{"product_id":"xingu-peacock-bass-cichla-melaniae","title":"Xingu Peacock Bass | Cichla melaniae","description":"\u003ch2\u003eDescription\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Xingu Peacock Bass is a true peacock bass — a sleek, powerful Amazonian predator marked in vivid yellow with broken black barring. Restricted in the wild to Brazil's Rio Xingu, it's a genuinely impressive fish that grows large and fast, and is strictly for keepers set up for a big predator tank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eNatural Habitat\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFound only in the Lower Rio Xingu drainage in Brazil, part of the Amazon Basin, where it hunts smaller fish in clear to slightly stained river water.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAppearance\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA heavy-bodied, powerful fish with a near-uniform vivid yellow body broken by dark, irregular blotches and bars, and the false \"eye spot\" near the tail typical of peacock bass.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTemperament and Compatibility\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAggressive and unapologetically predatory — this fish will eat any tankmate small enough to fit in its mouth, and is territorial as it matures. Best kept alone or with similarly large, robust species that won't be seen as prey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFeeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA voracious carnivore taking whole fish, large prawns and quality large predator pellets; feed once or twice daily and avoid overfeeding, as they're prone to obesity in captivity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eCare Requirements\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeeds a genuinely large aquarium with powerful filtration to handle its size and appetite — this is not a fish to buy small and \"grow into a bigger tank later\"; the tank needs to be ready for an adult from early on.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eBreeding\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA substrate-spawning, biparental cichlid in the wild, with both parents fiercely guarding eggs and fry. Breeding in home aquaria is rare given the enormous space a mature pair requires.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSpecies Information\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eScientific Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCichla melaniae\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCommon Name\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eXingu Peacock Bass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eOrigin\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLower Rio Xingu, Brazil (Amazon Basin)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMaximum Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAround 36cm (FishBase); some aquarium reports to 40cm+\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eLifespan\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e10+ years\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eTemperament\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAggressive, territorial predator\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDifficulty\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAdvanced\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMinimum Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e450L\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRecommended Tank Size\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e1000L+ for an adult\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eDiet\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eCarnivore\/piscivore\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWater Temperature\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e24-28°C\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003epH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e6.0-7.5\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eGH Range\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eModerate\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSalinity\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable (freshwater)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSuitable For\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eExperienced keepers with a large predator tank\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eReef Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNot applicable\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePlant Safe\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eNo — will uproot or crush plants; typically kept with rock and driftwood only\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSuitable Tank Mates\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther large, robust South American species too big to be eaten, such as large Pacu, big Plecos or similarly sized predatory cichlids in a very large tank.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAvoid Keeping With\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAvoid any fish small enough to be swallowed, and avoid overstocking — this is very much a \"one big showpiece fish\" species rather than a community addition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nick's Aquarium Oceanarium Terrarium","offers":[{"title":"Small (1-5cm)","offer_id":55232807305507,"sku":"BA8079-S","price":130.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Medium (5-10cm)","offer_id":55232807338275,"sku":"BA8079","price":149.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Large (10-15cm)","offer_id":55232807371043,"sku":"BA8079-L","price":170.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false},{"title":"X-Large (15-45cm)","offer_id":55351966007587,"sku":"BA8079-XL","price":195.95,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0972\/7236\/5347\/files\/xingu-peacock-bass-cichla-me-43886849196323.webp?v=1790306325","url":"https:\/\/nicksaquariumoceanariumterrarium.com.au\/products\/xingu-peacock-bass-cichla-melaniae","provider":"Nicks AOT","version":"1.0","type":"link"}