Geophagus steindachneri

Red Hump Geos (Geophagus steindachneri) require a sandy substrate is necessary due to their earth-eating habits. They sift mouthfuls of sand through their gills, pulling out bits of food to eat. Gravel presents a very high probability of choking or refusing to eat. Like all Geophagus, they prefer to be kept in groups of 4+ but will be okay as a breeding pair. They get along well with larger tetras and most South American cichlids. They are a larger species of Geophagus and will fit well with large South American fish.The Red-hump Eartheater (Geophagus steindachneri) fish grow relatively quickly, and can be sexed as subadults. Males have a large, red nuptial hump on their heads and grow larger than the females. Mature males develop an iridescence on the scales on their sides and very large humps. Males will display to females by opening their mouths and flaring their gills. Spawning takes place on a smooth rock or clean sand bed. The female lays one or two eggs, then the male fertilizes them. The female immediately takes the fertilized eggs into her mouth and proceeds to lay more eggs. This continues until spawning is completed. The female carries the eggs until they are free-swimming and have absorbed their yolk sacs, about 2–3 weeks.