Paraguay Eartheater Care Guide
Gymnogeophagus balzanii is a South American eartheater in which dominant males develop a large nuchal hump; it tolerates cool water and broods young in the mouth.
Overview
Gymnogeophagus balzanii, the Paraguay or bull-headed eartheater, is a substrate-sifting cichlid from southern South America. Dominant males develop pointed fins and a pronounced nuchal hump on the forehead. It is a hardy species that tolerates cooler water than most tropical cichlids.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Subfamily: Geophaginae
- Genus: Gymnogeophagus
- Scientific name: Gymnogeophagus balzanii
Habitat
The species occurs across the Paraná River basin, including the Paraguay drainage in Brazil and Paraguay, the Paraná drainage in Argentina, and the lower Uruguay drainage in Uruguay and Brazil. It is a freshwater, benthopelagic fish of subtropical waters.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 350 L (92 gal)
- Temperature: 17-26 °C (63-79 °F); a cooler seasonal period is reported as beneficial
- pH: 6.5-7.8
- GH: 5-15 °dGH
- Substrate: sand for sifting
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet
An omnivore that feeds by taking mouthfuls of substrate and ejecting it through the gills while retaining edible items. In the aquarium it accepts good-quality granular and flake foods plus small live and frozen foods, together with vegetable matter such as Spirulina-based flake or blanched greens.
Compatibility
Males are intolerant of other cichlids and quarrelsome toward rivals, so a single male is generally kept with several females. The species sifts sand and is not suited to tanks with delicate planting; very small fish and shrimp may be at risk.
Breeding
Gymnogeophagus balzanii is a delayed (larvophile) maternal mouthbrooder. Reported clutches of roughly 200-500 eggs are tended by the female, which takes the larvae into her mouth and incubates them for about a week after hatching.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2020).