Orangehead tapajos eartheater

Care at a glance

This eartheater from the clear Tapajós in Brazil owes its trade name to the orange sheen over the head and forebody of adult fish. It is one of the largest and most elegant Geophagus and in the wild roams loose groups across extensive sand banks.

It asks for warm, soft and above all clean water and reacts badly to nitrate build-up, so this really is a species for a mature, spacious tank. Provide fine sand, plenty of open space and keep it in a group; kept alone it becomes shy and insecure.

Good to know

• Digger — needs fine sand
• Outgrows most home tanks
• Needs a mature, stable tank

Related species

• Blood parrot cichlidAmphilophus citrinellus × Vieja melanurus
• Surinam eartheaterGeophagus surinamensis
• FlowerhornCichlasoma × hybride
• Redhump eartheaterGeophagus steindachneri
• Geophagus (other eartheaters)Geophagus sp.
• Texas cichlidHerichthys cyanoguttatus