American Cichlid – Peacock Bass (Cichla Monoculus) 6cm

Oscars come from Brazil, Columbia, Ecuador, French Guiana and Peru. They can be found along the Amazon River and its surrounding areas, which is one of the most bio diverse environments in the world.

This is a species full of personality. A few different varieties have been bred which offer some different colours and patterns.

Oscars are territorial, so adding them to your tank can be risky.

They aren’t afraid to attack other fish and will do so if a fish encroaches on their territory. Mating and feeding times can also fuel their aggression.

Most of their time will be spent swimming in the mid-levels of the tank, though they’ll often head down to the substrate in search of food. You might see them uproot plants and decorations during this search, so everything in the aquarium should be secured down.

The good news is that if the tank is setup correctly and you choose the right tank mates, their aggression can be controlled.

Monoculus Peacock Bass are found living in the main stem of the Amazon River, mid to upper areas of the Rio Negro and in surrounding tributaries of both rivers. Monoculus Peacock Bass are distinguished visually by short vertical bars that do not extend below the lateral line and a long horizontal bar originating at the base of the pectoral fin (cheek marking).

The main area of the body is yellow to gold in coloration, with a white under belly, black dorsal fin and tail fin that fades from yellow to orange. Juveniles are a more muted silver grey in color with less pronounced body markings. Mono’s are considered medium sized Peacock Bass species that range from 24 to 28 inches in length as an adult, which is generally larger than Orinoco Peacock Bass (cichla Orinoco) but smaller than Temensis Peacock Bass (cichla temensis).

Mono’s are ambush hunters who prefer slightly calmer waters where they can find cover near plants, drift wood or rocky formations to lay in wait for prey items. The waters of their native Amazon, Rio Negro & Oyapock rivers are very warm year round with temperatures reaching upwards of 86° when the sun is at its peak, and with nighttime temperatures still hovering around the 80° mark.

The waters conditions of their natural habitat are acidic with a pH range of 5.0 to 6.5 and a water hardness between 5 to 15 dH; as well as, fast flowing with a large volume of water passing down river daily. Cichla monoculus have evolved perfectly for their environment with color patterns enabling them to blend into their environment, long sleek bodies and powerful pectoral and anal fins, which they use to maintain ambush positions in flowing river waters and ambush prey.

• Species – Cichla Monoculus
• Common Name – Peacock Bass Mono
• Origin – Amazon Basin/River
• Diet – Piscivore, Canivour
• PH Range – Prefer Neutral but can be 6.5 – 7.5
• Temperature – Tropical 26–28°c
• Breed Type – Egg layer
• Current Size – approximately 7cm (Grows to approximately 70cm)
• Sex – Un-sexed