish in a small new community tank.

Is one quantity a breeding pair?

No. One quantity is one unsexed fish. Two quantities are two unsexed fish and are not guaranteed to be opposite-sex, bonded, compatible or reproductive.

Can the size option be used to choose a male?

No. Dispatch length is not a sex selector. Mature males are usually more colourful, but juveniles, females and subordinate males can overlap in appearance. No sex guarantee is included.

Can I mix it with other peacock cichlids?

It may coexist with carefully selected peacocks in a large display, but aggression and hybridisation remain possible. Do not mix Aulonocara species in a breeding or locality project where fry identity matters.

Are mbuna good tank mates?

Aggressive mbuna are generally poor companions because their activity and rock-centred territorial behaviour can suppress a peacock's open-sand feeding. A very large expert-managed aquarium may create exceptions, but it is not the default recommendation.

Will the supplied fish look exactly like the gallery?

No. The four images are representative illustrations, not photographs of the exact fish. Sex, age, dominance, genetics, stress and lighting all influence colour and pattern.

Does the two-fish image mean two fish are included?

No. It is an illustrative scene. The sale unit remains one unsexed fish per selected quantity, and ordering two does not create a pair guarantee.

Is the stock wild caught or captive bred?

The current supplier record does not establish either status, so this page makes neither claim. Ask for documented provenance before ordering if source is essential to the project.

How should I prepare for delivery?

Cycle and test the aquarium first, stabilise the temperature and minerals, read the current delivery and guarantee conditions, be present for arrival and keep a separation tank ready where established cichlids may challenge the newcomer.