Aulonocara Firefish – Aulonocara Sp. Dragons Blood

Common name: Aulonocara Firefish

Scientific name: Aulonocara Sp. Dragons Blood

Average Adult Fish Size: 13cm / 5 Inches

Place of Origin: Lake Malawi

Typical Tank setup: Rocky Malawi tank with plenty of open swimming space.

Recommended Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 160 Litres

Compatibility: Other less aggressive african cichlids such as haps and peacocks

Temperature: 23-28 Deg C / 73-82 Deg F

Water chemistry:  pH 7.6-8.6

Feeding: Omnivorous but does better with vegetables. Should not have too much protein and should have no fat. African cichlid flake or pellt foods are good as a staple, but the diet should be supplimented with fresh green vegetables such as spinach, romaine lettuce, peas or zucchini.

Sexing: Males are bright blue and females are grey or silver in color.

Breeding: Peacock Cichlids are ovophile mouthbrooders that form a matriarch family. The pair should be conditioned separately on mosquito larvae, bloodworms, and crustaceans. The water should have a pH from 8.0-8.2, a water hardness 10-18 dH, and a warmer temperature of 79-84°F (26-29°C). The female spawns a small number of eggs on the rocky bottom. These are fertilized by way of the dummy-egg method. The young should be raised on newly hatched Artemia and fine-grade flake foods.

Additional Information: Actually a man made cichlid although one of the most commonly demanded of malawi cichlid fish due to it’s vibrant red colours, it is sure to stand out in any malawi aquarium as the brightest of tropical fish.