Any Aulonocara experts out there?

[KrispyCam]

Does anyone out there know approximately what age Aulonocaras start showing their pretty colors?

The reason I'm asking is because the other day I went to the LFS and I noticed that one tank of juvenile Eureka peacocks were already showing some brilliant color where as another tank of juvenile lwanda peacocks were still a dull greyish color (you couldn't really tell male from female).

The fish in both tanks looked about the same age. They were all approximately an inch and a half in length. Do Eurekas color more quickly than Lwandas?

 

[Bearfan]

Here's a decent article on them, sorry, I am not a Cichlid keeper.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/peacocks.php

 

[KrispyCam]

Thanks Bearfan. Great article.

I found this quote kind of interesting as it might pertain to what I saw at the LFS.

"Any juveniles that show adult coloration are either a stunted
adult or have been treated with hormones"

If anyone else has any thoughts about this I'd love to hear your opinions.

 

[Bearfan]

No problem...I thought it was interesting. I think I may set up a Cichlid tank one of these days. I've got an empty 45 that I bought at a garage sale for damn near nothing.

 

[nugrad2005]

I think I may set up a Cichlid tank one of these days

You won't regret it, i promise.

-Dan

 

[MR294]

"Any juveniles that show adult coloration are either a stunted
adult or have been treated with hormones"

The practice of feeding hormone enriched foods has become pretty common with African cichlids that don't normally develop coloration until sexual maturity. You see it a lot with peacocks and ahlis. They lose this coloration after a few weeks without the hormones, and the colors don't return until the fish matures.