Winemiller's Eartheater

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Lower Rio Negro and Orinoco basin (Venezuela). Lives in the extreme "Blackwater" waters, dark tea or black colored rivers, saturated with tannins and with bottoms of very fine sand and carpets of decomposing leaves.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Striped Eartheater (Geophagus winemilleri). Belongs to the "Surinamensis" supergroup, described only in 2004. Gigantic; it is characterized by 4 very clear blackish stripes on the flanks and by the almost total absence of the usual single central black spot.

Social Behavior: A true gentle sovereign. It imposes itself by size, but does not kill conspecifics, limiting itself to majestic frontal displays by puffing its gills. To avoid depression and panic, it requires groups of 6-8 peers.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Stunning. Apricot-sand background livery, broken by 4 black bands. The enormous fins, in perfect conditions, show continuous phosphorescent blue "cobwebs" (not dotted like in the Dicrozoster). Males have impressive filiform extensions.

Aquarium Setup: Tank for titans (minimum 180-200 cm / 72-80 inches in length). Very deep fine sand is essential for their 24/7 digging. Wide and smooth roots. To recreate the ideal "Blackwater" biotope, use catappa leaves and peat; the lights must be very low.

Diet and Feeding: Extreme geophagous: it takes the sand non-stop all day. It has a weak intestine, so administer very high quality slow-sinking pellets (spirulina/krill mix), bloodworms and brine shrimp. Avoid polluted beef heart or tubifex at all costs.

Water Quality: Dark, amber water, devoid of carbonates (GH and KH close to 0) and with very high temperatures (28-30°C / 82-86°F). The biological filtration must be immense, since water changes with "hard" water ruin them.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Fantastic as a focal fish in a Rio Negro biotope. Excellent combined with schools of Cardinals (which it will not eat), Corydoras adolfoi or sterbai, Heros severus and large Plecostomus or Hypancistrus.

Aquarium Breeding: Larvophile mouthbrooder. Lays over 200 eggs on roots or stones. Once hatched, the parents pick up and divide the newborns in their mouths, "spitting" them out in protected areas to feed them.

Risks and Diseases: Hygiene deficiency syndrome: they get sick very often with hole in the head disease (Hexamita) if the bottom stagnates and becomes polluted (secondary bacteriosis) due to poor sand maintenance.