Our Guide To Keeping Ngara Flametail Peacock Cichlid
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About Fish Species:
- Scientific name: Aulonocara stuartgranti "Ngara"
- Common name: Ngara Flametail Peacock Cichlid
- Family: Cichlidae
- Origin: Lake Malawi, specifically the Ngara region
- Adult length: 12 cm
- Lifespan: 6 to 8 years
- Diet: Carnivore
- Care Level: Moderate
- Temperament: Peaceful to semi-aggressive
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Tank Setup:
- A minimum tank size of 200L is recommended, with open swimming space and rockwork to form caves and territories.
- A sandy substrate is ideal to allow natural foraging behaviour.
- Use hardy decorations or artificial plants, as live plants may be disturbed or uprooted.
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Water Parameters:
- Maintain a stable pH between 7.8 and 8.6 to simulate their natural alkaline environment.
- Temperature should be kept between 24 to 28°C (75 to 82°F).
- Moderate to hard water with GH between 10–18 dGH is ideal.
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Filtration and Water Flow:
- Use a strong, reliable filter to maintain high water quality and oxygenation.
- Flametail Peacocks prefer gentle to moderate flow, as they are mid-water column dwellers.
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Diet:
- Feed a high-quality carnivorous cichlid pellet as a staple.
- Enhance colouration and health with frozen or live foods such as mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and bloodworms.
- Avoid overfeeding protein-heavy foods to reduce the risk of Malawi bloat.
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Tank mates:
- Suitable tank mates include other peaceful peacock cichlids or non-aggressive haps of similar size.
- Avoid mixing with aggressive mbuna or large predatory species.
- Best kept in a harem ratio (one male to multiple females) to disperse male attention.
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Behavior and Compatibility:
- Flametail Peacocks are active, curious, and social cichlids that show beautiful red-orange tail and blue body coloration, especially in dominant males.
- They are generally peaceful but can become territorial during breeding.
- Interactive and alert, they often respond to activity outside the tank and will beg for food.
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