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How to look after
Geophagus Steindachneri
Red Humped Eartheater
Eigenmann & Hildebrandt, 1910

Notice the orange patches in the corner of its mouth; an attempt to mimic eggs during spawning.
more images here

(Other members of the genus Geophagus)

ADULT SIZE: 20 cm

WATER CONDITIONS: Moderately soft and acidic

TEMPERATURE RANGE: 24-28 C

FOOD: Feed Geophagus Steindachneri live and dried foods

DISTRIBUTION: This species comes from Colombia

AQUARIUM CARE: A fairly peaceful burrowing species, that sifts through the substrate looking for food. Males have a distinct bump on their heads.

A Larger tank is preferred, as this species can grow quite large. Ideally an aquarium set-up would include a few inches of sand or fine gravel, with numerous rocks, and very good filtration. Continual earth shifting is a messy business.

BREEDING: Males can be aggressive at times, especially during spawning, so it is wise to keep 2-3 females with a male. They are typical polygamous cichlids; one male maintains several females. As soon as the eggs are laid, they are taken up by the female. She is a mouth brooder, and the male plays no further part. Females with young and eggs are more aggressive than at other times, and are probably best left with no tankmates. The fry will be released after about 3 weeks of care in the safety of the mothers mouth.

Have you bred Geophagus Steindachneri? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?, or examine existing Geophagus Steindachneri breeding reports

Geophagus Steindachneri
Red Humped Eartheater

Notice the orange patches in the corner of its mouth; an attempt to mimic eggs during spawning.

Geophagus Steindachneri
Red Humped Eartheater
breeding notes

BREEDING: Males can be aggressive at times, especially during spawning, so it is wise to keep 2-3 females with a male. They are typical polygamous cichlids; one male maintains several females. As soon as the eggs are laid, they are taken up by the female. She is a mouth brooder, and the male plays no further part. Females with young and eggs are more aggressive than at other times, and are probably best left with no tankmates. The fry will be released after about 3 weeks of care in the safety of the mothers mouth.

Have you bred Geophagus Steindachneri? Why not fill in a breeding questionaire?

This page summarises breeding reports provided by visitors to this site, along with some statistical analysis. Please feel free to contribute - whatever your experience! 1 breeder has filled in a breeding report, a summary of which is shown in the graphs below. You can read the full reports here. To add details of your experiences of Geophagus Steindachneri, why not fill in a Breeding and maintenance Report.
Would Geophagus Steindachneri be a good addition to a community tank? Never Doubtful, only with VERY calm fish Only with species of similar size Yes, a good community fish	How would you describe the disposition of Geophagus Steindachneri? Very timid Slightly timid Neutral Somewhat aggresive on occasions Very aggressive
In which water conditions do you keep these fish? Very soft and acidic Moderately soft and acidic Neutral Moderately hard and alkaline Very hard and alkaline	At what average temperature? 10-15°C 16-19°C 20-23°C 24-27°C 28°C+
	How would you describe sex ratios when breeding Geophagus Steindachneri? If you are unsure please leave this question unanswered. Almost all males Somewhat male heavy Roughly equal Somewhat female heavy Almost all females
In general, how difficult is Geophagus Steindachneri to keep and breed? Very easy Easy Average Difficult Very difficult	How sucessful have you been at breeding Geophagus Steindachneri? Very unsucessful Fairly unsucessful Average Fairly sucessful Very sucessful

Remember, each record represents only one persons experience; if you had different results, or used different methods, please share your experiences