Eatheaters

[JDogg]

I was walking though my LFS yesterday, just for fun, and because I had 2 empty tanks sitting around (75 and 45). The 45 will go back to school with me in the fall as my classroom tank, but I had been trying to figure out what to put in the 75. The tank was cycled and ready to go; I have been using it as a clippings tank all summer. Then I saw them, a whole tank full of eartheaters. And I told my wife I had to have them. We went home, I began decorating the tank with some driftwood and rocks I had lying around. this morning I was at the door of the LFS right as they opened and I picked up 6 Red hump Eartheater: Geophagus steindachneri, they are still very young, but between the LFS lady and I, I think I have 2 males and 4 females.

Now what I am sure you are all waiting for Pictures... the water is still cloudy from some last minute re-arranging I did before introducing them, and do to the fact that the tank has a lot of plant debris. I am hoping the Fluval 405 I put on the tank will clear it up by morning . I will take some more pictures when the tank clears up, so these will have to get you by until then

 

[rich311k]

Congrats!! Good luck with them.

 

[Jchillin]

Whoa...nice pickups JD! You guys are so lucky that you can get these rare fishes. Keep us updated on their progress.

 

[JDogg]

Whoa...nice pickups JD! You guys are so lucky that you can get these rare fishes. Keep us updated on their progress.

will do

one would think living the the Big Apple you must have access to more rare fish then i would in Southern Minnesota.... then again in know of a few local cichlid keepers who have connections with importers, and i think these guys were a localy breed trade in...

 

[plecoperson]

Very nice-I'd love to see a full tank pic. Congratulations!

 

[black hills tj]

I don't know much of anything about eartheaters but he sure doesn't look very colorful for his name...

Any full tank shots? Kinda sounds like a fun project. Good luck and Congrats on the p-ups.

 

[melosu58]

Looks very nice. Great pick ups

 

[JDogg]

I don't know much of anything about eartheaters but he sure doesn't look very colorful for his name...

Any full tank shots? Kinda sounds like a fun project. Good luck and Congrats on the p-ups.

they are still young so they should color up with age, the males should develop a nice red forhead hump.

here is a full tank shot, it was kind of just thrown together, so the scape will probally evolve over the next few weeks...

 

[JustOneMore20]

Awesome tank and pictures! Eartheaters are beautiful fish.

 

[Zagz]

Looking good and great pickups. Warning though, geo's spawn like mad once they pair up. Mine have eggs every 2 weeks like clockwork. You may be filling up more space than you expect.

 

[JDogg]

Well did my first PWC on the tank today (got ride of some of the tannins from the new wood), and added a few more plants (Sag and Java Ferns).

I don't think i mention before that i move my 7" pleco to this tank, as he had out grown the 26 gallon :?

here are a few more pictures...
new full tank shot

Learning the pleco's nasty habit of hidding behind the wood :?

 

[Stephen]

Nice fish. If I may suggest, you'd be rewarded with much more interesting behavior if you had a fine sand substrate. I'm sure your geos would love you for it.

 

[Gillie]

Looking good and great pickups. Warning though, geo's spawn like mad once they pair up. Mine have eggs every 2 weeks like clockwork. You may be filling up more space than you expect.

Steinies more than others, but at least they are quite hard to come by.

Also there will probably be frequent replanting with these guys they are almost as bad as Mbuna when it comes to moving substrate.

 

[JDogg]

Looking good and great pickups. Warning though, geo's spawn like mad once they pair up. Mine have eggs every 2 weeks like clockwork. You may be filling up more space than you expect.

Steinies more than others, but at least they are quite hard to come by.

Also there will probably be frequent replanting with these guys they are almost as bad as Mbuna when it comes to moving substrate.

they have not given me trouble with diging up my plants yet, but i can confirm that Buenos Aries Tetra (pick some up as dither) do like to snack on plants :?

 

[Gillie]

When I got my hands on some a few years ago they dug breeding pits everywhere.

Looks like you have a couple beautiful males in there already getting their red hump.

 

[2cvbloke]

Silly question I know, but, would they suit having a soil-substrate?

(you know, earth for the eartheaters? )