Aulonocara jacobfreibergi (Undu Reef)

Lemon Jake Peacock Cichlid

Max Size:

7.0"

Temperament:

Semi-aggressive

Water Temperature:

78 - 82°F

Diet:

Carnivore

Min. Tank Size:

75 Gal

Description:

The Aulonocara jacobfreibergi (Undu Reef) or Lemon Jake Peacock is a very popular species of peacock cichlid found among African cichlid hobbyists. This species of Aulonocara is native to the waters of Lake Malawi, around the caves and rocks of Undu Reef and Tanzania. Males develop a metallic blue color on their face, and from just past their pectoral fins, down to their tails. The blue color is contrasted by a bright yellow color on the upper part of their head and behind their gills, along with their dorsal fin, pelvic, anal, and outer edge of their tail fin. The Lemon Jake peacock has a popular color variant called the Malawi Butterfly, native to the waters of Otter Point, which has a red and light metallic blue color pattern. The Eureka Red Jake is also a popular color variant which is line bred from the Otter Point jacobfreibergi. Males will get to be about 7" in length and females will be a little smaller.

Compatibility:

Lemon Jake Peacock cichlids are fairly mild mannered Lake Malawi cichlids. For the most part they will coexist peacefully with other mild mannered peacocks and haplochromis. However it isn't unusual for a dominant male may show increased aggression levels towards other males. Breeding males will also display increased levels of aggression. Some compatible cichlid species are the Sunshine Peacock, the Red Top Lwanda Peacock, and the Flavescent Peacock.

Tank Requirements and Feeding:

Lemon Jake Peacocks are native to the hard, alkaline water environment of Lake Malawi in Africa. A home aquarium should offer these fish similar living conditions for them to display their brightest colors. The substrate should be sand or fine gravel and there should be plenty of rocks to create caves and passageways for the fish to claim territories or seek protection. The water temperature should be between 78 - 82°F with a pH between 7.8 - 8.6. Additives like Cichlid Lake Salt and Malawi/Victoria Buffer will condition the aquarium water for African cichlids.

Lemon Jake Peacock cichlids are carnivores and should be fed a diet that contains a good amount of protein. A good diet consists of a mix of plankton based flakes and commercially prepared cichlid pellets along with occasional supplements of live (or frozen) brine shrimp or blood worms. Such foods will help bring out the bright blue and yellow colors in these fish.

Breeding:

Lemon Jake Peacock cichlids are sexually dimorphic. Males will develop bright blue and yellow colors while females remain a pale grey color. Males will also get slightly larger than females.

Like all Aulonocara, the Lemon Jake is a mouthbrooder. When they are spawning, the female will pick up and hold the eggs in her mouth to protect them. Females may continue to carry the eggs and fry in their mouth for two weeks or longer. For optimal breeding conditions it is recommended to keep four to six females with one male when breeding. This will create an ideal breeding colony and will help spread out any aggression displayed by the male.

All Aulonocara species will hybridize. If you want to avoid hybridization, it is best to either, only keep males, or only keep one species of Aulonocara.