▷ Peacock Cichlids | All information, keeping and breeding

Data sheet peacock cichlids

German name:
Peacock Cichlids

Scientific name:
Astronotus ocellatus

Origin:
South America

Size:
Body length up to 40 cm

Aquarium

Length:
Length from 250 cm width

Contents:
from 500 liters, from 1,000 for a group

water values

Temperature:
23°-28° C

pH:
6.5 – 7.5

GH:
5° – 25° dH

Behave

Area:
lower area

Lining:
Live food such as snails, insects, small fish, shrimp, worms

Behave:
Predator, aggressive

Number:
in pairs

Difficulty level:
advanced

The keeping conditions for peacock-eyed cichlids

Another name for peacock cichlids, Astronotus ocellatus, is red oscar. Astronotus prefer stagnant or slow-flowing waters where temperatures are very high at times. They are also adapted to low oxygen levels where other fish are already standing at the surface gasping for air. They survive German summer weather without any problems.

As adolescent animals up to about 15 cm in length, peacock cichlids live sociable. Such squads of adolescent animals are rather greedy troublemakers.

As the animals mature, they live in monogamous pairs and are relatively peaceful for 30 to 50 centimeter fish.

Aquarium requirements

If you want to keep peacock cichlids, you need a lot of space.

An aquarium with a capacity of at least 300 liters is required for six young animals. If pairs are found, each pair must have at least 500 liters or a 1.5 to 2.5 meter long aquarium to themselves. A tank with a side length of at least 3 meters is ideal. Then animals without a partner can stay in the tank under certain circumstances.

Because the sexes are almost indistinguishable, it is difficult to put together a suitable group. Only real lovers of large cichlids with lots of space can keep the animals. In addition, the animals also reach a beautiful age and become more than 10 years old.

Young Oskar looks pretty cute in the trade. But they grow very quickly. The aquarium is designed according to the ideas of the fish. Plants are hardly tolerated if they get in the way of spawning attempts. Peacock cichlids are rough on each other and other fish. Fish smaller than 10 centimeters are eaten as food.

Only armored catfish and ancistrine armored catfish are usually left alone because the attempts to eat are unsuccessful. An Oskar has been observed taking an apple snail in his mouth and smashing it on a disk to get to the inside.

Peacock cichlid, Astronotus occelatus, Thai breeding variant Photo: Ralf Peters

When not feeding, they are very calm fish. But they observe every little movement in the pelvis. When feeding, no other fish should be in the way. You can accelerate very quickly.

Larger animals will bite the keeper’s fingers or arms while feeding or working in the aquarium. This can lead to bleeding wounds.

If there is enough space, the posture is easy. When a pair from a group of juveniles has found each other, it occupies a 2 meter tank as its territory. The other animals in the group are then suppressed.

Properly cared for Oskars are still active when fully grown.

They are on the move all day and search the entire aquarium for possible food animals.

Peacock cichlid, Astronotus occelatus, Thai breeding variant Photo: Ralf Peters

If the animals are not active and just stand still in the aquarium, the keeping conditions must be checked.

The base area is then probably too small for them to be able to accelerate properly to hunt forage. They then stand frustrated and resigned in the aquarium, because otherwise they keep bumping into the panes.

Once a pair has found each other, it can take up to a year for them to spawn for the first time.

No special demands are made on the water parameters.

What peacock cichlids eat

Everything that fits in its mouth will be eaten.

Practically the same live food is eaten as terrarium animals eat, only giant locusts are too big. Live insects should be chilled in the fridge until rigid before feeding to prevent them from escaping. Live bait fish for feeding can be purchased at tackle shops.

Astronotus are mollusc eaters with very powerful pharyngeal teeth, which they use to break up the large chunks. Vegetable food is eaten reluctantly. They only take small food in the greatest emergencies. Flake food is not eaten.

Cultivated forms of Astronotus

In the USA there are already real monster farms. In Germany, only color breeds or wild forms are usually available. Monochromatic Astronotus are usually breeds, including the albinos. Because the wild forms also communicate via very rapid and clear color changes, part of their behavioral spectrum has already been taken away from the cultivated forms.

There are very different colored wild forms. Among them are very conspicuously colored ones with a high proportion of red or yellow. The basic color is an irregular brown to black banding on a clay-colored background. The number and color of the shiny scales is very different.

The color changes are particularly interesting. The loamy base color becomes very bright when excited, the dark banding turns deep black at the same time. The shiny scales stand out even more clearly. It looks like the fish is a glowing lantern with a candle lit inside.

FAQs – Frequently asked questions about peacock-eyed cichlids