Geophagus: contents, compatibility, types, breeding, photo

3.9

(7)

In the aquarium industry, there is a special circle of cichlid lovers. These aquarists keep these fish exclusively, provide them with the best living conditions and develop a biotope design for the “jar”. Not surprising, because these animals really stand out and are quite unusual. They have interesting habits and have a beautiful appearance. For example, one of the most prominent representatives of cichlids is Geophagus.

There are many of its species, which differ in size, color, spawning process and other features. But each variety is beautiful and interesting in its own way.

Description

The natural habitat of these creatures is South America. Moreover, they inhabit a wide variety of water bodies. These include fast-flowing rivers and areas with standing water. Some varieties like clear water, others like it when it is almost black, tinted by fallen leaves and branches. In addition, some individuals are heat-loving, while others, on the contrary, prefer cold. Most species grow no more than 30 cm. On average it is 10-12 cm. In aquariums, naturally, somewhat less.

The name "geophagus" is translated from Greek as "earth eater". This “name” fully corresponds to the behavior of these fish. They love to rummage in the ground. When they look for food, they take stones into their mouths and throw them out through their gills, leaving only what they can eat in their mouths.

In general, Geophagus is not a specific type of fish, but a large genus that includes a lot of subspecies that differ in shape, color, etc. Their common feature is a slightly conical head and high-set eyes. The body is flattened laterally and, as a rule, has various stripes.

Natural habitat

In nature, geophagus are found in the waters of South America. Representatives of this species feel absolutely comfortable both in standing water and rivers with strong currents. In addition, they are completely unpretentious to temperature - they can feel comfortable in both cold and warm water.

In their natural habitat, geophaguses are undemanding to water quality: they can be found in perfectly clean, transparent reservoirs, and fish will also not experience discomfort in dark, almost black waters.

Content

These fish are not too whimsical, but they are still more suitable for experienced aquarists, since they need to be provided with certain conditions for a comfortable life. Actually, the contents of geophagus include:

Aquarium . It is important that it is spacious enough given the size of these pets. Most species grow up to 12 cm, but some species are twice that size. Therefore, it is advisable to purchase a capacity of about 300 liters. This will allow you to have a small flock that will be comfortable swimming, have a place to hide, etc.;

Water parameters . Hardness is secondary and can vary from 6 to 18 dGH, but it is better to keep it higher. Acidity – 6.5-7.5 pH. Temperature is about 24-27 degrees. It is also important that the water is clean. In nature, most species are accustomed to its transparency. In addition, these fish love to rummage in the soil, and it is necessary that there are no deposits of organic matter in it, otherwise the water in the aquarium will be constantly cloudy. Accordingly, it is necessary to ensure regular replacements with high-quality cleaning of the substrate;

Equipment . It needs to be given special attention because, again, the water in the aquarium must be clean. At the same time, the cichlids themselves create a strong biological load. Therefore, a standard internal model with a sponge cannot be used here. The external type is best because it has good performance and can be equipped with a variety of fillers, depending on the aquarist's preferences. Alternatively, you can make your own phyto or biological filter. Both options are quite reliable, but the main thing is to take into account all the nuances so that such cleaning works;

Lighting and decorations . Geophagus itself prefers shade. It looks great in a biotope aquarium, stylized as water bodies of South America. Therefore, you can use large stones, snags, roots and even fallen leaves, which will slightly tint the water and oxidize it, which will also have a positive effect on the well-being of your pets;

Plants . As a rule, aquarists are unable to successfully grow any flora with these cichlids. The only options are large bushes in pots (e.g. Echinodorus, Nymphea, Cryptocorynes) or something with tough leaves like Anubias.

It is worth mentioning separately about the diet of these animals. Under natural conditions, it completely depends on the body of water in which the fish lives. Mostly these cichlids feed on small insects, as well as fruits that have fallen from trees, aquatic larvae, etc. In an aquarium, in order for them to feel good, they need to be provided with a sufficient amount of chitin and fiber, otherwise problems with the gastrointestinal tract may arise.

The menu should include live and frozen food such as tubifex, bloodworms, and brine shrimp. You also need to add vegetation. For example, cucumbers, zucchini, spinach, lettuce. Special dry food from manufacturers is also perfect. These fish eat well the pellets intended for Malawian cichlids.

Feeding Geophagus

Geophagus are omnivorous fish. Their natural diet is quite varied and includes insect larvae, worms, pieces of fruit falling into the water. When kept in an aquarium, cichlids also need to be offered a varied menu. It is better to avoid live or frozen food. They are unbalanced and pose a risk of infecting the aquarium with infections. High-quality dry food does not have these disadvantages and has a good effect on the growth and well-being of fish.

Cichlid foods with a high plant content, such as Tetra Cichlid Algae Mini or Tetra Malawi, are best suited for Geophagus. Plant fiber is important in the diet; it supports the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Species with red, orange or yellow colors are recommended to be fed with foods containing natural color enhancers such as Tetra Cichlid Colour. In just a few weeks, your pets will become much brighter.

Tetra Cichlid XL Flakes and Tetra Cichlid Sticks make excellent base foods. They are universal and suitable for all types of cichlids. These foods contain selected animal and plant components, as well as a complex of vitamins to maintain health and longevity.

Don't forget to pamper your pets with natural treats from the Tetra FreshDelica series, your cichlids will definitely love them.

Compatibility

The optimal neighbors for geophaguses are their natural neighbors. That is, these are fish that also live in the rivers of South America. For example, these are other cichlids (angelfish, severum), catfish like corydoras and tarakatums.

African relatives living, for example, in Lake Malawi are not suitable for these fish. You should also avoid proximity to small species such as neons, guppies, cardinals, rasboras, as they will only become feeding. Well, of course, goldfish are not suitable, since they will regularly bite their tails and be threatened, which will inevitably lead to the death of the famous relatives of the silver crucian carp.

Geophagus redhead

The homeland of these unpretentious and easy-to-breed fish is considered to be South America, Brazil, the Amazon River basin and the Tapajos River. In the USA and Western Europe they were introduced as a popular novelty in 2004, and appeared in Russia only in 2006.

Appearance

The body of red-headed geophagus is high, elongated and laterally flattened. Its length does not exceed 25 cm.

The color of the body is pale silver or golden-olive, depending on the conditions of detention. Across it you can discern pale stripes of a dark olive color, and in the center there is a large black almost round spot. The edges of the scales have a turquoise tint. The iris of the eyes is golden-red and the lips are blue.

The fins on the back, belly and tail are decorated with alternating red and blue stripes. Unpaired fins have braids.

A distinctive feature of these fish is their red head and forehead.

Red-headed geophagus.

Compatibility and containment conditions

Red-headed geophagus are kept in schools of 6-12 fish or in harems. Confrontations sometimes occur within the pack. Males stand face to face and make sharp counter movements, but it rarely comes to a fight. Uara, severum, angelfish, corydoras, and other peaceful cichlids are considered suitable neighbors for earth-eaters.

The aquarium for such a flock should be at least 250-350 liters. These fish can also be kept in a general aquarium, but then its volume should be larger. The permissible water temperature is 26-30°C, and the optimal one is 27.5-28ºC.

The water should be soft or medium hard, and the acidity should be between 6-7. It needs to be regularly aerated, filtered and replaced daily by 20-30 percent. It is better to put river sand at the bottom. Often it is not necessary to siphon it.

Vegetation. Suitable plants include Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne, Anubias, Sagittaria, Vallisneria, etc.

Aquadesign. You can decorate your home pond with rounded stones, driftwood, and old flower pots, which will also serve as shelters.

Dimmed light is recommended. Plants floating on the surface of the water won't hurt either.

Feeding. Red-headed geophaguses are omnivorous: they readily eat both plant and animal food. They prefer to feed from the ground. They can be given drowning live, frozen and dry food, minced shrimp and mussels, boiled pumpkin and salad. The main requirement is a variety of foods with a predominance of plant foods. Doing this reduces the risk of hexamitosis (a very common disease among these fish).

Breeding

Individuals mature by one year. By this point, they are already independently forming a pair of those fish with whom they found themselves in the same school from an early age. It will not be possible to create a pair artificially, since these animals have a stubborn character and will only conflict with new neighbors. It is not difficult to identify an individual by gender. By this period, males acquire brighter colors and their behavior changes. They begin to inflate their gills and fluff out their fins, while performing mating dances.

Stimulation of spawning is carried out through increased feeding and increasing the temperature to 28-30°C. In addition, it is necessary to increase the frequency of substitutions, about 20% of the total volume.

After this, you need to wait until the couple finds a place for themselves, digs a hole in the ground and guards it. At the same time, the caviar rushes to the nearest decorative element. At one time, the female lays 150-200, during subsequent spawnings - twice as much. The male fertilizes the eggs in several stages, and during this entire period both parents carefully ensure that no one swims up to their nest.

Every other day, the parents collect eggs with their mouths and carry them for about 10-14 days. After this period, they release fry that are completely ready for life, which themselves swim and feed. Parents can only help them slightly in finding food.

For some time, the fry stay close to their parents, and if danger arises, they hide in their mouth. But, despite such care, other individuals can still eat the young. Therefore, many aquarists simply remove the eggs from the parents' mouths and incubate them in a separate container. Starter food: Artemia nauplii.

Acarichthys

The genus Acarichthys consists of only one representative - Acarichthys heckelii. Only about 10 cm long, this fish lives in Rio Negro, Branco, Rupuni, where the water has a pH of about 6, hardness below 10 degrees, and temperatures from 20° to 28°C.

Unlike other geophagus, the Heckeli has a narrow body and a long dorsal fin. Also characteristic is a black spot in the middle of the body and a black vertical line passing through the eyes.

On the dorsal fin, the rays have turned into long, thin threads of bright red color. In mature fish, opalescent spots appear on the gill cover, immediately under the eyes.

The anal and caudal fin are covered with many bright spots, and the body is olive in color. In fact, there are many different colors on sale, but this is by far one of the most beautiful types of Geophagus that are available for sale. Although Acarychthys Heckel reaches a decent size, it has a small mouth and thin lips. This is a large and aggressive fish, it needs to be kept in a very spacious aquarium, for 5-6 individuals it needs a length of at least 160 cm, a height of 60 cm and a width of at least 70 cm. It can be kept with other large cichlids or geophagus.

In the wild, Heckels spawn in tunnels, up to a meter long, that they dig into the clay bottom. Unfortunately, these geophagus are quite difficult to breed in an amateur aquarium, plus they reach sexual maturity late, females at two years, and males at three.

The lucky ones with a ready-made pair can be advised to place a plastic or ceramic pipe, pot or other object in the aquarium that will imitate a tunnel.

The female lays up to 2000 eggs, and very small ones. The fry are also small, and the starting food for them can be green water and ciliates, then microworms and artemia naupilia.

Usually after two weeks, the parents leave the fry and they need to be removed.

Acarichthys heckelii

Kinds

As mentioned above, these fish are presented in a wide variety, and they differ significantly from each other in terms of keeping conditions and external features. The most popular types are:

Geophagus red-headed (tapajos) or earth-eater

It got its name because of the red spot that appears on the head of males. The color itself can change depending on the mood, conditions of detention, environment, etc. Grows up to 18 cm;

Surinamese

This species is characterized by a small black spot in the center of the body, as well as a golden color, bluish spots or stripes on the side. Males have elongated rays on the tail;

Winemiller

This golden fish is one of the largest representatives of its species. Reaches a length of 20 cm. Loves soft water no more than 8 dGH. It has a dark spot on the body, like the Surinamese species, as well as a lot of light stripes. For their well-being, it is important that the water contains tannins released from driftwood and leaves;

Steindachner

Grows up to 10-15 cm. The body is olive or grayish. During the spawning period, olive-colored stripes are strongly visible. The tail and other fins have a red edge and yellowish spots. Males have a fatty bump on their forehead, which turns red during spawning. In a flock it is important that there are more males. This species also likes soft water;

Altifrons

A large representative of its species. In an aquarium, individuals grow up to 20-25 cm. They are distinguished by a rather bright color. The main part of the body is olive with brown spots and a turquoise tint. The fins stand out due to their pink hue with pearly-gray splashes. They carefully monitor their territory; the water should be hard. Shelters are required;

Brazilian view

It is also a very large fish, which under good conditions can reach sizes of 30 cm. It has a gray-green or gray-yellow color with pearl dots. Males are larger and also have a bump on their forehead. During spawning, a black dot and a dark stripe along the eyes appear on the body. Brazilian Geophagus are kept in species aquariums because they are quite aggressive;

Heckel or Satanoperka

They grow up to 14-17 cm. They are characterized by a silver-beige color with horizontal stripes. The main difference is the sharp muzzle and the presence of three dark spots on the side. Geophagus Heckel has a peaceful nature, lives in flocks of 5-8 individuals;

Balzani

The maximum size is 20 cm. It is amazingly calm, except during the spawning period. Has a large head with a massive forehead. There is a black spot and thin vertical dark stripes on the side. The body itself is gray-yellow;

Geophagus redhead

Appearance

The body of red-headed geophagus is high, elongated and laterally flattened. Its length does not exceed 25 cm.

The fins on the back, belly and tail are decorated with alternating red and blue stripes. Unpaired fins have braids.

A distinctive feature of these fish is their red head and forehead.

Red-headed geophagus.

Compatibility and containment conditions

Vegetation. Suitable plants include Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne, Anubias, Sagittaria, Vallisneria, etc.

Aquadesign. You can decorate your home pond with rounded stones, driftwood, and old flower pots, which will also serve as shelters.

Dimmed light is recommended. Plants floating on the surface of the water won't hurt either.

Suitable neighbors

Of course, introducing only half a dozen geophagus into a 100-liter aquarium is not the best solution. But what kind of fish should they choose as neighbors so that they get along and don’t conflict?

Fortunately, there are no particular problems here either. Almost any fish will be suitable as neighbors, except especially predatory, fighting and simply aggressive ones. They can even get along with small guppies and neons. But still, other large fish will become the best neighbors. For example, angelfish, not too large cichlids and corydoras. They have similar feeding and habits, so there is no fear of serious conflicts between representatives of different species.

The only thing that can overshadow the aquarist’s happiness is the behavior of geophagus during the spawning period. At this time, the fish become quite aggressive. Therefore, it is worth acquiring a spawning tank in advance, where you can place the fish before throwing eggs, so as not to disturb the fragile harmony in the main aquarium.

Diet

When preparing for spawning, diet is of great importance. Thus, live bloodworms and daphnia stimulate Steindachner's geophagus to reproduce, so during this period this food should be given more often.

The rest of the time, live food can be replaced with frozen meat food such as chopped shrimp, mussels, and earthworms. It is recommended to add plant-based food to the diet.

It is very important that the spawners eat well during the pre-spawning period, since after the female takes the eggs into her mouth, she will not eat for about two weeks.

Fish diseases

The main cause of diseases lies in the conditions of detention; if they go beyond the acceptable range, then immunity is inevitably suppressed and the fish becomes susceptible to various infections that are inevitably present in the environment. If you first suspect that the fish is sick, the first thing you need to do is check the water parameters and the presence of dangerous concentrations of nitrogen cycle products. Restoring normal/appropriate conditions often promotes cure. However, in some cases it is impossible to do without drug treatment. Read more about symptoms and treatment methods in the section “Diseases of aquarium fish”.

Video “Spawning of the Topajos subspecies”

In the presented video from huuhkanmaki you can watch how spawning occurs in the red-headed topajos geophagus.

–>