Aulonocara Green Metallic – Aulonocara Saulosi

Common name: Aulonocara Green Metallic, Greenface Aulonocara, Aulonocara Special

Scientific name: Aulonocara Saulosi

Average Adult Fish Size: 14cm / 5 Inches

Place of Origin: Lake Malawi

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

Recommended Minimum Aquarium Capacity: 200 Litres

Compatibility: Combine with other Lake Malawi hap and Aulonocara species

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

Water chemistry:  pH 7.6-8.6

Feeding: Carnivorous – prefers live foods such as blood worms, snails or brine shrimp, but will generally accept frozen, flake or pellet foods.

Sexing: Males are larger and much more colourful

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: The Aulonocara Saulosi is collected on the east coast of Lake Malawi near Masinje but is also found around Likoma Island and at Undu and Hai Reef in Tanzania. It has also been sighted on the coast between Monkey Bay and Domwe Island. Although the name points towards being green, it is a very dark green and more of a green/blue colouration.