The dragon blood peacock is a hybrid peacock cichlid, solid pink to red with none of the blotching that marks an OB. It suits a hap and peacock community and is easy to keep.
Did you know
The dragon blood peacock is also sold as the firefish peacock. That name collides with the marine firefish goby, an unrelated saltwater fish. Search firefish on its own, and half the results are a reef fish with nothing to do with Lake Malawi.
Caring for the dragon blood peacock
Give a dragon blood peacock at least 63 gal (240 L), with plenty of swimming room. Set the tank up over sand and scattered rock, since it spends most of its time near the bottom.
Keep the water hard, alkaline, warm and stable, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. Its red is largely carotenoid based, and keepers report it deepening or fading with the color content of its food.
Keep one male with several females, or keep it with other robust Malawi fish. It is mostly peaceful, but leave out fin-nippers. It crosses readily with any pure peacock species, so skip it entirely if you keep pure Aulonocara lines.
Males finish the reddest and show longer, pointed dorsal and anal fins. Females carry more color than wild peacock females, so small fish are hard to sex. It is fully fertile and easy to breed. Spawns from this hybrid line come out uneven, and breeders cull hard for even coverage.
Good to know
The dragon blood peacock is a hybrid line in the cichlid family, Cichlidae. Red covers its whole body, while in wild peacocks strong color belongs to dominant males and sits mostly on the fins and face. Shade varies widely between farms, and albino dragon bloods are sold as their own line.
In the wild
Dragon bloods are a man-made Aulonocara line, and no such fish lives in Lake Malawi. Sellers list them as Aulonocara sp. or Aulonocara sp. hybrid, because the cross behind them was never published. No breeder, country or decade is on record.
Common questions
Is a dragon blood peacock a different species from the OB peacock cichlid?
No. A dragon blood peacock is a variety of the OB peacock cichlid, Aulonocara hybrid, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What size tank does a dragon blood peacock need?
A dragon blood peacock needs at least 63 gal (240 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
How big does a dragon blood peacock get?
An adult dragon blood peacock reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).
How can you tell a male dragon blood peacock from a female?
Males finish the reddest and grow longer, pointed dorsal and anal fins. Females carry more color than wild peacock females do, so small fish are hard to sex.
How does a dragon blood peacock breed?
Dragon blood peacocks are fully fertile and breed easily, and they cross readily with any pure peacock species. Their spawns come out uneven, so breeders cull hard for even coverage.
5.9 in (15 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
5.1 in (13 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
5.1 in (13 cm)74 gal (280 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
4.3 in (11 cm)63 gal (240 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)
4.3 in (11 cm)66 gal (250 L)77–82°F (25–28°C)
4.1 in (10.5 cm)63 gal (240 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)