Why is my Sunshine Peacock male not showing bright yellow colours?

Male Sunshine Peacocks may suppress their vibrant colours if they are stressed, kept in poor water conditions, or intimidated by more dominant fish in the aquarium. Additionally, juveniles take time to mature; they often do not display their full adult colouration until they are several months old and have established a territory.

Can I keep Sunshine Peacocks with Mbuna cichlids?

It is generally not recommended to house them with most Mbuna. Mbuna are highly territorial, aggressive, and herbivorous by nature, which heavily contrasts with the milder temperament and carnivorous diet of the Peacock. Mixing them often results in the Peacock being bullied and outcompeted for food.

How many females should I keep with one male Sunshine Peacock?

It is best to keep them in a harem ratio of at least three females to every one male. This social structure helps to safely diffuse the male's breeding aggression and relentless pursuit, ensuring that no single female is overly stressed.

What is the best substrate for a Sunshine Peacock tank?

A soft, fine sandy substrate is absolutely essential. Peacocks naturally feed by taking mouthfuls of substrate, filtering out small invertebrates, and expelling the sand through their gills. Coarse or sharp gravel can cause severe damage to their delicate gills and mouthparts.

Do Sunshine Peacocks eat aquarium plants?

While they do not typically eat plants, their constant sand-sifting and digging behaviours will uproot most standard rooted flora. If you wish to include plants, robust species that attach to rocks, such as Anubias or Java Fern, are the most reliable choices.

A vibrantly yellow male Aulonocara baenschi with blue facial markings, swimming just above a pale sandy substrate in an aquarium. — AI-generated illustration for OneShoal

FreshwaterTropicalIntermediate

Sunshine Peacock

Aulonocara baenschi

A stunning, bright yellow Lake Malawi cichlid prized for its relatively peaceful demeanour and brilliant, eye-catching colouration.

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Ideal Conditions

Temperature: 24 – 28 °C
pH range: 7.8 – 8.6
Hardness: 10 – 25 dGH
Adult size: 9 – 13 cm
Minimum for a small harem (1 male, 3 females): 200 litres+
Lifespan: 7 – 10 years
Diet: carnivore
Water flow: moderate
Preferred setup: Sandy substrate is essential, accompanied by scattered rock formations that provide caves and distinct territories while leaving ample open swimming space.

About the Sunshine Peacock

The Sunshine Peacock is a captivating cichlid endemic to a small region of Lake Malawi, specifically the Nkhomo Reef. Males are renowned for their intensely vibrant yellow bodies contrasted by striking blue faces, while females display a more subdued, mottled brown appearance for camouflage. Unlike many of the more highly aggressive rift lake cichlids, this species possesses a relatively mild temperament, making it an excellent candidate for a carefully planned African cichlid community. By nature, they are sand-sifting micro-predators, spending much of their day hovering just above the substrate in search of hidden morsels.

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Is it right for your tank?

Check Sunshine Peacock against a habitat you already keep. We compare water type, temperature, pH, adult size, group needs and everything living there.

Where Sunshine Peacock comes from

Native range

Lake Malawi, East Africa

Countries / regions

Malawi

Habitat

Transitional zones where rocky reefs meet vast sandy plains on the lake bed, typically found at depths of 10 to 18 metres.

Endemic to a very small area encompassing the Nkhomo Reef near Benga.

Similar species

Flavescent Peacock
Aulonocara stuartgranti
Fairy Cichlid
Aulonocara jacobfreibergi
Red Fin Borleyi
Copadichromis borleyi

We’re adding more full species guides as the catalogue grows.

Compatible tank mates

Reviewed guidance based on this species' recorded traits.

View all compatibility

Red Fin Borleyi
Copadichromis borleyi
A peaceful, open-water Utaka cichlid that occupies the middle to upper levels of the aquarium, largely ignoring the bottom-dwelling Peacocks.
Great
Cuckoo Catfish
Synodontis multipunctatus
A robust, hard-water tolerant catfish endemic to Lake Tanganyika that thrives in the alkaline conditions of a Malawi biotope without causing territorial disputes.
Great
Blue Dolphin Cichlid
Cyrtocara moorii
A relatively docile Haplochromis that grows to a substantial size but shares the same dietary and water parameter needs without displaying excessive aggression.
Great
Yellow Lab
Labidochromis caeruleus
Although one of the most peaceful Mbuna, their energetic nature and similar yellow colouration may occasionally provoke defensive behaviour from the Sunshine Peacock male.
Compatible with caution
Auratus Cichlid
Melanochromis auratus
A highly aggressive and fiercely territorial Mbuna that will easily outcompete, bully, and potentially kill the comparatively mild-mannered Peacock.
Not recommended
Neon Tetra
Paracheirodon innesi
A soft-water community fish that cannot survive the high pH of a rift lake setup and is small enough to be viewed as prey by adult cichlids.
Not recommended

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