At the Tropical Fish Club of Erie County meeting on July 2004. Me and my father purchased 6, three quarter inch pearl stripped Eartheaters, (Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus). I originally put the Eartheaters in with some Hap Ahli fry in a 30 gallon Aquarium. Once the geophagus were about two inches I moved them into a 75 gallon tank with other African cichlids about the same size, The other cichlids were Hap Ahli, Hap Compresiceps, Lamp Leulipi, Lamp Logeri, And Kribensis SP. It Took about 2-3 months before all the fish in the aquarium began to breed. By January 2005 I noticed two of the Geophagus guarding a cut in half of a coconut shell. I checked up on the two Geophagus about two hours later, and I shined a flashlight in the inside of the coconut, I saw about 300 eggs covering the inside of the coconut.
Most breeders have the PH on the soft side for Geophagus but I kept the tanks PH the same to accommodate the rest of the Africans cichlids that rule the tank. Then several days latter I noticed the eggs were gone from their shell. I wasn’t sure if the eggs hatched or the other fish ate them, or if the PH was to high and the eggs couldn’t hatch. After about 14 days I saw a cloud of baby Eartheaters in the corner of the 75 gallon tank. The Parents must have moved the fry when they hatched to the different area in the Aquarium. I noticed the parents were very protective, and would even chase fish twice their size away from their fry. (The pair of Geophagus were the two biggest out of the original six we purchased.) The male was 5 1/2 inches and the Female was 4 1/4 inches when they bred. I grabbed a tube and quickly siphoned the fry into a five gallon bucket,
Then I divided the near 300 fry into five breeding nets hanging off the side of the Original tank they bred in. I went to tell my dad the good news about the Geophagus breeding and getting the fry. When I went to show my dad the fry all the babies were dead. The cloth netting allowed all the adult fish to bite and pick out the young fry including the adults of the fry themselves. After that problem I began to break the tank down by putting all the mouth brooders and egglayers in their own separate 30 gallon tank. I found this to be much easier for the fish to breed including the Geophagus. Every time the eartheaters breed it always it is always in the coconut shell. I still don’t play around with the PH. Seeing there is no need to adjust it. Each time the pair of Geophagus breed they always take the fry and move them to a different area in the tank. I have always allowed the parents to take care of the fry for about two weeks before I move the parent into a new 30 gallon tank. Feeding the fry is very easy, by the time the parents allow the fry to swim around in the tank the will take baby brine shrimp or powdered foods. After the pair of Geophagus breed in the 75 gallon tank. I have strictly kept them By themselves . The male does not harass the female at all and they are both very compatible with each other.
One way to sex the Eartheaters is the size of the dorsal fin, males have bigger and longer dorsal fins with a point at the end of them. Females will have smaller and rounded dorsals. Males will also carry more color than females. Males have more of a teal green scales while females are more brown to theirs. The Pearl Stripped Eartheater is a beautiful species from southern Brazil, Uraguay and North western Argentina. It is very gentile with its tank mates even when protecting fry. They normally would just push other fish out of their territory never nipping other fishes fins. The Geophagus love to move gravel around so be sure to not have any unsteady rocks that may fall down on the fish. This species is very gentile and easy to bred and I intend to keep them permanently.