These are easy to keep. I started with a half dozen half inch size a couple
years ago and have since bred them. You could keep a half dozen in a 10 gal
tank. I've had them in water ranging from 7.2 pH to 8.5 pH, 68-74o. I just
add a few small clay pots and some plants for cover. Mine aren't too fond
of flake so get mostly frozen foods dropped in small amounts gently at the
surface so it does't fall to the gravel to quickly. Peacocks don't appear
to see the food very well unless it's right in front of their face. This is
also a problem in a community tank if other fish are quick and aggressive
feeders.
Mine began breeding when they were approximately 1.5 inch although may have
done so sooner had they been in their own tank. I put one male and two
females in a 20L and gave them small .5-1 inch clay pots turned on their
sides to lay their eggs in. The male tends the eggs til free swimming.
Although some would survive in the tank with the parents, I found it easier
to move the pot to another container and hatch myself. I fed the fry
vinegar eels and microworms.
Females have black edged fins (although I've noticed they all have them
when young and the males just lose the black). Males have a rounder (or
even squarish) head.
carvi