SOUTH AMERICAN CICHLIDS.
Order Perciformes
Family Cichlidae
Subfamily ( Geophaginae )
Genus Geophagus.
Distributed from Argentina and Brazil to Panama. The literal translation of Geophagus is “earth-eater”. Fish got this name for their habit of constantly digging in the substrate in search of food particles. The fish takes a portion of substrate into its mouth and “chews” it. Thus, it not only digs out plant and animal remains and burrowed invertebrates such as tubifex and mosquito larvae from the substrate, but also cleans algae and fouling off the substrate particles. Then the substrate is spit out, and the cleaned fragments are swallowed.
As a result of the revision of the genus carried out in 1975, nomenclature changes occurred, which, however, did not affect the popular names of geophagines. Geophagines are currently referred to as cichlids belonging to 5 genera listed below: • Geophagus; • Biotodoma; • Gymnogeophagus; • Retroculus; • Satanoperca. These are generally fish with a high, strongly laterally compressed body, a convex back, and large eyes. In nature, they inhabit caves and crevices in river banks and lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Adults cannot be kept in a tank smaller than 150 cm in length. They stay in the middle and lower water layers. They can be kept in a community aquarium, but preferably in a species aquarium, in pairs, with a substrate of fine sand, hard-leaved plants protected from digging, caves and other shelters, as well as flat stones are a must. They dig the substrate. The best substrate for geophagines is coarse river sand. They move the substrate, so it should be fine in aquariums. It is more difficult for fish to deal with larger substrate particles. When keeping geophagines in an aquarium without substrate, the aquarist deprives them of their natural feeding method.
a) G. dicrozoster, b) G. abalios, c) G. winemilleri, d) G. brokopondo, e) G. brachybranchus, f) G. surinamensis, g) G. proximus, h) G. megasema, i) G. camopiensis, j) G. altifrons.
Fish are territorial; it is preferable to let pairs form naturally from a group of juveniles. Aggression is shown by the male during spawning. The male may even kill a female not ready for spawning. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a male smaller and younger than the female. The ratio of females and males in a group is not of great importance, but it is preferable if the number of females is 1.5-2 times greater than the number of males.
Fry grow quickly and reach sexual maturity at 8-10 months. Along with live foods, they need plant food. They do not place special demands on water composition. It is advisable to filter the water well, as fish constantly raise turbidity from the bottom. Regular weekly water changes are a must. They live and reproduce perfectly in water of any hardness. T 24-26°C; dH 6-18°; pH 6.5-7.5.
— Geophagus abalios [Lopez & Taphorn, 2004]. Venezuela, Colombia, Orinoco, Meta, Tamanaco, Casiquiare river systems. 20 cm. Iridescent blue on the upper lip. 6 faint dark vertical stripes on the sides. Dorsal and anal fins reddish with a faint iridescent blue color. Caudal fin brownish-red with iridescent blue spots.
Can be kept in a group in a general aquarium with other fish, for example: Uaru, Severum and other fairly peaceful American cichlids, as well as with some Lake Malawi cichlids. The main thing for this species is a soft, sandy substrate in which they search for food; gravel or small pebbles can interfere with feeding and damage gill organs. Shelters made of wood structures, one or two flat stones for spawning are desirable. Water quality is of great importance, as these cichlids are very sensitive to water quality deterioration and chemical parameter fluctuations and should never be introduced into biologically immature aquariums. Good filtration and weekly 50% water changes are needed. Mechanical filtration should be adapted to capture fine particles stirred up by fish sifting sand. T 24-27°C; pH 4.5-7.5; dH 3-10.
— Geophagus altifrons [Heckel, 1840]. Brazil, Amazon River basin, Xingu, Tocantins, Tapajos, Tefé, Madeira. 20 cm. The body is somewhat elongated, relatively high, strongly compressed laterally, the dorsal profile is more curved than the ventral. The head is large. The main body color is yellow with bright turquoise. Fins are striped with red and blue at the beginning of the dorsal, ventral, and anal fins. The second half of the dorsal and caudal fins has blue dots on a red base. There is a small black spot on the side. Males are slightly larger and have elongated ventral fins. It acquires this coloration by 1.5 years. Geographic morphs: — G. altifrons “Tocantins”; — G. altifrons “Tapajos”; — G. altifrons “Xingu”;
Fish are territorial, preferably let pairs form themselves from a group of juveniles. They stay in the middle and lower water layers. When kept in a group, a pronounced hierarchy is observed. Can be kept in a community aquarium, but preferably in a species aquarium, in pairs, with a substrate of fine sand, short-stemmed hard-leaved plants protected from digging with stones or planted in pots recessed into the substrate, as well as floating plants. Caves and other shelters, as well as flat stones, are required.
The main thing for this species is a soft, sandy substrate in which they search for food, gravel or small pebbles can interfere with feeding and damage gill organs. Regular weekly water changes are a must, a filter is desirable – especially for fish that heavily dig the substrate. Live and vegetable food. pH 4.8-6.6; T 27-30°C.
Identification: Geophagus altifrons.
— Geophagus argyrostictus [Kullander, 1991]. South America, Brazil, Xingu River basin. 17 cm. Coloration and body shape vary depending on the locality. General coloration is silvery-olive, with a rounded black spot in the center of the side. A dark stripe runs from the eye down, it does not extend to the gills. Fully mature males are generally slightly larger and have longer fins, they often develop a well-defined occipital hump. Color morphs: — G. argyrostictus “Altamira”; — G. argyrostictus “Tamandua Zinho”.
This species is noticeably more aggressive than most members of the genus; keeping with other cichlids is best avoided, a group can only be kept in large aquariums. Fish are territorial, preferably let pairs form themselves from a group of juveniles. Aggression is shown by the male during spawning. The male may even kill a female not ready for spawning. Therefore, it is recommended to choose a male smaller and younger than the female.
They occupy the lower water layers. They dig the substrate by chewing it. Thus, they not only dig out plant and animal remains and burrowed invertebrates such as tubifex and mosquito larvae from the substrate, but also clean fouling off substrate particles. Then the substrate is spit out, and edible fragments are swallowed. The best substrate is coarse river sand.
When keeping geophagines in an aquarium without substrate, the aquarist deprives them of their natural feeding method. Due to this behavior of the fish, plants with a well-developed root system and in pots can only be kept with them in the aquarium. The best shelters for geophagines are driftwood, stones, flower pots. A couple of smooth stones for spawning. Sensitive to water quality deterioration and chemical parameter fluctuations, so they should not be introduced into a biologically immature aquarium. Good filtration and weekly 50% water changes are mandatory. Water is soft and slightly acidic. Fed with all aquarium foods. T 25-30°C; pH 6.0-7.5; dH 0-6°.
Geophagus brasiliensis, iporangensis, parnaibae, proximus.
Dicrossus filamentosus, Dicrossus gladicauda, Dicrossus maculatus.
