CichlidFish.com - Fish That Think.

I have a newbie question to ask. We started our tank with 4 dragon blood peacocks (African) about 2 years ago. Fortunately we ended up choosing 2 males and 2 females. Since that time we lost one of our females. Our sole unpaired male is absolutely the alpha in the tank.

The shop where we purchased our friends has since closed (due to the presence of big box stores). We are unable to find a similar orange mate for our big guy.

Is it appropriate to try to introduce a blue female of the same family to the tank? The blue ones (we don't know the specific breed at Petco) appear to share every feature of our orange ones except for colour.

What in your experience would be the most appropriate solution?

The other 2 orange dragon blood peacocks are happy in their domain in the tank but the sole alpha just stares into the distance (and directly at us) waiting and hoping for a tank mate.

Thank you for taking the time to help. Our friends are the first fish we started with! Lucky for us they have been quite easy to care for and are so very intelligent that they always find a way to surprise and make our day brighter.

Thanks! (from across the pond; United States)

Photomuse

As this is REALLY late, I would NOT worry about a mate for him. Mine does not have one and I have had him since 2007. He is fine and shakes at all the other females in the tank, but they pretty much ignore him..

HE wont' die from lack of a female, so yours wil be fine UNTIL U can find a female for him.. One wil come along soon.. the Peacocks U have, wont' lose color from NO female in the tank. I like that with these. I am unsure on if mine is a strawberry/or sunshine peacock. I had both but one died. O well, he is very orangish so HE is doing just great for 5 yrs old.. They live for 8+ with good tank maintenance..