Breeding the red hump eartheater
Maternal mouthbrooder: males are polygamous; the female lays small batches of eggs on a hard surface in the male's territory, picks them up and they are fertilised in front of her mouth. She broods alone.
Step by step
Keep a group of 6 and let a pair form, or one male with several females.
A 250 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.
The female incubates the eggs for 10-14 days; fry may return to her mouth for a week or more after they are free-swimming.
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
Adult males are larger, with longer fin lobes, and sexually mature males grow a nuchal (forehead) hump that can be very pronounced. Females stay smaller with no hump.
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.