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The peaceful Red/Orange Head Tapajos Eartheater Cichlid is one of the smallest and most incredibly colorful members of its genus. Adults develop vivid red to orange head coloration as they reach maturity!
The Red/Orange Head Tapajos Eartheater (Geophagus sp. 'Red Head Bahia') is one of the most sought-after New World cichlids due to its peaceful disposition, manageable size, and most of all, its incredible adult coloration. It is regarded as one of the smallest and most colorful "earth-eating" species. The entire Geophagus genus is known for its characteristic feeding behavior of scooping up mouthfuls of substrate, which it separates from any small invertebrate prey, and expelling the sifted substrate through its gills.
The Red/Orange Head Tapajos Eartheater requires an aquarium with a soft, sandy substrate and plenty of refuge such as clay pots, driftwood, and rock formations. Gravel and other larger substrates can damage the gills and organs of this fish as it feeds. Due to its digging behavior and occasional appetite for soft-leaved plants, it might not be compatible with some more delicate plants. However, it is fine with more durable plants that can be attached to rocks and driftwood. This cichlid is generally compatible with other peaceful fish as long as it has plenty of open terrain. Territoriality is typically at its peak during spawning, but this species tends to thrive and show its best coloration in groups of 5-6 specimens or more. Subdominant specimens are more prone to bullying in smaller groups. In larger groups, juveniles and subadults will often congregate with adults. Dwarf shrimp and other small, delicate invertebrates should not be kept with the Red/Orange Head Tapajos Eartheater, but more durable, larger shrimp and snails could possibly make good tankmates in a large enough aquarium Schooling fish such as tetras, pencilfish, and Corydoras catfish are good tankmates, as are suckermouth catfish and other relatively peaceful cichlids such as severums, angelfish, and even discus. If spawning is desired, tankmates of other similar-looking species should be kept to a minimum or avoided altogether unless the aquarium is extremely large.
While it is a generally hardy species, the Red/Orange Head Tapajos Eartheater is not tolerant of subpar water conditions and it will deteriorate rather quickly if routine maintenance is not performed. Powerful filtration is a must. Other than this requirement (which is really a standard of care for any aquarium) and the need for soft, sandy substrate, it is a very adaptable and undemanding species that is truly a reward to see in a healthy group of adult specimens.
Feeding is simple for the unfussy Red/Orange Head Tapajos Eartheater. High-quality dry, frozen, and live meaty foods will all be readily accepted. Quality and variety are the keys to a diet that will ensure that this fish maintains optimal health and coloration. Due to its unique feeding behavior, this fish requires food of smaller size than many other cichlids. Even as it reaches adult size, it should be fed foods comparable to the size of bloodworms and small grade dry foods.
What We Like About This Fish:
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For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.
