Red striped eartheater
Geophagus surinamensis
- Adult size
- 13 cm5 in
- Start with
- 5
- Tank length
- 180 cmabout 6 ft (71 in)
- Lifespan
- 8–12 yrs
- Temperature
- 24–27 °C75–81 °F
- pH
- 6–8
- Hardness
- 5–15 dGH
- Diet
- omnivore
Large group-living sand sifter; needs fine sand, excellent filtration and a long tank for five or more.Large group-living sand sifter; needs fine sand, excellent filtration and a long tank for five or more.
Tank sizes
Good tankmates
Avoid with
- Alligator gar
Alligator gar may eat Red striped eartheaterAlligator gar may eat Red striped eartheater
- Antenna ray
Antenna ray may eat Red striped eartheaterAntenna ray may eat Red striped eartheater
- Arapaima
Arapaima may eat Red striped eartheaterArapaima may eat Red striped eartheater
- Asian arowana
Asian arowana may eat Red striped eartheaterAsian arowana may eat Red striped eartheater
- Australian pearl arowana
Australian pearl arowana may eat Red striped eartheaterAustralian pearl arowana may eat Red striped eartheater
- Bullseye snakehead
Bullseye snakehead may eat Red striped eartheaterBullseye snakehead may eat Red striped eartheater
- Butterfly peacock bass
Butterfly peacock bass may eat Red striped eartheaterButterfly peacock bass may eat Red striped eartheater
- Channel catfish
No shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Clown knifefish
Clown knifefish may eat Red striped eartheaterClown knifefish may eat Red striped eartheater
Common goldfishNo shared temperature rangeNo shared temperature range
- Common river stingray
Common river stingray may eat Red striped eartheaterCommon river stingray may eat Red striped eartheater
- Congo bichir
Congo bichir may eat Red striped eartheaterCongo bichir may eat Red striped eartheater
Sources
| temperature | 24–27 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
|---|---|---|
| ph | 6–8 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04; agrees with FishBase (fishbase.se), retrieved 2026-10-04 · medium |
| gh | 5–15 | AqAdvisor (aqadvisor.com), retrieved 2026-10-04 · low |
| origin | Suriname and the Guianas | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| notes | Large group-living sand sifter; needs fine sand, excellent filtration and a long | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| beginner friendly | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| care level | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| color palette | #C9B080, #D9473A, #4AA0B0 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| activity | moderate | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| swim zone | bottom | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| temperament | peaceful | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| fin nipper | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| long finned | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| territorial | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling | false | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| social min | 5 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| schooling min | 1 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| diet | omnivore | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| lifespan years | 8–12 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| growth to adult months | 18 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| length weight | {"a":0.025,"b":3} | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · low |
| planted safe | true | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| min tank length | 180 | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |
| body shape | cichlid | curated-v0 (needs expert review) · medium |