Breeding the demon eartheater
Ovophilous maternal mouthbrooder: the pair spawns on a cleaned solid surface and the female picks up the eggs straight after fertilisation and broods them; fry later shelter in her mouth.
Step by step
Keep a group of 6 and let a pair form, or one male with several females.
A 300 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, fine sand to sift, a few rocks and open swimming space.
Clean warm water, big regular water changes and varied protein foods.
Eggs are laid in small batches until the female is carrying several hundred. No hatch time found.
The brooding parent holds eggs and fry, releasing them at about 1 cm; feed newly hatched brine shrimp.
- Coarse or sharp substrate
- Stressing the brooding fish
- Infrequent water changes
Male or female
Hard to sex: adult females grow slightly smaller than males and look deeper-bodied when full of eggs.
Can I breed it in my tank?
- Takes some experience.
Day-by-day plan
Typical for mouthbrooders
- 21 days beforeGroup and condition
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
- Day 0Spawning
The female takes the eggs into her mouth and stops eating.
- Day 21Release
After about 3 weeks the female releases fully formed fry. Many breeders move her to a quiet tank first.
- Day 21First food
Fry eat crushed flake and baby brine shrimp straight away.
- Day 90Grow-out
Fry are a few centimetres long after about 3 months.
A general guide for this breeding type. Days change with temperature and species.
Simulator: guided
Usually one male with several females. Feed high-quality food.
Simulator: try it yourself
Set up a virtual breeding tank and see what would likely happen.
- Without live or frozen food the parents aren't in breeding condition.
An educational estimate from the breeding rules, not a promise.