Eartheaters: A Primer

**KingFisher** · 08-16-2008, 03:57 AM

Thanks Dave, great primer, as usual. Surprisingly I never even realized that blue rams were eartheaters. For some reason I just never made the connection.

**Red** · 08-16-2008, 04:15 AM

wow amazing.....

**Dave66** · 08-19-2008, 05:49 AM

Originally Posted by tanks4thememories

Thanx for the info Dave. You have me interested in one now. So what Eartheater would you suggest for my 125 im planning? (Mabey Geophagus surinamensis ?) He would have to grow large as possible to discourage my Jardini from messing with him. Yet otherwise very peaceful, and very colorful - because my current fish are basically all silver I need some color in the tank...lol

tanks,
Yes, you could keep Red-Stripes in a tank that size - six of them, but they'd have to be the only Cichlids in the tank. The arowana MIGHT not mess with them as they stay near the bottom all the time, and the Jardini cruises the top. It'll take a year, 14 months or so for the red-stripes to hit a foot long.

Dave

**Dave66** · 10-11-2008, 09:44 PM

Just a bump

Dave

**Red** · 10-11-2008, 11:50 PM

Dave,
What do you think is a min size tank for the easiet smallest one you can find?
I love them soo much but i dont think they can fit in a 30 gal..
By the way not a ram..

**Dave66** · 10-12-2008, 12:20 AM

Cupid cichlids (Biotodoma cupido) would be your best bet, since they top out at under five inches. Not hard to find, but you'll probably have to ask for them, since they are rather colorless when young.

Dave

**Red** · 10-12-2008, 12:23 AM

Thanks dave!

**btate617** · 10-16-2008, 09:00 PM

One thing to add to Dave66's info here, which was a good read, if you are looking to get geophagus surinamensis try and find out where or who they came from. They are more often than not actually geophagus proximus that have been mislabelled. Just my 2cents.

Brian

**Dave66** · 10-17-2008, 04:09 AM

Good info, Brian, thanks. Since most all my fish come from wholesalers and jobbers, I haven't really checked what pet shops are calling what these days. I suppose the youngsters of proximus are similar to young surinamensis in color?

Dave