Sveni Eartheater
Geophagus sveni
Cichlidae
About
The Sveni eartheater is a peaceful, sand-sifting cichlid from the middle Rio Tocantins drainage in Brazil, one of the popular "red head" Geophagus of the hobby. It spends the day taking mouthfuls of fine sand and expelling it through the gills to extract tiny food items, so a deep, soft sand bed and a group of five or more are essential to natural behaviour and calm temperament.
Care
Keep a group of 5+ over a deep, soft sand bed in a spacious 300 L+ tank with warm, soft to neutral water, gentle to moderate flow and strong filtration. Mild-mannered but needs room and clean, oxygenated water.
Diet
Micro-omnivore that sifts sand for invertebrates, detritus and biofilm; feed sinking pellets and granules alongside frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (24)
Possible with care (161)
Avoid (86)
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.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Sveni Eartheater need?
- A Sveni Eartheater needs an aquarium of at least 300 litres (79.3 US gallons) with a footprint at least 120 cm (47.2 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Sveni Eartheater need?
- Sveni Eartheater does best at 23–30 °C (73.4–86 °F), pH 5.5–7.5 and a general hardness of 1–12 °dGH.
- What group size does a Sveni Eartheater need?
- Sveni Eartheater is a social species — keep a group of at least 5 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Sveni Eartheater suitable for beginners?
- Sveni Eartheater 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.