The strawberry peacock is the lighter, pinker counterpart of the dragon blood, a hybrid peacock cichlid for hap and peacock communities. It is hardy and easy to keep.
Did you know
The strawberry peacock's price tag reads Aulonocara sp., and the sp. sits where a species name would normally go. It stays blank on this fish and on every other hybrid peacock, because there is no wild species anyone can name as the source.
Caring for the strawberry peacock
Give a strawberry peacock at least 63 gal (240 L) and plenty of swimming room. Lay a floor of sand and scattered rock, since it spends most of its time near the bottom. It needs hard, alkaline water, kept warm and stable at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.5 to 8.5.
Keep one male with several females, or keep it among other robust Malawi fish. It is mostly peaceful, but fin-nippers do not belong in its tank.
Females color up as well, so young fish are harder to sex than wild type peacocks. It breeds easily. Breeders report that it crosses readily with pure Aulonocara and that the young are fertile. Skip it entirely if you keep pure Aulonocara lines.
Good to know
The strawberry peacock's pale pink comes from less dark pigment over the same red base as the dragon blood. Albino strawberries drop melanin entirely and show pink or red eyes, and plenty of shops sell them under the same name. The label is not standardized, so two stores can ship visibly different fish. Go by the photo rather than the word.
In the wild
Strawberry peacocks are a captive bred Aulonocara line with no counterpart in Lake Malawi. The cross behind them was never documented. Hobby accounts treat them as a lighter selection out of the same dragon blood stock. No breeder, country or decade is on record, so the origin is best left open.
Common questions
Is a strawberry peacock a different species from the OB peacock cichlid?
No. A strawberry 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 strawberry peacock need?
A strawberry peacock needs at least 63 gal (240 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
How big does a strawberry peacock get?
An adult strawberry peacock reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).
How does a strawberry peacock breed?
Strawberry peacocks breed easily. They cross readily with pure Aulonocara, and breeders report that the young are fertile.
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)