Pearl Cichlid
Geophagus brasiliensis
Cichlidae
No photo of this species yet
Got one of your own? Send it and your name goes under it.
About
The pearl cichlid is the eartheater that mostly is not one. Seriously Fish is careful about this: 'Although often referred to as an "eartheater" this species isn't as benthophagous as members of Geophagus though mouthfuls of substrate are sometimes taken and sifted for edible items.' Our sveni eartheater and demon eartheater live by sifting sand and need a deep, soft bed to feed naturally at all; brasiliensis is a generalist whose wild diet runs to plant material, chironomid larvae, ostracods, cladocerans, fish scales and fry, and about substrate Seriously Fish says only that 'ideally a soft, sandy substrate should be employed though it's not essential'. Sand is still the better choice, but here it is a preference rather than a requirement. The genus is unsettled too, which is why the name is often printed in quotation marks as 'Geophagus' brasiliensis: Kullander's 1986 rediagnosis restricted Geophagus proper to species with paired caudal extensions to the swimbladder, and the brasiliensis group is one of the leftovers 'still in need of definitive classification'. What is not in doubt is the size. Males reach 200-250 mm standard length and females 130-150 mm, and Seriously Fish puts the smallest long-term base at 150 x 45 cm - around 300 litres. This is a fish sold at five centimetres that ends up needing a metre and a half of glass. It is also unusually adaptable: 18-28 °C, pH 6.0-8.0, hardness 18-268 ppm, a habitat generalist recorded from clear fast rivers to stagnant lagoons, and some coastal-lagoon populations have 'evolved a degree of salt tolerance'. Lithuanian shops sell it as perlinis cichlidas, which is also the name the akvariumas.net database uses.
Care
A 150 x 45 cm base, about 300 L, for a fish the shop sells at five centimetres. Seriously Fish is blunt about water: these cichlids 'are susceptible to deteriorating water quality and should never be introduced to a biologically immature aquarium', and it asks for over-filtration plus weekly changes of 50-70 %. Skimp on that or feed badly and you get head-and-lateral-line erosion or a stunted fish. Soft sand is preferable rather than essential; if you use it, tune the mechanical filtration to catch what the fish stirs up, because sand running through an impeller destroys it. Dim light, driftwood and roots, and a flat water-worn stone or two as spawning sites. Males are territorial, particularly when spawning, and very small tankmates get eaten. The temperature band is wide at 18-28 °C, so this is not a fish that needs discus heat.
Diet
Generalist omnivore, not a dedicated sand-sifter. Sinking dry food as the staple with regular live or frozen bloodworm and Artemia; in the wild it also takes plant material, chironomid larvae, ostracods, cladocerans, scales and fry.
Tankmate compatibility
Possible with care (350)
Avoid (68)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Extended finsStrong · from about 8 months, and later in a suppressed male
On many cichlids and killifish the male's dorsal and anal fins draw out into trailing points as he matures, while the female's stay rounded.
- VentingA hint only · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition
The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.
- Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
These links are unpaid: we get nothing for them and ask for nothing.
Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Pearl Cichlid need?
- A Pearl Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 300 litres (79.3 US gallons) with a footprint at least 150 cm (59.1 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Pearl Cichlid need?
- Pearl Cichlid does best at 18–28 °C (64.4–82.4 °F), pH 6–8 and a general hardness of 1–15 °dGH.
- Is the Pearl Cichlid suitable for beginners?
- Pearl Cichlid sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.