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Encyclopedia / Cichlids / Striped eartheater
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Variations

1 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Striped eartheater

Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus · Rhabdotus, Gymnogeophagus rhabdotus, Striped geophagus

Peaceful with fish that like cool water.

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12 cmBody length, without tail ✓
20–25 °CTemperature ✓
7–7.5pH ✓
UnknownSmallest tank ?
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Striped eartheater eats animals up to about 3 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Not recommended
  • Striped eartheater eats animals up to about 3 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
Not recommended
  • Striped eartheater eats animals up to about 3 cm. Ember tetra only grows to 2 cm.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow pH range suits both: exactly 7.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

244 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 ?Unknown
Group size ?Can live alone
Temperament ?Peaceful
Swims at ?Bottom
Care level ?Moderate
Diet Omnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 4–6 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Peaceful with fish that like cool water.

  • sand

Food

Pellets, frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

MaleLarger, bolder pattern
FemaleSmaller, duller
TipMales larger with a hump
How hard to tellModerate

Health

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

Breeding

Substrate spawner · Moderate

Substrate spawner: the female lays eggs on a cleaned site and after hatching the young are moved to pits dug in the bottom.

Pairing

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

Setup

A 150 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

About 300 eggs per spawning. No hatch time found.

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

RegionSouthern Brazil, Uruguay & Argentina
Rivers and lakesLaguna dos Patos and the Uruguay River basins
HabitatRivers and lakes with sandy bottoms
Native rangeAbout 500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the striped eartheater

A subtropical eartheater from the Río Uruguay and Laguna dos Patos basins of Uruguay and southern Brazil, kept at cooler temperatures (about 20-25°C).

German naturalist Reinhold Hensel described this species in 1870 from southern Brazil, originally in Geophagus. It comes from subtropical waters where winters are cool. Males show bright blue horizontal stripes.

First described by Reinhold Hensel in 1870. Named for Rhabdotus means 'striped'.

  • It tolerates cooler water than most cichlids.
  • Its body shows blue horizontal stripes.
  • It is a substrate spawner.

Sources

9 facts checked with sources