TankBud

Cheekband eartheater

Geophagus taeniopareius

Also known as Taeniopareius eartheater, Cheek stripe eartheater

FreshwaterFish

Cheekband eartheater (Geophagus taeniopareius)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
5.5–7.2
Adult size
6.7 in
17 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Orinoco basin

Overview

The cheekband eartheater is a sand-sifting cichlid from the Orinoco for the bottom of a long, sandy tank. It suits a keeper with a little cichlid experience.

Did you know

Most eartheaters carry their eggs and young in their mouths, but the cheekband eartheater does not. It is one of the few members of its genus to raise a brood the old-fashioned way, in the open.

Caring for the cheekband eartheater

Keep cheekband eartheaters in a group of five or more. A larger group spreads out the squabbling that breaks out among just two or three. Give them a long tank of at least 106 gal (400 L), with open sand and some wood.

A deep bed of soft sand is the single most important thing you can provide. They spend the day taking mouthfuls of sand and sorting out the edible bits, and sharp gravel can damage their gills. Add driftwood, some rounded stones and tough plants such as Anubias fixed to the wood rather than rooted in the sand.

Keep the water at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.2. Feed sinking foods. They are generally peaceful toward other fish and mix well with sturdy midwater schooling fish. They can be pushy with their own kind at spawning time.

They are substrate spawners, and breeding them is moderately difficult. A pair cleans a surface, lays a couple of hundred eggs and guards them where they were laid. Good water quality is key to bringing them into breeding condition.

Good to know

The cheekband eartheater, Geophagus taeniopareius, belongs to the family Cichlidae. Its name means banded cheek, for the dark stripe that runs from the eye down across the gill cover.

In the wild

The cheekband eartheater comes from the upper Orinoco in Venezuela and Colombia, including fast, sandy stretches near rapids. The water there is warm and soft to slightly acidic.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The cheekband 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 a cheekband eartheater need?

A cheekband eartheater needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a cheekband eartheater need?

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

What does a cheekband eartheater eat?

A cheekband eartheater takes mouthfuls of sand and sorts out the edible bits. Feed it sinking foods.

How big does a cheekband eartheater get?

An adult cheekband eartheater reaches about 6.7 in (17 cm).

How does a cheekband eartheater breed?

Cheekband eartheaters are substrate spawners. A pair cleans a surface, lays a couple of hundred eggs and guards them where they were laid. Good water quality helps bring them into breeding condition, and breeding is moderately difficult.

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