Speckled peacock bass
Cichla temensis
Also known as Speckled pavon, Painted peacock bass, Tucunare acu, Three-barred peacock bass, Spot line peacock bass
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 79–84°F
- 26–29°C
- pH
- 5.0–7.0
- Adult size
- 39 in
- 99 cm
- Minimum tank
- 898 gal
- 3,400 L
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Social behavior
- Social
- Tankmates
- With caution
- Swim level
- Middle
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Common
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Rio Negro and Orinoco basins in Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia, in slow, warm blackwater rivers, lagoons, and flooded forest.
Overview
The speckled peacock bass is a huge, aggressive predator for the middle of an enormous tank. It is realistic only for the most dedicated, experienced keepers.
Did you know
The speckled peacock bass holds the all-tackle angling record among peacock bass.
Caring for the speckled peacock bass
A single adult speckled peacock bass needs a tank of at least 898 gal (3,400 L). Give it long, open swimming lanes in the middle of the tank, with heavy filtration and robust equipment.
Keep the water at 79 to 84°F (26 to 29°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 7.0. Feed meaty predator foods and pellets, and never live feeder fish.
The speckled peacock bass is aggressive. It is fine in groups of its own kind, but only very large, tough tank mates are safe, and most keepers house it alone. Breeding it is hard.
Good to know
The speckled peacock bass was described by Humboldt in 1821. It can weigh over 12 kg, which makes it one of the largest cichlids in the world and the largest in the Americas. It shifts with the seasons between a pale-spotted phase and a dark, barred breeding phase. It is also a premier Amazon sport fish.
In the wild
The speckled peacock bass lives in the Rio Negro and Orinoco basins in Brazil, Venezuela and Colombia. It hunts in slow, warm blackwater rivers, lagoons and flooded forest, as an open-water predator.
Common questions
What size tank does a speckled peacock bass need?
A speckled peacock bass needs at least 898 gal (3,400 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
What temperature and pH does a speckled peacock bass need?
A speckled peacock bass is comfortable at 79–84°F (26–29°C) with a pH of 5.0–7.0.
What does a speckled peacock bass eat?
A speckled peacock bass eats meaty predator foods and pellets. Never feed it live feeder fish.
How big does a speckled peacock bass get?
An adult speckled peacock bass reaches about 39 in (99 cm).
Related species
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