Bigspot eartheater

Geophagus megasema

Also known as Megasema eartheater

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 5.5–7.2
Adult size: 9.1 in (23 cm)
Minimum tank: 119 gal (450 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Guaporé and Mamoré basins
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a peaceful eartheater that spends its day sifting sand on the bottom for food. It is a social fish that does best in a group of five or more; kept in ones and twos, weaker individuals get picked on and the whole group stays nervous. It is gentle and easily out-competed, so keep it only with other calm tankmates and skip anything boisterous or nippy. Give it a soft sand bed it can dig through without damage. Feed sinking pellets, wafers, and frozen foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, making sure enough reaches the floor. A group needs room, so provide at least 450 liters with open sand.

In the wild

It comes from the Guapore and Mamore drainages on the Bolivia and Brazil border, in warm rivers with clear to lightly tannin-stained water. Recreate that with a temperature of 25 to 29 C and a soft, slightly acidic chemistry around pH 5.5 to 7.2, though it tolerates harder water. A deep, soft sand bed is essential for sifting, with driftwood and a few smooth rocks for structure.

Good to know

A member of the cichlid family, it reaches around 23 cm. It was described by Johann Jakob Heckel in 1840, and its name megasema means large mark, after the bold dark blotch on its flank. It is a substrate spawner that then broods the eggs and fry in the mouth, with moderate breeding difficulty.

Did you know

Heckel named this fish in 1840 for the single large spot on its side, and that mark has stayed the easiest way to tell it apart from other eartheaters for well over a century.

Tank mates

Bigspot eartheater is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.