Proximus eartheater

Geophagus proximus

Also known as Cichla-band eartheater

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 77–84°F (25–29°C)
pH: 5.5–7.2
Adult size: 11.8 in (30 cm)
Minimum tank: 159 gal (600 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Upper Amazon basin
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

This is a large, peaceful sand-sifting eartheater best kept as a group, often one male with several females, which keeps its mild social life balanced and its color at its best. It spends its day on the bottom, taking mouthfuls of sand and sifting them through the gills for food, so provide fine, soft sand rather than gravel, which can harm a sifting fish. It is calm with other easygoing tankmates but grows big and needs floor space, so plan on a large tank of at least 600 liters. Offer sinking pellets and granules along with frozen foods, and make sure a fair share settles to the sand.

In the wild

It sifts sandbars and channel margins in the upper Amazon basin, ranging over open sand with scattered wood. Give it a big tank with a deep, soft sand bed, some driftwood, and plenty of open floor, along with strong filtration to handle the constant sifting. Keep the water warm at about 25 to 29 C and soft to neutral, roughly pH 5.5 to 7.2, and change water regularly to keep nitrate low.

Good to know

Geophagus proximus is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae and one of the larger true eartheaters, reaching up to about 30 centimeters, marked with a dark flank bar and a red-striped tail. It is a mouthbrooder of moderate difficulty, taking eggs and young into the mouth for protection after spawning. Its name, proximus, is Latin for nearest or next.

Did you know

Its name records a case of mistaken twins: proximus means the near one, and for years the fish stood right next to the very similar Geophagus surinamensis in identification keys, easily confused with it.

Tank mates

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