Redhump Eartheater

Distribution:
   The Redhump Eartheater, also called the Redhump Geophagus, was described by Eigenmann and Hildebrand in 1910. They are found in South America in the Magdalena, Sinu River and Cauca river basins in Colombia. They are also found in the Limon River which is Lake Maracaibo’s drainage in Venezuela. They feed on detritus found on or under the substrate.

Status:
   This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:
   The Redhump Eartheater is a higher bodied fish, much like the Convict or Texas Cichlid. It has a turned down mouth and a triangular-shaped head. The males back has metallic green spots and his body is cream. As the male matures, he develops a red hump on the forehead that gives the Redhump Eartheater its name. He also has orange patches on the corners of his mouth. The female looks similar, but with less green on the back and lacks the orange spots on the corners of the mouth.
   All cichlids share a common feature that some saltwater fish such as wrasses and parrotfish have and that is a well-developed pharyngeal set of teeth that are in the throat, along with their regular teeth. Cichlids have spiny rays in the back parts of the anal, dorsal, pectoral, and pelvic fins to help discourage predators. The front part of these fins are soft and perfect for precise positions and effortless movements in the water as opposed to fast swimming.
   Cichlids have one nostril on each side while other fish have 2 sets. To sense “smells” in the water, they suck water in and expel the water right back out after being “sampled” for a short or longer time, depending on how much the cichlid needs to “smell” the water. This feature is shared by saltwater damselfish and cichlids are thought to be closely related.

Size - Weight:
   The Redhump Eartheater can reach up to lengths of 10" (25 cm) in the wild, though usually only about 6” (15 cm) in the aquarium.

Care and feeding:
   The Redhump Eartheater is an omnivore, in the wild they feed on detritus found on or under the substrate. In the aquarium they can be fed a varied diet of good quality pellets, flakes, insects, krill, and artemia. Feed 2 to 5 small pinches of food a day in smaller amounts instead of a large quantity once a day. This will keep the water quality higher over a longer time. All fish benefit from vitamins and supplements added to their foods.
   A minimum of 50 gallons or a tank that is 48" in length is suggested. When keeping two males a much larger aquarium, 125 gallons or more, will be needed. They do fine with moderate water movement and strong efficient filtration. As these fish are sand sifters, provide a 2 to 3" deep substrate of sand. Because of their vigorous digging an under gravel filter is not recommended. It is better to use an external filter such as a hang-on-the-back type or a canister filter. Include a decor of rocks and roots to provide caves and crannies for hiding places. These fish will also enjoy plants, and though some keepers say they will not bother the plants, plants can be potted with both the soil surface and the roots protected from digging. Do water changes of 15% biweekly or 20% weekly, depending on stocking numbers.
   They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish. One common problem is Ich. It can be treated with the elevation of the tank temperature to 86° F (30° C) for 3 days. If that does not cure the Ich, then the fish needs to be treated with copper (remove any water conditioners). Several copper based fish medications are available for Ich. Copper use must be kept within the proper levels, so be sure to follow the manufacturers suggestions. A copper test also can be used to keep the proper levels. You can also combine increasing the temperature with an Ich medication treatment. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
   These fish will swim in the bottom areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
   Hardness: 5 - 15° dH
   Ph: 6.5 - 7.0, spawning at 7.5 was reported
   Temp: 75 - 76 ° F (24 - 26 ° C), to spawn 76 - 82.4 ° F (26 - 28 ° C)

Social Behaviors:
  The Redhump Eartheater is a very peaceful cichlid that can be kept with tetras and other non-cichlids. They should not be kept with aggressive fish or with non-predatory south American fish that are under 6”.
   They can be kept alone or in sets of one male with one or two females. Even two males can be kept together as long as the tank is very large (125 gallons or more) with plenty of hiding places. They are generally only mildly aggressive to conspecifics. During spawning they can become aggressive if the tank does not have enough hiding places for the females.

Sexual Differences:
   The males have orange spots on the corners of the mouth, and as they mature they develop a red hump on the forehead and elongated fins.

Breeding/Reproduction:
   The Redhump Eartheaters will readily breed in captivity. They are substrate spawners that are mouth brooders. The male will lay close to the substrate and flare his fins while extending his mouth and lower jaw, then shake to attract the female. They will make a small pit where the female will deposit her eggs. Immediately she takes them into her mouth and then mouths the males ventral fin to fertilize the eggs. It can take about an hour for the female to lay and have the male fertilize all of the approximately 100 yellow eggs. After the female gathers up the eggs, the pair splits up, and only the female provides care. They will hatch in 2 days at 78 ° F and are free swimming 7 days later. The fry can be fed finely crushed flake and artemia. They are sexually mature at 7 months. See more about cichlid breeding in: Breeding Freshwater Fish.

Availability:
   The Redhump Eartheaters, also called the Redhump Geophagus, is rarely seen in fish stores or online. They have been seen for sale for $15.00 to $30.00 USD from breeders.

Author: Carrie McBirney
Additional Information: Clarice Brough, CFS