Cichla kelberi “Kelberi Peacock Bass”

When looking for a good fish to consume culls in our fishroom, I knew what I needed once I saw the Kelberi Peacock Bass, Cichla kelberi. Now, these aren’t for everyone; they are true monster fishes, although Cichla kelberi is in the running as being one of the smallest (if not the smallest) species of Peacock Bass. Fishbase puts their max size at 11″; generally speaking, that means some individuals will be smaller, and fish larger will be rare. Kelberi Peacock Bass are also one of the most attractive in my opinion, developing yellow and black spotted fins, and sometimes that spangled pattern on the body as well, as they mature. The amount of pattern varies between individuals and strains. Males in particular can develop a large nuchal hump. The fish in the first photo here is a roughly 5-6″ juvenile

Kelberi Peacock Bass have been sporadically available in 2016, and I’m glad to have them. I have found these fish to initially require live foods when I first get them, but by the time I’ve listed them for sale they will be eating at least something that is non-live. In the case of this current batch they all eat assorted frozen and freeze dried offerings at this time; the earlier fish I’ve retained (now several inches in length) gladly consume Hikari Cichlid Gold pellets, but they really go crazy for krill. There is absolutely no need to feed these fish live offerings, and if you avoid doing so, you’ll avoid the disease risk that’s associated with live feeds.

I should also note that Cichla kelberi tend to be a bit touchy when they arrive, so any fish I offer have likely been held for weeks, or months, before being made available. This also means I have generally grown them up a bit from whatever size they were sent at.  These fish definitely grow at different rates, so sizes will vary if you’re ordering multiples.  The “smalls” I’m offering at this time are probably best described as 2″ or better.

As juveniles, it is effectively impossible to 100% verify the species identification of these Peacock Bass; as such I must rely on the source, which has proven to furnish me with Kelberi in the past that grew out to be the right species. That said, I cannot ever 100% guarantee the ID of these fish, so please be aware up front as I don’t offer refunds weeks/months/years later when you think they’re not what they were supposed to be. That is simply a risk of the aquarium trade at times; I do my best, and made sure the fish grew up right before bringing in any more to offer for sale!

I should note that Peacock Bass species (Cichla spp.) are not permitted to be shipped to certain states; I already know no sales to Florida. I will double check the state regulations of your state when you order before completing any sale. Thanks for your understanding in this matter.