TankBud

Abalios eartheater

Geophagus abalios

Also known as Orinoco eartheater

FreshwaterFish

Abalios eartheater (Geophagus abalios)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
5.5–7.2
Adult size
9.8 in
25 cm
Minimum tank
172 gal
650 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Mouthbrooder · Medium
Rarity
Common
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Orinoco basin

Overview

The Abalios eartheater is a large, gentle sand-sifting cichlid for the bottom of a long tank. Its care is moderately demanding.

Did you know

The Abalios eartheater's species name, abalios, means without spots on the cheek, so the fish is named for a marking it lacks.

Caring for the Abalios eartheater

Keep Abalios eartheaters in a group of five or six, in a long tank of 172 gal (650 L) or more. Leave open floor, and give each fish enough length to work a feeding area without crossing its neighbors.

They need a deep bed of soft, fine sand, several centimeters thick. Eartheaters feed by taking mouthfuls of sand and sorting food out through the gills. Sharp gravel wears their mouths and stops the behavior entirely, so the substrate matters more than anything else.

Keep the water at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C), with a pH of 5.5 to 7.2. Feed sinking granules and frozen foods, little and often.

They are gentle for their size but crowd the bottom, so plan the stocking around that. Mid-sized, peaceful company suits them.

They are delayed mouthbrooders, and breeding them is moderately difficult. A pair spawns on a cleared surface and picks up the eggs after a day or so. The parents keep sifting sand while they carry them.

Good to know

The Abalios eartheater is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae. It was described in 2004 as part of the long-confused surinamensis group, which is why older imports arrived under other names.

In the wild

Geophagus abalios sifts sand along the channels and lagoons of the Orinoco basin. The water there is warm and runs soft to neutral.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Abalios eartheater is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an Abalios eartheater need?

An Abalios eartheater needs at least 172 gal (650 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does an Abalios eartheater need?

An Abalios eartheater is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.2.

What does an Abalios eartheater eat?

An Abalios eartheater feeds by sifting mouthfuls of sand for food. Offer sinking granules and frozen foods, little and often.

How big does an Abalios eartheater get?

An adult Abalios eartheater reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).

How does an Abalios eartheater breed?

Abalios eartheaters are delayed mouthbrooders. A pair spawns on a cleared surface, picks up the eggs after a day or so, and keeps sifting sand while carrying them.

Related species