Orinoco Eartheater (Biotodoma wavrini) Care Guide
Biotodoma wavrini is a peaceful sand-sifting eartheater cichlid from the Rio Negro and Orinoco basins, suited to soft, warm blackwater tanks.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Biotodoma wavrini is a cichlid (family Cichlidae) described by Gosse in 1963. According to Wikipedia it occurs in the middle and upper Rio Negro drainage in Brazil and Venezuela and in the Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela. The species name honours the Belgian explorer Robert de Wavrin, who collected the type specimen in 1935.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Biotodoma
- Scientific name: Biotodoma wavrini
- Described: Gosse, 1963
Habitat
According to Seriously Fish, the species occurs in blackwater tributaries of the middle and upper Rio Negro, the Casiquiare system and the Orinoco watershed, in meandering channels with interconnected lagoons and floodplain lakes featuring reduced flow, soft substrate and accumulated leaf litter.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 200 L
- Temperature: 26-30 °C (79-86 °F)
- pH: 4.5-6.5
- GH: 1-4 °dGH
- Lifespan: 6-10 years
- Group size: 5-8 individuals recommended (Seriously Fish)
Diet
Biotodoma wavrini is an omnivorous sand-sifting benthophage. Seriously Fish recommends a varied diet of high-quality fine-grade prepared foods plus live or frozen chironomid larvae (bloodworm), Tubifex, Artemia and mosquito larvae, offered in several smaller portions daily.
Compatibility
A bottom-dwelling, gregarious species. Seriously Fish describes it as surprisingly peaceful outside breeding and recommends keeping it in a group to establish a natural hierarchy. It suits peaceful tankmates with similar environmental needs; aggressive or hard-water species should be avoided.
Breeding
Biotodoma wavrini is a presumed biparental substrate spawner. According to Seriously Fish, the species may never have been bred in aquaria, so detailed reproductive data are limited.
Biotodoma wavrini Breeding Guide
Overview
Biotodoma wavrini is a peaceful eartheater from the middle and upper Río Negro basins, the Casiquiare system and the Orinoco watershed in Venezuela and Colombia. Information on its reproduction is very scarce, and the source notes the species may never have been bred in aquaria. It is presumed to be a biparental substrate-spawner like its congener B. cupido.
Sexing
Sexual dimorphism is unconfirmed. Males are supposed to grow larger than females and may develop slightly more-extended fins, but reliable visual sexing is not established.
Conditioning
No conditioning regime specific to this species is described in the source. As a blackwater eartheater, a varied diet within a stable, soft, acidic aquarium is the reasonable basis, following general care for the species.
Breeding Setup
- Soft, acidic water within the general maintenance range of 20-30 °C, pH 4.0-6.5 and hardness around 18-90 ppm.
- Water-worn rocks have been suggested as potential spawning sites.
- Fine sand substrate suited to a sand-sifting eartheater.
- Stable, mature conditions, given how sensitive blackwater Biotodoma can be.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Specific spawning behaviour is not documented for this species. Based on its congener B. cupido, it is presumed to clean a rock surface and spawn as a biparental pair, but the source provides only minimal, speculative information.
Common Challenges
Breeding difficulty is very high, with the source noting the species may never have been bred in aquaria and that information is very scarce. The record lists this species as a substrate-spawner, consistent with the presumed biparental substrate-spawning strategy noted by the source.