TankBud

Pearl eartheater

Geophagus brasiliensis

Also known as Pearl cichlid, Brazilian cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Pearl eartheater (Geophagus brasiliensis)
Cezary Porycki · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–79°F
20–26°C
pH
6.5–7.5
Adult size
11 in
28 cm
Minimum tank
75 gal
284 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Easy
Rarity
Very common
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Coastal drainages of eastern and southern Brazil

Overview

The pearl eartheater is a large, sand-sifting cichlid for a big tank. It is easy to keep.

Did you know

The word eartheater describes how this fish feeds. It sorts worms, insect larvae and other small bits from mouthfuls of sand inside its mouth and gills, then spits the clean sand out. In a tank of pearl eartheaters, the surface of the sand bed is never still, since they rework it all day long.

Caring for the pearl eartheater

Keep a pearl eartheater singly or as a mated pair in 75 gal (284 L) or more. It needs room and stays solitary rather than living in a group. Give it a deep, fine sand bed to sift, with rockwork and driftwood to break up sightlines and mark out territory. Secure or pot any plants, since these fish dig and will uproot loose ones.

The water can run from 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) at a pH of 6.5 to 7.5. That range gives you a lot of room to work with, and the pearl eartheater takes cooler water better than most of its relatives. Feed sinking pellets, frozen foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp, and the occasional vegetable matter.

Pearl eartheaters are mostly peaceful but territorial, especially when breeding, so expect them to claim and defend a patch of the bottom. Skip small tank mates and shrimp, since anything that fits in the mouth gets eaten. They are easy biparental substrate spawners, and both parents guard the eggs and fry.

Good to know

The pearl eartheater, Geophagus brasiliensis, belongs to the family Cichlidae. A healthy fish can live well over a decade. Most in the trade are tank-bred, though wild-type stock turns up too.

In the wild

Pearl eartheaters come from the coastal drainages of eastern and southern Brazil. They range over sandy beds in rivers and lakes, including cooler subtropical stretches that stay milder than most South American cichlid water.

Common questions

What size tank does a pearl eartheater need?

A pearl eartheater needs at least 75 gal (284 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a pearl eartheater need?

A pearl eartheater is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.5–7.5.

What does a pearl eartheater eat?

A pearl eartheater eats sinking pellets, frozen foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp, and the occasional vegetable matter.

How big does a pearl eartheater get?

An adult pearl eartheater reaches about 11 in (28 cm).

How does a pearl eartheater breed?

Pearl eartheaters are easy biparental substrate spawners. Both parents guard the eggs and fry.

Related species