▷ Aulonacara Cichlids | All information and details

Datasheet Aulonacara

Scientific name:
Aulonocara

Origin:
East Africa, endemic to Lake Malawi

Size:
8 to 16 cm

Aquarium

Length:
80 to 150 cm

Contents:
150 to 450 liters

water values

Temperature:
24 to 26°C

pH:
7.4 to 8.5

GH:
5 to 15 °dGH

Behave

Area:
lower to middle range

Lining:
Live food (insect larvae, artemia), flakes, dry food, frozen food, granules

Behave:
Peaceful, territorial and aggressive during the mating season, mouthbrooder, keeping a harem recommended, many sensory pores on the back of the head for searching for food and orientation

Number:
1 male and 2 to 3 females, with more males correspondingly more females

Difficulty level:
beginner fish

Keep Aulonocara only purebred.

anonymous, Aulonocara hansbaenschi RB3, CC BY-SA 3.0

Aulonocara should only be kept purebred. i.e. only one species of Aulonocara should be kept in an aquarium. Aulonocara species mix with each other strongly.

Wild-caught Kandeense females may not accept other bucks because of the pallor on the male’s head, but that too is a matter of luck.

Aquarists should avoid inbreeding and keep the species pure. An exception are special cultivated forms that do not occur in nature, such as Red Rubin.

Azure cichlids, Sciaenochromis ahli, can be socialized with an Aulonocara species. These are relatively similar and at least as beautiful.

It should be varied and not fed too much. A fasting day should be inserted at least once a week.

Aulonocara hansbaenschi

Aulonocara beanschi “Benga” Photo: Guppy1705 (Forum)

Aulonocara hansbaenschi is probably the most commonly kept Aulonocara species. The experiences with Aulonocara hansbaenschi are different. 4 Aulonocara hansbaenschi were kept in a 240 liter aquarium. The carbonate hardness was KH 10, the pH was between 7.5 and 8.5. The temperature was 23 to 25°.

The animals dug up the tank, so only Echinodorus bleheri and Vallisneria giganthea survived. The Aulonocara hansbaenschi have increased greatly. Offspring came every 4 to 6 weeks. After some time all other fish species were eaten. Adult swordtails were snapped from below by the belly or the sword area. The attacked swordtail was then shocked and after the Aulonocara had followed up 2-3 times, the swordtail was eaten.

Flake food was hardly touched.

The animals were at least 18 centimeters tall. However, not all Aulonocara species grow that large.

Aulonocara beanschi “Benga” Photo: Guppy1705 (Forum)

So that there is still room for offspring, not too many Aulonocara hansbaenschi should be placed in an aquarium. A suggestion is 4-8 fish in a 672 liter (160x60x70) aquarium.

According to another report, the animals burrowed less vigorously, e.g. B. less than Neolamprologus leleupi. These animals also ate fish that fit in their mouths, but not all. So Julidochromis were spared. These animals also ate dry food.

Aulonocara sunshine

Aulanocara Sunshine is a breeding form of the Sunshine Peacock, i.e. Aulanocara baenschi, which does not occur in nature.

Aulonocara stuartgranti “blue neon”

Eggs and young should not be taken away from the female, although this is often recommended. If the female doesn’t spit the eggs out herself after a while, she’s also likely to see the eggs through to the end. This takes 3.5 to 4 weeks.

When the mother let the young out on her own, the mother can stay with the young for another 2 to 3 days. Then the mother is taken out. There are also reports that the mother has eaten the young half a day after the release. It didn’t matter whether they were fed or not. In such cases, the mother must be caught immediately after being released.

It may help to pile some larger pebbles into small piles for the young to hide in.

Eggs or young can be taken away from the female, but that means a lot of stress for everyone involved.