TankBud

Pale usisya aulonocara

Aulonocara steveni

Also known as Aulonocara Blue Neon

FreshwaterFish

Pale usisya aulonocara (Aulonocara steveni)
Lerdsuwa · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.5–8.5
Adult size
5.5 in
14 cm
Minimum tank
63 gal
240 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Hard
Rarity
Very rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lake Malawi

Overview

The pale usisya aulonocara is a substrate-sifting peacock cichlid that feeds over open sand. It is an easy fish to keep.

Did you know

The pale usisya aulonocara hovers, then darts down and takes a mouthful of substrate. It sifts out the food and spits the sand back out through its gills.

Caring for the pale usisya aulonocara

Give a pale usisya aulonocara at least 63 gal (240 L). Lay a sand bottom for it to sift, with rockwork for shelter and territory lines.

Keep the water warm, hard and alkaline, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5. It swims in the middle of the tank but feeds by sifting the sand below. Feed a quality cichlid pellet plus frozen foods, and skip heavy land-based foods to avoid bloat.

Keep one male with several females to spread out his attention. It is mostly peaceful for a cichlid but territorial when breeding.

Males are far more colorful than the plain females. Like other Malawi cichlids, it is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female holds the eggs and fry in her mouth until they can fend for themselves, and breeding it is hard.

Good to know

Aulonocara steveni is a member of the family Cichlidae. Pores on its face and lower jaw are part of a sensory system that picks up insect larvae moving in the sand.

In the wild

The pale usisya aulonocara comes from Lake Malawi in East Africa, where it lives along the sandy zones near rocky reefs. The lake is warm, hard and alkaline.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The pale usisya aulonocara is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a pale usisya aulonocara need?

A pale usisya aulonocara needs at least 63 gal (240 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a pale usisya aulonocara need?

A pale usisya aulonocara is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.5–8.5.

What does a pale usisya aulonocara eat?

A pale usisya aulonocara eats a quality cichlid pellet plus frozen foods. Skip heavy land-based foods, since they can cause bloat.

How big does a pale usisya aulonocara get?

An adult pale usisya aulonocara reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).

How can you tell a male pale usisya aulonocara from a female?

Males are far more colorful than the females, which stay plain.

How does a pale usisya aulonocara breed?

The pale usisya aulonocara is a maternal mouthbrooder. The female keeps the eggs and fry in her mouth until they can fend for themselves, and breeding it is hard.

Related species