Geophagus Brasiliensis

Pearl Cichlid

Geophagus Brasiliensis

A popular species of Geophagus that reaches a larger size than most, with beautiful patterning on both the males and females it’s not hard to understand their popularity.

Locale: Despite the name, Brasiliensis are not endemic to Brazil only, they are often collected in Uruguay also, though mostly in eastern and southern Brazil - found in river bodies far along the rivers they inhabit, some even in coastal lagoons of which consist of a low salinity brackish water.

Fun fact: Brasiliensis are native to South America, however they are found in many far reaches of the world, from a little north of their home, the US, to Taiwan, the Phillipines and even Australia.

Care:

Care difficulty - Intermediate

Temperament - Semi-aggressive, more aggressive than most Geophagus, best kept with other similarly sized South and Central American cichlids.

Adult size - 14-16cms for females with males getting much larger at 25-26cms.

Diet - Omnivorous; These fish pass sand through their mouth and out thorough the gill slits, separating any microorganisms from the sand in the process. Best fed a staple diet of small pellets and wafers, with high protein foods as a dietary supplement once or twice a fortnight

Habitat - Brasiliensis are found in quite a wide range of habitats in the wild, so recreating their wild environment is not essential, any typical South American cichlid environment, a soft sand or fine gravel coupled with some darker rocks and driftwood suffices.

Optimal Water Parameters:

Temperature: 24-28°c

pH: 6.2-7.4

GH: 6-14

KH: 2-8

Fish size, sex, exact colour and patterning may vary from photo.