Aulonocara jacobfreibergi Eureka

Eureka Red Peacock Cichlid

Max Size:

7.0"

Temperament:

Semi-aggressive

Water Temperature:

78-82°F

Diet:

Carnivore

Min. Tank Size:

75 Gal

Description:

The Aulonocara jacobfreibergi Eureka or Eureka Red Jake Peacock is a very popular species of peacock cichlid that is not native to the waters of Lake Malawi, but is a line bred strain of the Otter Point jacobfreibergi or Malawi Butterfly. Males develop a light metallic blue color on their face, and from just past their pectoral fins, down to their tails. The blue color is contrasted by a bright red color on their upper back just before their dorsal fins and behind their gills, along with the lower edge of their dorsal fin, pelvic, anal, and lower half of their tail fin. Along with the Malawi Butterfly, the Lemon Jake is a very popular strain of jacobfreibergi which is native to the waters around Undu Reef in Lake Malawi. Males will get to be about 7" in length and females will be a little smaller.

Compatibility:

Eureka Red Jake Peacock cichlids are fairly mild mannered Lake Malawi cichlids. For the most part they will coexist peacefully with other mild mannered peacocks and haplochromis. However it isn't unusual for a dominant male may show increased aggression levels towards other males. Breeding males will also display increased levels of aggression. Some compatible cichlid species are the German Red Peacock, the Red Top Lwanda Peacock, and the Blue Neon Peacock.

Tank Requirements and Feeding:

Though they are not native to the waters of Lake Malawi, Eureka Red Peacocks are much like the other species of Aulonocara jacobfreibergi which are found in the lake. A home aquarium should offer these fish similar living conditions for them to display their brightest colors. The substrate should be sand or fine gravel and there should be plenty of rocks to create caves and passageways for the fish to claim territories or seek protection. The water temperature should be between 78 - 82°F with a pH between 7.8 - 8.6. Additives like Cichlid Lake Salt and Malawi/Victoria Buffer will condition the aquarium water for African cichlids.

Eureka Red Jake Peacock cichlids are carnivores and should be fed a diet that contains a good amount of protein. A good diet consists of a mix of Plankton based flakes and commercially prepared cichlid pellets along with occasional supplements of live (or frozen) brine shrimp or blood worms. Such foods will help bring out the metallic blue and red colors in these fish.

Breeding:

Eureka Red Jake Peacock cichlids are sexually dimorphic. Males will develop light metallic blue and red colors while females remain a pale grey color. Males will also get slightly larger than females.

Like all Aulonocara, the Eureka Red Jake is a mouthbrooder. When they are spawning, the female will pick up and hold the eggs in her mouth to protect them. Females may continue to carry the eggs and fry in their mouth for two weeks or longer. For optimal breeding conditions it is recommended to keep four to six females with one male when breeding. This will create an ideal breeding colony and will help spread out any aggression displayed by the male.

All Aulonocara species will hybridize. If you want to avoid hybridization, it is best to either, only keep males, or only keep one species of Aulonocara