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Fowler's hemiodus

Bivibranchia fowleri

Also known as Sand-sifting hemiodus, Eartheater hemiodus

FreshwaterFish

Fowler's hemiodus (Bivibranchia fowleri)

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–84°F
24–29°C
pH
5.5–7.0
Adult size
7.5 in
19 cm
Minimum tank
106 gal
400 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Hemiodontidae
Origin
Guiana Shield rivers and lower Amazon

Overview

Fowler's hemiodus is a peaceful, sand-sifting characin for the bottom of a long tank. It is a demanding fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

Fowler's hemiodus is a characin that feeds much like a South American eartheater cichlid. Its mouth shoots out into a soft tube, draws in a load of sand and spills clean grit back out while keeping the food. Two very different fish families arrived at the same trick.

Caring for the Fowler's hemiodus

Fowler's hemiodus works the bottom and lower water, so it needs a deep bed of soft sand it can actually process. Never give it bare glass or coarse gravel. Give a group a long tank of about 106 gal (400 L) or more. Roots and scattered leaf litter help, but the open sand bed is the point.

Keep the water clean, soft and warm, at 75 to 84°F (24 to 29°C), with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. Give it gentle current and high oxygen. In the wild it sifts the bottom for small invertebrates. Feed sinking foods and small frozen items fine enough to pass its sorting.

Keep it in a shoal of six or more, since it is a social fish that frets on its own. It is peaceful, so house it with calm, similarly sized companions. There are no records of it breeding in aquaria.

Good to know

Bivibranchia fowleri is a member of Hemiodontidae. Specialized gill structures help it separate food from grit.

In the wild

Fowler's hemiodus lives over sand flats in the clear and blackwater rivers of the Guiana Shield and the lower Amazon.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Fowler's hemiodus is a peaceful, schooling 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 Fowler's hemiodus need?

A Fowler's hemiodus needs at least 106 gal (400 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Fowler's hemiodus need?

A Fowler's hemiodus is comfortable at 75–84°F (24–29°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.0.

What does a Fowler's hemiodus eat?

Fowler's hemiodus sifts the bottom for small invertebrates in the wild. In the tank, feed it sinking foods and small frozen items fine enough to pass its sorting.

How big does a Fowler's hemiodus get?

An adult Fowler's hemiodus reaches about 7.5 in (19 cm).

Does a Fowler's hemiodus need a group?

Yes. A Fowler's hemiodus is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Fowler's hemiodus breed?

Fowler's hemiodus has no breeding records in aquaria.

Related species