Mixing Peacocks

[cameracorpus]

Hello. First of all, I hope everyone and their fish are staying warm!

I'm getting some conflicting information on mixing of Aulonocara species. I'd like to put more than one group in a tank, but of course I don't want no funny stuff, such as hybrids. I've read that folks mix them OK, and also that they can't be mixed.

Currently I have Maleri Cove (Sunshine) and Cobues. They are in seperate tanks. I'd like to expand on that, but I have limited good habitat for them. By good habitat, I mean that they are so pretty that I want as many of them as possible in my "good" tanks, not just stuck in garage tanks. I have breeding groups, not just males, BTW.

I'm planning a trip to Dave's in San Antonio once I get this figured out.

Your suggestions are both solicited and appreciated.

[Darbex]

They can be mixed but they will cross breed. The species are all the same line so the most dominate male will try to get with every female that is mature enough

[armthehomeless]

According to Marc Elieson, there are four groups of Aulonocara that can be mixed without (much) risk of hybridizing -

Group 1: Chitande
Group 2: Jacobfriebergi
Group 3: Stuartgrandti
Group 4: Sand Dwelling group

Here is a link to an article that he wrote on the subject: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/article...g_peacocks.php

I added the word much in parentheses because I've seen it happen. Keeping each type in their own tank is the only way to be certain that the fish will not hybridize, IMO.

[Darbex]

Yeah I have had Aulonocaras mix and people even said different Mbunas dont breed very easy well something must have been in my water because I had two Mbunas that were on the opposite side of the family breed.