Threespot eartheater
Satanoperca daemon
Also known as Three-spot eartheater, Demon eartheater, Geophagus daemon
FreshwaterFish
Care at a glance
- Temperature
- 79–86°F
- 26–30°C
- pH
- 4.5–6.5
- Adult size
- 9.8 in
- 25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 119 gal
- 450 L
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Social behavior
- Social
- Swim level
- Bottom
- Difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding
- Hard
- Rarity
- Rare
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Origin
- Blackwater of the Rio Negro basin and upper Orinoco in Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia, over clean sand in soft, acidic water.
Overview
Keep a group in a tank of at least 450 liters at 26 to 30 C and pH 4.5 to 6.5, with soft water and a deep sand bed. Provide wood and leaf litter and only very peaceful tankmates. Feed sinking foods and frozen foods, and keep nitrate low. This is a peaceful but demanding fish for experienced keepers.
In the wild
The threespot eartheater lives in blackwater of the Rio Negro basin and upper Orinoco in Brazil, Venezuela, and Colombia. It occupies soft, acidic, tannin-stained water over clean sand. This is a delicate specialist that suffers in hard water or a new tank. It needs mature, pristine water and a deep sand bed.
Good to know
Satanoperca daemon was described by Heckel in 1840 and reaches about 25 cm. Unlike the mouthbrooding jurupari group, the daemon group are substrate spawners that bury their eggs in the sand. It is named for the dark blotches along its flanks and tail base.
Did you know
It buries its eggs under a layer of sand, a nesting method that is unusual among the eartheaters.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
Threespot eartheater is a 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.
Lemon-fin barb
Hypsibarbus wetmorei
Freshwater9.8 in (25 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)72–82°F (22–28°C)
Apollo shark minnow
Luciosoma setigerum
Freshwater11.8 in (30 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)72–81°F (22–27°C)
Dicrozoster eartheater
Geophagus dicrozoster
Freshwater9.8 in (25 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)
Fourspot hemiodus
Hemiodus quadrimaculatus
Freshwater6.3 in (16 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
Narrow hatchetfish
Triportheus angulatus
Freshwater9.8 in (25 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)73–82°F (23–28°C)
Imperial ranger pleco
Pterygoplichthys punctatus
Freshwater13 in (33 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)
Common questions
What size tank does a Threespot eartheater need?
A Threespot eartheater needs at least 119 gal (450 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.
What temperature and pH does a Threespot eartheater need?
A Threespot eartheater is comfortable at 79–86°F (26–30°C) with a pH of 4.5–6.5.
How big does a Threespot eartheater get?
An adult Threespot eartheater reaches about 9.8 in (25 cm).
Related species
7.1 in (18 cm)119 gal (450 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)Demon eartheater
Satanoperca jurupari
7.1 in (18 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)
7.1 in (18 cm)79 gal (300 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)Whitespot eartheater
Satanoperca leucosticta
7.1 in (18 cm) · 79 gal (300 L)
11.8 in (30 cm)159 gal (600 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)Lilith demonfish
Satanoperca lilith
11.8 in (30 cm) · 159 gal (600 L)
7.9 in (20 cm)119 gal (450 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)Sharphead demonfish
Satanoperca acuticeps
7.9 in (20 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)
- 6.7 in (17 cm)106 gal (400 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)
Fine-spotted eartheater
Satanoperca mapiritensis
6.7 in (17 cm) · 106 gal (400 L)
9.8 in (25 cm)119 gal (450 L)77–84°F (25–29°C)Abalios eartheater
Geophagus abalios
9.8 in (25 cm) · 119 gal (450 L)