Geophagus: varieties, recommendations for keeping and breeding

Geophagus is a very beautiful fish, "sailing" to us from South America. Many people decide to acquire these amazing creatures. With them, the aquarium comes to life, painted in bright colors. Get to know more about these original aquarium inhabitants.

The birthplace of geophaguses is South America. There fish live in local rivers. They differ in medium or large body sizes. The standard length of the fish reaches 10-12 cm. Representatives of this species are more suitable for spacious areas of natural reservoirs. For this reason, they are not recommended to be kept in small aquariums. Geophaguses require large reservoirs in which they will not be crowded.

Geofagus need to be kept in aquariums, where there is not only fine-grained pebbles, but also specialized high-quality soil. The second name of geophagus is earth eater. Such a nickname was given to them for the method of obtaining food - they constantly swarm in the soil, collect it in the oral cavity, and then extract everything that cannot be eaten from there. This feature of fish of this species is important to keep in mind, equipping them with a safe and comfortable aquarium.

There are many varieties of earth-eating fish. Representatives of each subspecies have their own characteristics and external data. Let's consider them in detail.

The homeland of these fish is the northeast of South America. There, individuals live in slow-flowing or standing water bodies. The usual body length of Surinamese fish is between 15 and 20 cm.Males are distinguished by a golden-orange color. On their body there are many carmine and green-blue spots, stripes. The eyes are blue too. In the middle of their body there is a round dark spot. The tail is a lyre with elongated braids.

The Surinamese geophaguses themselves are peaceful, have a calm disposition. Almost do not touch the vegetation, practically do not dig the soil. But all of the listed behavioral characteristics are characteristic of well-fed individuals. If such a geophagus is hungry, then in search of food it will tirelessly dig up the entire landscape.

The name of this species says a lot. The homeland of the fish is the east and southwest of Brazil. In the conditions of these territories, individuals prefer to be in reservoirs with a sandy bottom.

Representatives of the Brazilian species are very different from their other brothers. Their body is not so compressed on the sides and is more curved. Eye size is smaller than other species. The mouth is located higher. These fish are large - they can grow up to 30 cm in length.

"Brazilians" have beautiful variations in body colors: emerald-turquoise, gray-yellow and even red-brown. Females and males of the species differ markedly from each other. Males always have more impressive sizes, long fins, and on their heads they have a special, fatty cone.

Under aquarium conditions, these fish can grow up to 15 cm. Their body has an interesting shape similar to red-headed geophaguses, but the back is curved more than the abdomen. The body color of individuals of this species may be olive or gray-brown.

In case of excitement or during spawning periods, several dark vertical stripes appear on the body of Steindahner's geophagus. Scales in certain areas have a beautiful golden tint. The tail and fins have a scarlet edging.

These fish also have a fat cone of a red-brown hue.

A popular and widespread species. Its representatives are often found in pet stores. The red-headed geophagus has a tall body, elongated in length. On the sides it is slightly flattened. The standard length of adults rarely exceeds 25 cm.

The body color of the fish is pale silver or golden olive. This parameter largely depends on the conditions under which the underwater pet is kept. Across the main color, pale stripes of a dark olive hue can be seen, and in the center there is a large and black spot that has an almost round shape. Along the edges, the scales are distinguished by a gentle turquoise tint.

Gender can only be determined in those individuals who have reached 5-6 months of age. At this time, the males' forehead and fins begin to fill in red. Adult males are larger than females, however, they are characterized by elongated rays on the fins and a bright body color.

Another species of geophagus with a red head. Fish of this species are distinguished by a beautiful color of scales. They have a lot of similarities with red-headed individuals, but are more vivid. They got their name in honor of the river where this species was first discovered.

These are beautiful medium-sized fish. Males in length can reach 9-10 cm, and females - 6-8 cm. Males have a distinctive feature - the occipital hump. The body color of individuals is red-brown, there are rare blue blotches. Their number prevails on the tail and fins.

Geophagus Iporanga is an omnivorous fish. Usually they get food for themselves in the bottom layers. For 5-8 individuals, it is necessary to select an aquarium, the volume of which will be at least 100 liters.

Otherwise, this species is called Yurupara. Males grow up to 18 cm in length, and females are slightly smaller - up to 15 cm. Otherwise, no serious differences were observed in individuals of different sexes. The body color of the fish is uniform. Depending on the lighting, the color may appear beige or silver. On a large head there is an interesting ornament in the form of a beautiful ornament, consisting of lines of a dark shade. At the base of the tail, a black dot can be observed.

Adult geophaguses of this species reach 20-22 cm. Males have larger body sizes than females. They are distinguished by a bright color, they are characterized by elongated rays of the fins. These fish have a beautiful bluish color, but it is not striking because of the characteristic yellow-orange pigmentation. There is a large dark spot on the body. The fins and tail are red.

Despite the large size and not the prettiest appearance, these fish are not a real threat to other inhabitants of the aquarium. They are territorial only during the breeding season. It is recommended to equip the aquarium so that it looks like a rainforest pond. All details and scenery must be fixed on the conscience, otherwise the geologists will spoil everything.

Males of this species can grow up to 20 cm. The fish are peaceful and need a lot of shelters in aquarium conditions. In one tank, it is desirable to contain 1 male and 2-3 female.

Beautiful, large fish. Their body length can range from 20 to 22 cm. The natural color can vary depending on the region of origin. There are fish whose color is presented in a rich range from reddish-orange to blue. Some experts explain this “spread” in colors by the presence of a large number of subspecies.

Determining the sex of an individual of this species is not too simple. No obvious and noticeable differences between females and males.

Interesting fish come from South America, from the territory of Venezuela. They live in reservoirs with clean, not muddy water. They prefer to keep along the gentle shores.

Adults can have a body length of 18 to 20 cm. The natural color is yellow-orange. There are beautiful stripes of a bluish tint. The latter stretch from the tail to the head. In the middle part of their body there is a clearly visible dark spot. The fins are distinguished by red color diluted with light inclusions.

There are no noticeable differences between heterosexual individuals. Under natural conditions, these fish mainly feed at the bottom, sifting sand, looking for small organisms. These individuals can only be kept in an aquarium with sandy soil.

The behavior is calm, not conflict. Compatible with many representatives of other species, but can accidentally eat too small neighbors (whose size is about 1 cm).

Relatively peaceful, calm, polygamous species of fish. True, males can sometimes behave cocky in relation to their own kind and other geophaguses. They can not resist cichlazomas, even if they have more impressive dimensions. This fact is important to consider when choosing the species composition of the aquarium.

Svena males are always larger than females. Mature males have a noticeable fat growth on the head, a more saturated color. The sex of the fish can be determined as soon as they turn 3-4 months old. The juveniles are distinguished by a grayish color, diluted with dark spots.

This species comes from the central part of Brazil. Mature individuals can reach 20-25 cm in length. Males are larger than females and have characteristic rich colors. They are characterized by a pointed fin on the back. Alpha males often have a hump on their heads. Body color is close to gray, on it are rows of pale red stripes and strokes. The head has an orange hue, and the fins are saturated, combine blue and red colors.

These fish are calm, peaceful. They can coexist peacefully in one aquarium with other species. Relations within this species are built in accordance with a clear hierarchy. The main one is an alpha male. It is recommended that these fish be kept in small groups of 5 to 8 individuals.

Aquarium geophaguses need a large and spacious aquarium. The volume of the tank should not be less than 300 liters. This requirement is due to the fact that fish of this species grow to impressive sizes, and they need a lot of space.

These fish prefer to live in the lower layers of water. They like weak, not too bright lighting in the tank, and when the light is not strong, they become slow, sedate. At the bottom of the tank in which the fish live, large fraction sand should lie. Since the geophagus will definitely dig the soil, you will need to equip the aquarium with a powerful, high-quality filter. In addition, you will need to securely and firmly fix absolutely all plants and decor items to the maximum so that the fish can not dig them up and tear them from their places.

It is important to monitor the condition of the water. The temperature should be from +16 to +30 degrees Celsius (optimal values ​​- +20.25 degrees). Acidity should be 5-7, and hardness 5-15 units. It is important to filter the fluid regularly.

Geophagus need to be fed properly. Some people choose homemade feeds for feeding underwater pets. And also feeding these aquarium fish is allowed:

• alive
• frozen
• dry, sinking feed (artemia, bloodworms and others).

Geophaguses are not capricious in matters of nutrition. They are omnivores. They can be given minced shellfish, boiled pumpkin, lettuce. Food is recommended to be given in small portions. Vegetable components should prevail in food.

It is important to ensure that the nutrition of these fish is as diverse and saturated as possible. Food should be complete, rich in vitamin complexes. If it is incorrect and poor to feed the geophagus, they will have a serious growth retardation. Many diseases can occur that are difficult to fight.

Before you start these beautiful and unpretentious fish, you should understand what species they can normally adjoin. Geophaguses in rare cases demonstrate anger and aggression in relation to other individuals, but far from all fish can get along without problems. Geophaguses are especially dangerous during spawning periods. At this time, males can behave aggressively even in relation to other females.

There is a clear hierarchy in the flock of geophaguses, which is why they are recommended to be kept next to other fish in a spacious aquarium of large volume. Ideal neighbors for these handsome men are scalars, gourami and other cichlids.

If you plan to breed these fish, you should take into account all the features of the process of their reproduction - in representatives of the described species, it occurs differently than in other fish. It is almost impossible to make a pair of mature individuals, because the male may not accept the female, begin to pursue her or even kill her. Ideally, the male should be younger and smaller in size. The water parameters on the reproduction of these fish do not have any effect, however, experienced breeders are still advised to adhere to optimal indicators:

• water temperature should be +16.23 degrees Celsius;
• dH up to 10;
• pH 6-7.2.

The female lays eggs in the amount of about 200 or 1000 pieces. This is usually done on stones or other clean surface in the tank. After 3-4 days, the first larvae will begin to hatch. Mother will immediately move them to a pre-prepared hole made in sandy soil.The female can hide the offspring several times and do this until the fry begin to swim on their own.

The care period lasts for approximately three months. It consists in accompanying a flock of fry, raising feed from the bottom, grinding large pieces of food. At first, this is done exclusively by the female, and a little later the male is connected to the process. Sometimes conflicts arise between parents and a struggle for custody of young people. In rare cases, such events lead to the death of the female. In order not to encounter such serious problems, juveniles are recommended to be completely isolated from mature individuals. However, it will be possible to do this only after the transition of the kids to self-nutrition.

Young individuals look inconspicuous. They have discreet gray-green tones. At first, they should be fed:

• rotifers;
• nematodes;
• micromine.

After 6-9 months, babies can grow up to 10 cm in length and will be able to give offspring.

Consider a few Useful tips for maintaining geophaguses.

• It should be noted that the Brazilian geophagus is the most aggressive species. He demonstrates aggression even in relation to representatives of his own kind. This is important to consider when buying such fish.
• Geophaguses have good immunity, but sometimes they can get sick. Most often, they suffer from the same diseases that cichlids are susceptible to. If you notice a manifesting “sore”, the diseased fish should be isolated from healthy individuals as soon as possible.
• The fish must be chosen carefully. They must be active, mobile, absolutely healthy. If there is any suspicion of the state of geophaguses, then it is better to visit another pet store.
• These fish need a sufficient amount of shelter in the aquarium. You can buy grottoes, caves, castles, snags and other similar objects. It is desirable that they be as strong and securely fixed so that geophaguses do not overturn them during digging.

An overview of the geophagus fry in the aquarium, see the next video.