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Encyclopedia / Cichlids / Altifrons eartheater
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Variations

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Altifrons eartheater

Geophagus altifrons · Geophagus altifrons, Eartheater, Pearl eartheater, Altifrons

Peaceful, though males squabble.

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25 cmAdult size ✓
26–30 °CTemperature ✓
4.8–6.6pH ✓
648 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Altifrons eartheater eats animals up to about 4 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • They need different temperatures (26–30 °C vs 21–25 °C). No setting suits both.
Not recommended
  • Altifrons eartheater eats animals up to about 4 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Altifrons eartheater eats animals up to about 4 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 26 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 26–27 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

129 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓0–5 dGH
Group size ✓5 or more
Temperament ✓Peaceful
Swims at ✓Bottom
Care level ✓Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 5–8 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful, though males squabble. Keep with other medium-sized peaceful fish; adults eat very small fish.

  • sand

Food

Sinking pellets, frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, with some vegetable matter.

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Male or female

Practically impossible to sex: no external differences have been seen except the female's breeding tube (ovipositor) during spawning. Start with a group and let pairs form.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Mouthbrooder · Hard

Substrate-spawning, biparental mouthbrooder: eggs are laid on a flat rock or wood, then usually picked up by the female while the male guards the territory; parents may share or swap the brood later. Sexual maturity takes at least a year.

Pairing

Keep a group of 6 and let a pair form, or one male with several females.

Setup

A 300 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, fine sand to sift, a few rocks and open swimming space.

What starts it

Clean warm water, big regular water changes and varied protein foods.

Eggs

Up to about 200 eggs; at 25-28 °C the fry become free-swimming at 8-11 days.

Raising the fry

The brooding parent holds eggs and fry, releasing them at about 1 cm; feed newly hatched brine shrimp.

Common mistakes
  • Coarse or sharp substrate
  • Stressing the brooding fish
  • Infrequent water changes
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionBrazil – Amazon basin
Rivers and lakesLower Amazon tributaries in Brazil
HabitatSandy riverbeds in clear water
Native rangeAbout 800 km across
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The story of the altifrons eartheater

The type species of Geophagus, a large eartheater from the middle and lower Amazon in Brazil that sifts sand constantly while feeding. It is one of the most often misidentified Geophagus in the trade.

Heckel described this eartheater in 1840 from Amazon fish collected by Johann Natterer. It is a classic sand-sifter, taking in mouthfuls of sand and expelling it through its gills. Many locality forms from different rivers are traded today.

First described by Johann J. Heckel in 1840. Named for Altifrons means 'high forehead'.

  • It filters mouthfuls of sand through its gills.
  • It is a mouthbrooder.
  • It needs fine sand to feed naturally.

Sources

16 facts checked with sources