Eartheater Cichlid
Geophagus altifrons
The Eartheater Cichlid (Geophagus altifrons) is a peaceful fish that's best left to experienced keepers. Give it a tank of at least 435 litres (115 US gallons), water held at 77-84°F, and a pH of 6-7. Always keep a group of at least 5 - they feel safest in numbers.
Captive lifespan reflects typical experience in a home aquarium, not maximum recorded age; genetics, sourcing, and care vary.
Natural distribution
South America (Amazon basin)
- South America
Regional colours match the stocking calculator's origin map.
Eartheater Cichlid Tank Setup
Give them at least 435 litres (115 US gallons). Cichlids are territorial and produce plenty of waste, so strong filtration and some rocks or wood to break up sight lines both help. Aim for 77-84°F and a pH around 6-7. Always keep a group of at least 5 of their own kind - kept alone or in pairs they tend to turn shy, nippy, or wash out in colour. They grow to around 25 cm, so plan the tank size and filtration for a full-grown adult rather than the small juvenile you see in the shop.
What Do Eartheater Cichlids Eat?
They're bottom feeders, so give them sinking wafers, tablets, or frozen treats like bloodworm once the lights go down. Flakes that never reach the bottom leave them hungry even when the tank looks well-fed.
Eartheater Cichlid Tank Mates
Peaceful for its size - one of the more sociable large cichlids, and can often be kept in a group given enough space. Still needs a very large, mature tank with excellent filtration given its adult size. The Eartheater Cichlid is peaceful, which is the first thing to weigh up when you choose tank mates. At around 25 cm fully grown, it needs tank mates that can hold their own against its size and appetite. It's a shoaling fish, so settle a group of 5 or more of its own kind before adding anything else - a stressed, lonely fish is far more likely to nip or hide. Before you buy, run your full stocking list through our stocking calculator. It weighs temperament, adult size, and water needs together, which a single species page can't do on its own.
Are Eartheater Cichlids Good for Beginners?
Not a sensible first purchase. Get the tank cycled, keep easier fish stable for a year, then revisit if you still want the extra work this species demands.
Eartheater Cichlid - frequently asked questions
What size tank do Eartheater Cichlids need?
Eartheater Cichlids need a tank of at least 435 litres (115 US gallons). A bigger tank is always easier to keep stable, and gives them more room to settle in and behave naturally.
How many Eartheater Cichlids should I keep together?
Keep a group of at least 5. Eartheater Cichlids are a shoaling species and become stressed, lose their colour, or hide when kept singly or in pairs.
What water parameters do Eartheater Cichlids need?
Keep them at 77-84°F with a pH of 6-7, steady rather than chased to an exact figure. In a cycled tank, ammonia and nitrite should both read 0 ppm, with nitrate kept low through regular water changes.
What do Eartheater Cichlids eat?
Eartheater Cichlids are bottom feeders. Give them sinking wafers, tablets, and frozen foods that settle on the substrate, ideally after the lights go off. Feed small amounts once or twice a day, and remove anything they don't eat.
Are Eartheater Cichlids good for beginners?
Eartheater Cichlids are not a beginner species. They need precise conditions and consistent maintenance, so build experience with hardier fish before keeping them.
Common mistakes with Eartheater Cichlids
- Buying fewer than 5 - Eartheater Cichlids need a proper school to feel secure; isolated individuals hide, fail to colour up, or become stressed.
- Underestimating tank size - the minimum footprint is 435 litres (115 US gallons); impulse buying into a smaller tank leads to stress and shortened lifespan.
Building a community? Run the full list through the stocking calculator before you add anything else.
Great tank mates
Chosen from temperament, overlapping temperature/pH bands, plausible minimum tank footprints, and size versus yours in App-aquatic data. Hobby nuance always wins - verify stocking and temperament before purchasing.
Check Eartheater Cichlid against any other fish → Compares water parameters, predation risk, fin nipping and tank size, and draws both at life size.
Fish to avoid mixing with Eartheater Cichlids
These well-known species are commonly sold alongside this fish but are not recommended tank mates - verify before purchasing.
- Pea PufferPredator - Pea Puffer will eat or injure smaller tank mates
- Serpae TetraFin nipper - will shred the fins of peaceful fish
- Gulare KillifishToo aggressive - likely to bully or harass Eartheater Cichlids
