Strawberry Peacock Cichlid Care Guide and Facts

The strawberry peacock cichlid is a bright pink and red freshwater fish in the Aulonocara peacock group. It is an aquarium-bred hybrid, not a wild species, and it is popular for its color.

Males are vivid pink to red, while females and young fish are paler orange or cream. They are active and can be territorial, but they are calm compared with most other African cichlids.

A strawberry peacock cichlid is a hybrid peacock cichlid that grows to roughly 5 to 6 inches and needs at least a 55-gallon tank. It does best in hard, alkaline water (pH 7.5-8.5, 74-82°F) with a sandy bottom and one male per group of females. Males are semi-aggressive toward each other and toward similarly colored fish.

What Is a Strawberry Peacock Cichlid? Facts & Overview

Where Do Strawberry Peacock Cichlids Come From?

They are man-made. Strawberry peacocks are a line-bred color form of the albino “dragon blood” hybrid peacock, and their exact ancestry is unknown. Fishkeeper UK describes hybrid peacocks as crosses involving Aulonocara, other haplochromines and orange-blotched mbuna. Wild peacocks live over sandy areas in Lake Malawi and sift the sand for food, and strawberry peacocks keep that habit.

How Big Do Strawberry Peacock Cichlids Get?

Males typically reach about 5 to 6 inches, and females are smaller, often around 4 inches. Sources give a maximum of about 4.7 to 6 inches.

Lifespan is commonly given as 6 to 8 years, but no species database covers this hybrid, so treat it as an estimate. Males take roughly two years to reach full size and color, so plan the tank for the adult.

Where Can You Buy One, and How Much Do They Cost?

Strawberry peacocks are sold by specialty cichlid dealers and some large chains rather than at every shop. You can sometimes find them at The Fish Store or on eBay. Prices vary with size and color quality, and juveniles are often under $20 each.

What Do Strawberry Peacock Cichlids Look Like?

Dominant males are bright pink to red, sometimes with blue or yellow accents. Females and subdominant males are paler orange, and juveniles start out cream. Color is strongest in a mature male that is the top male in the group.

To tell the sexes apart, look for size and color. Males are larger, brighter and have pointed fins and more prominent egg spots. A male that loses color may be stressed, bullied or sick.

How Aggressive Are Strawberry Peacock Cichlids?

They are semi-aggressive. Hybrid peacocks are generally peaceful compared with mbuna, but males are territorial toward other males and toward similarly colored fish, and some individuals are rougher than others.

Keep one male with at least four females. Several sources recommend four or more females per male so that no female takes all the attention. Without enough females, the male chases and bites them. Fishkeeper UK notes that hybrid lines with mbuna ancestry tend to be more aggressive, so a pushy male is not unusual.

To reduce fighting:

• Add rocks and caves to break up sight lines and create hiding spots.
• Keep the tank at least 55 gallons.
• Avoid more than one male, unless the tank is very large and heavily decorated.
• If one fish keeps bullying, remove it as a last resort.

How Do You Care for Strawberry Peacock Cichlids?

Care level is moderate. They are not hard to feed, but they need stable, hard, alkaline water and a tank with plenty of space for the fish to avoid each other. They are not the best first cichlid because of their territorial males.

What Diseases Do Strawberry Peacock Cichlids Get?

• Malawi bloat: Affected fish stop eating, hide, have swollen bellies and breathe heavily. Poor water quality, a diet heavy in cheap fillers such as wheat, corn and soy, and salt in the tank are common contributors. Some cases are caused by intestinal parasites or bacteria. Move a sick fish to a hospital tank, and talk to a fish vet or a knowledgeable cichlid keeper about treatment. Medicated food containing metronidazole is commonly used. Follow the label for dosage instead of guessing.
• Swim bladder problems: A fish that floats, sinks or swims tilted may have a swim bladder problem. Check water quality and review the diet, including enough fiber and a variety of foods.
• Tuberculosis (mycobacteriosis): Signs include a sunken belly, frayed fins, white blotches and loss of appetite. It is contagious between fish and can infect people through open wounds. Wear gloves and avoid putting your hands in the tank if you have cuts, and wash your hands afterward. A vet can confirm the diagnosis.

What Size Tank and Water Do Strawberry Peacock Cichlids Need?

Use a 55-gallon tank (about 4 feet long) for a small group. That gives a male and several females room to spread out. Bigger is better when you keep more than one male or add other cichlids.

What Water Parameters Do They Need?

Strawberry peacocks need hard, alkaline water. Aim for a pH of 7.5-8.5 and a temperature of 74-82°F. Peacocks do well in hard water, up to about 25 dGH. Keep the water stable and test it regularly. A weekly 30-50% water change is typical for Malawi tanks. Do not add aquarium salt to try to raise pH or hardness.

What Substrate and Plants Are Best?

Use fine sand rather than gravel. Peacocks scoop up mouthfuls of sand to find food, and sharp or coarse gravel can damage the gills. Make rock piles with gaps between them, and leave open sand for swimming.

Plants are optional. Cichlids dig, so choose plants that do not need to be rooted, such as hornwort, Java moss and anacharis. Even these may be nibbled or uprooted. Vallisneria is also recommended for cichlid tanks by Aquarium Co-op because its tall leaves help break line of sight.

What Are Good Tank Mates for Strawberry Peacock Cichlids?

The best tank mates are peaceful Lake Malawi fish of similar size that like the same hard, alkaline water. Avoid aggressive mbuna, such as Pseudotropheus species, since they will harass peacocks. Avoid fish that look similar in color to the males.

Strawberry peacocks can live with others of their kind as long as there are more females than males.

Other cichlid species that suit them include peaceful haplochromines such as:

• Placidochromis
• Copadichromis
• Nyassachromis
• Sciaenochromis
• Synodontis catfish (avoid the cuckoo catfish, S. multipunctatus, which parasitizes mouthbrooders’ eggs)

Fish from Asia, such as the redtail shark and rainbow shark, are sometimes suggested. They live in different water and are territorial, so they are not a good match for a Malawi tank. One care guide lists peaceful rainbowfish and barbs, which tolerate hard water.

Shrimp, small fish and crabs are likely to be eaten.

What Do Strawberry Peacock Cichlids Eat?

They are omnivores that lean toward meaty foods, though some sources call them carnivores. In nature, they sift the sand for insect larvae and other small invertebrates. Feed a quality cichlid pellet as the base and add frozen foods such as brine shrimp, mosquito larvae and the occasional bloodworm. Offer vegetable matter too, such as blanched spinach or cucumber.

Choose sinking foods since they feed on the bottom. Avoid pellets that list wheat, corn or soy fillers first, and avoid feeding beef heart or other mammal meat. Feed 2 to 4 small meals a day and remove what they do not eat.

How Do Strawberry Peacock Cichlids Breed?

They are maternal mouthbrooders. The male displays and quivers at the female, and she lays eggs on the sand or a flat rock. She picks the eggs up into her mouth as the male fertilizes them, and she holds them for about three to four weeks until the fry are free swimming.

To trigger spawning, raise the temperature gradually toward 82°F and keep the ratio at one male to several females. Since males are territorial, give each one its own space.

Should You Get a Strawberry Peacock Cichlid?

A strawberry peacock is a good choice if you have a 55-gallon or larger tank, a group of one male and four or more females, and compatible Malawi tank mates. It is a poor choice for a small tank, a community tank with soft-water fish, or any tank where you already have aggressive fish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are cichlid fish good pets?

Yes, for keepers with the right tank, but strawberry peacocks are not the best first cichlid. Care is moderate: they are easy to feed but need a 55-gallon tank, stable hard, alkaline water and a group of one male with four or more females.

What plants will cichlids not eat?

Very few plants are fully safe, but unrooted plants such as hornwort, Java moss and anacharis are the usual choices because cichlids dig. Even these may be nibbled or uprooted. Vallisneria is also recommended for cichlid tanks because its tall leaves break line of sight.

How many African cichlids can fit in a 40-gallon tank?

Not a full strawberry peacock group, because they need at least 55 gallons (about 4 feet long). A 40-gallon is too small for one male with four or more females. In a 55-gallon, that one-male group gives the fish room to avoid each other.

What fish can I mix with peacock cichlids?

Peaceful Lake Malawi fish of similar size that like hard, alkaline water, such as Placidochromis, Copadichromis, Nyassachromis and Sciaenochromis haplochromines. Avoid aggressive mbuna, fish with similar color to the males, and tiny fish or shrimp, which are likely to be eaten.

Are strawberry peacock cichlids aggressive?

They are semi-aggressive. Males are territorial toward other males and similarly colored fish, but they are milder than most Malawi cichlids. Keeping one male with four or more females and adding rocks and caves keeps fighting down.

How big do strawberry peacock cichlids get?

Males reach about 5 to 6 inches and females stay a bit smaller, around 4 inches. They take around two years to reach full size and color.