Geophagus surinamensis Breeding Guide
How to breed Geophagus surinamensis, a Surinam eartheater that broods larvae in the mouth after spawning on a flat surface.
Overview
Geophagus surinamensis is an eartheater cichlid native to the Saramacca, Suriname and Marowijne river systems of Suriname and French Guiana, where it lives over mud and sand bottoms. According to FishBase it is a larvophile mouthbrooder that practises biparental care: the pair spawns on a flat surface and later transfers the developing young to the mouth. It belongs to the wider G. surinamensis species group, whose members are substrate-spawning, biparental mouthbrooders.
Sexing
Like other members of the group, this species shows almost no reliable external sexual differences. The female's ovipositor becomes visible only during spawning. The practical approach is to raise a group of young fish together and allow pairs to form naturally rather than attempting to sex juveniles.
Conditioning
There is no specific spawning trigger for the group; the main requirements are a good diet and a stringent maintenance regime with relatively large weekly water changes. A varied omnivorous diet and stable, clean water bring adults into spawning condition.
Breeding Setup
- Soft sand substrate for natural sifting and a flat stone or excavated pit as a spawning site
- Temperature: 22-25 °C (FishBase environmental range)
- pH: 6.0-8.0 (FishBase)
- Hardness: 5-19 °dH (FishBase)
- Large weekly water changes to maintain water quality
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Spawning occurs on a flat stone or in a hole dug in the sand. The pair deposits and fertilises eggs on the cleaned surface. No particular environmental trigger is required beyond good diet and consistent maintenance.
Egg & Fry Care
After spawning the parents take the eggs into their mouths, where hatching occurs about three days later (FishBase). As larvophile mouthbrooders the adults continue to shelter the young in the mouth, releasing free-swimming fry to forage and gathering them back when threatened. Fry accept powdered dry foods and Artemia nauplii once free-swimming.
Common Challenges
Accurate sexing is difficult, so a group is usually needed to obtain a compatible pair. In community tanks the brood is vulnerable to predation, so brooding fish are often best moved or the fry protected. Stable, clean water and a large footprint are essential for a species that reaches a substantial size.