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Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Freiberg's peacock
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Variations

2 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Freiberg's peacock

Aulonocara jacobfreibergi · Jacobfreibergi, Freibergi, Eureka red peacock, Fort johnston peacock

Fairly peaceful for a Malawi cichlid; avoid aggressive mbuna as tank-mates.

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15 cmAdult size ✓
25–29 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
432 LSmallest tank ✓
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Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 16–24 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like freiberg's peacock need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 18–24 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like freiberg's peacock need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
Not recommended
  • White cloud mountain minnow needs cool water and makes a lot of waste, while Freiberg's peacock is tropical.
  • Rift lake cichlids like freiberg's peacock need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like freiberg's peacock need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 25 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like freiberg's peacock need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (7.8–8.6 vs 4.5–7). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

71 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓10–25 dGH
Group size ✓5 or more
Temperament ✓Semi-aggressive
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Fairly peaceful for a Malawi cichlid; avoid aggressive mbuna as tank-mates.

  • sand

Food

Cichlid pellets and flakes with frozen brine shrimp, mysis and bloodworms a few times a week.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Males are larger and more colourful than females, which are plain grey-brown.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Maternal mouthbrooder (harem) · Moderate

A maternal mouthbrooder kept as one male with 4 or more females; the female carries the brood for up to 4 weeks.

Pairing

One male with 3-5 females in a sandy tank; males defend a cave or a cleared sand patch.

Setup

200-300 L tank with sand, caves and flat stones, hard alkaline water (pH 7.8-8.5), strong filtration and a moderate group of females.

What starts it

Good condition on varied protein foods, warm stable water and a dominant male displaying at a sand scrape or cave.

Eggs

Up to about 50 eggs per brood, carried for up to 4 weeks.

Raising the fry

The female releases fry after 3-4 weeks. Feed crushed flake and newly hatched brine shrimp; fry grow steadily in clean, warm water.

Common mistakes
  • Keeping several males in a small tank
  • Mixing with similar peacocks and creating hybrids
  • Overfeeding rich food and fouling the water
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionLake Malawi
Rivers and lakesLake Malawi (rocky coasts, many locations)
HabitatRocky caves and crevices
Native rangeAbout 200 km across
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The story of the freiberg's peacock

A long-finned peacock from southern Lake Malawi, described by Johnson in 1974 and named after Jacob Freiberg, a fish importer from Verona, New Jersey, who helped collect the type specimens. Red 'eureka' and other colour strains are aquarium-bred.

This peacock was described in 1974 in a different genus, Trematocranus. It is one of the larger and most widely traded Aulonocara, often sold as the 'Eureka' or fairy peacock in its various forms. Males are known for their long fins and bright colours.

First described by Johnson in 1974.

  • It often shelters in caves rather than over open sand like many peacocks.
  • Sensory pores on its head help it find prey in low light.
  • Females are dull brown and look very different from males.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources