Panama eartheater

Geophagus crassilabris

Also known as Thicklip eartheater

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 6.5–7.8
Adult size: 10.2 in (26 cm)
Minimum tank: 119 gal (450 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Panama
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a peaceful, sociable eartheater that does best in a group, ideally one male with several females or a small mixed shoal, since lone fish can be shy and a single pair leaves females open to harassment. It works the bottom, taking mouthfuls of sand and sifting them through its gills for food, so a soft sand bed is essential and sharp gravel should be avoided. Feed sinking pellets, granules, and frozen foods such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, making sure enough reaches the floor. It is calm with other mild tankmates but grows large and needs room, so plan on at least 450 liters with an open sand floor.

In the wild

It comes from clear streams and rivers on both slopes of central and eastern Panama, living over open beds of sand and fine gravel with scattered driftwood and tree roots. Give it a large tank with a deep, soft sand bed it can sift, some smooth wood, and moderate current from strong filtration. Keep the water warm at about 25 to 29 C and close to neutral, roughly pH 6.5 to 7.8, and keep nitrate low with regular water changes, since it prefers clean, well-oxygenated conditions.

Good to know

Geophagus crassilabris is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae and the only member of the genus found naturally outside South America, holding on in Panama. It is a maternal mouthbrooder: after the pair spawns, the female takes the eggs into her mouth and holds the developing young there for safety, a breeding project of moderate difficulty. Records list it at up to about 24 to 26 centimeters, though most aquarium fish settle a good deal smaller, with males larger than females and marked by thick lips and a fleshy forehead.

Did you know

It is a geographic outlier: nearly every Geophagus eartheater lives in South America, but this one crossed into Central America and is the single species of its genus to make Panama home.

Tank mates

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