TankMatesTankMates
Sign in
Encyclopedia / African Cichlids / Sulphur-head peacock
★New · no ratings yetIllustration

Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Sulphur-head peacock

Aulonocara maylandi · Sulphur head, Maylandi, Sulfurhead peacock, Aulonocara maylandi

Calm; keep with peaceful cichlids in a sandy tank.

Local price coming soon
· real AED shop prices, never conversions
15 cmAdult size ✓
25–29 °CTemperature ✓
7.8–8.6pH ✓
108 LSmallest tank ✓
Add to my tankCompare
Tank mates
Check your own mix →
Not recommended
  • They need different temperatures (25–29 °C vs 16–24 °C). No setting suits both.
  • Rift lake cichlids like sulphur-head 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 sulphur-head 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 Sulphur-head peacock is tropical.
  • Rift lake cichlids like sulphur-head peacock need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like sulphur-head 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 sulphur-head 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

56 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 ✓Peaceful
Swims at ?All levels
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Calm; keep with peaceful cichlids in a sandy tank.

  • 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, with a bright yellow band from the snout over the back and along the dorsal-fin edge (whitish in the Kande Island form); females are drab.

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 areas)
HabitatRocky caves near sand
Native rangeAbout 100 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the sulphur-head peacock

A timid peacock from a few reefs in southeastern Lake Malawi, described by Trewavas in 1984 and known in the hobby as the 'sulphurhead' for the male's yellow back stripe. It is listed as Critically Endangered in the wild.

Ethelwynn Trewavas described this peacock in 1984, honouring the aquarium writer Hans J. Mayland. Males show a striking yellow-white blaze on the head, giving the common name 'sulphur-head'. It is one of the more peaceful peacocks.

First described by Ethelwynn Trewavas in 1984. Named for Named after German aquarium author Hans J. Mayland.

  • Males have a bright yellowish crest running along the head and back.
  • Like other peacocks, it uses enlarged head pores to sense prey.
  • Females are greyish and do not show the head blaze.

Sources

15 facts checked with sources