Red Pearl Eartheater (Geophagus brasiliensis sp. red)

Red Pearl Eartheater care for a spacious sand-bottom aquarium

The Red Pearl Eartheater is the red supplier strain of Geophagus brasiliensis, listed by Petra as Geophagus brasiliensis sp. red. It has the familiar Pearl Eartheater shape, pearled body pattern and dark flank spot, but with stronger warm orange-red body colour in the source photo. This page keeps the supplier strain name for traceability while grounding the care advice in the established Geophagus brasiliensis profile.

This is a large South American eartheater cichlid, not a small community fish. The 0414 parent product includes three live size options: 4-5 cm, 5-6 cm and > 8 cm. Use the size selector or stock alerts for current availability before planning an order.

The main care point is space. FishBase lists G. brasiliensis up to 28 cm total length, and Fishipedia gives a practical average around 25 cm. Juveniles can look compact in shop photos, but adults need a broad footprint, strong filtration and enough territory to dig and display without pushing every tankmate into a corner.

Quick facts

• Supplier name: Geophagus brasiliensis sp. red
• Common names: Red Pearl Eartheater, Red Brazilian Eartheater, red Pearl Cichlid strain
• Adult size: plan for about 25-28 cm
• Temperature: 21-26 C for routine aquarium care; wider tolerance is reported for the species, but stable conditions are better than extremes
• pH: roughly 6.0-8.0; neutral to slightly acidic water suits most setups
• Hardness: soft to moderately hard water; avoid sudden swings
• Minimum adult aquarium: about 400 litres for adult planning, with more floor area for groups
• Diet: omnivorous with a carnivorous tendency
• Temperament: robust and often peaceful for its size, but territorial with its own kind and during breeding

Tank setup

Build the aquarium around open floor space and smooth sand. Pearl eartheaters browse the lower level, dig, sift and move fine substrate as part of normal behaviour. Coarse or sharp gravel can damage the mouth and gill area, so use sand or very fine rounded substrate in the main feeding area.

Use driftwood, smooth stones and larger visual breaks to divide the footprint. Secure hardscape properly because a digging cichlid can undermine loose decor. Rooted plants may be lifted, so attach hardy plants such as Anubias or Java fern to wood and rock, or protect robust rooted plants in areas the fish cannot easily excavate.

Filtration should be sized for a large cichlid that eats well and stirs the bottom. Use strong biological filtration, mechanical polishing for suspended fine particles and regular water changes. Stable clean water matters more than chasing a single exact pH number.

Feeding

Feed a varied sinking diet. Good staples include quality cichlid granules, soft sinking pellets, krill-based foods and bottom-feeding tablets that reach the substrate. Rotate frozen foods such as bloodworm, mysis, brine shrimp and daphnia, then add some plant-rich foods such as spirulina or blanched greens so the diet is not too rich.

Because this fish eats near the bottom, avoid tankmates that take every meal at the surface before food sinks. Smaller feeds that reach the sand are usually better than one heavy feed. A healthy juvenile should look active and full-bodied without becoming heavy around the belly.

Compatibility

Red Pearl Eartheaters work best with robust, calm fish that are too large to be swallowed and not aggressive enough to dominate the aquarium. Suitable choices can include larger peaceful tetras, silver dollars in big tanks, suitable plecos, peaceful Severum-type cichlids and other eartheaters where the aquarium is large enough.

Avoid tiny tetras, shrimp, delicate bottom dwellers, fin nippers and very aggressive Central American cichlids. Groups can look impressive, but they need space. In cramped tanks one fish may become dominant, especially around spawning sites.

Buying and settling in

This red strain is best chosen by aquarists who already have a large mature aquarium or a clear upgrade plan. Quarantine new arrivals, keep the lights low on the first day, and offer small sinking foods once the fish is settled. The warm red colour will show best in clean water, natural decor and a calm stocking plan.

For a close comparison, see the standard Pearl Eartheater. If you are comparing larger Geophagus-type fish, also review Surinam Geophagus and Geophagus sp. Pindare before choosing.

Sources checked

• FishBase for Geophagus brasiliensis size, distribution, water parameters and taxonomy.
• Seriously Fish and Fishipedia for practical aquarium range, adult planning, sand substrate and behaviour guidance.
• Petra Aqua source data and exact SKU image for the red supplier strain.