OB Peacock Care Guide
The OB peacock is an aquarium hybrid cichlid with an orange-blotch pattern, produced by crossing Aulonocara peacocks with OB-patterned mbuna.
Overview
The OB peacock (Aulonocara sp. 'OB') is a hybrid Malawi cichlid that does not occur in the wild. OB stands for 'orange blotch', a gene that naturally occurs in mbuna. The form was created by crossing Aulonocara peacocks with OB-patterned mbuna and then line-breeding toward peacock body shape and temperament. Coloration is highly variable and blotched, and no two fish are identical.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Aulonocara (hybrid lineage)
- Trade name: Aulonocara sp. 'OB'
- Note: aquarium hybrid, not a recognised wild species
Origin
As a hybrid, the OB peacock has no natural range. Its parent stocks derive from Lake Malawi Aulonocara and mbuna carrying the orange-blotch gene. Females do not display the bright colours of males, and each fish carries a unique blotch pattern.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 250 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (76-82 °F)
- pH: 7.5-8.5 (sources cite about 7.4-8.2)
- GH: 8-20 °dGH
- Size: about 12-15 cm
- Substrate: fine sand, suited to sifting
Diet
It is an omnivore. Like its Aulonocara parent it spends time sifting sand, so a fine sand substrate is recommended; coarse substrate can damage gills or cause blockages if ingested.
Compatibility
Males tend to be on the more aggressive side and do not coexist well with other Aulonocara males or similarly coloured fish, since the mbuna ancestry adds some aggression. It is, however, relatively peaceful for a Malawi cichlid and is best kept with other peacocks and haplochromines rather than small fish or shrimp.
Breeding
Like other Malawi peacocks it is a maternal mouthbrooder, with the female incubating eggs and fry in her mouth.