Geophagus Sveni 5cm

Geophagus Sveni

The geophagus Sveni is a beautiful larger species of geophagus that is well suited to aquarists looking to add a fantastic bottom-dwelling species for bigger aquariums. These fish are popular for their peaceful nature, colourful aesthetic, and how well they clean the substrate. Geophagus essentially translates to earth eater which is what these fish are known to do, they will take large mouthfuls of sand and sift through it in order to find food. In the aquarium setting this is a great behaviour as it keeps the substrate well turned over and ensures there is no detritus trapped in it.

Geophagus Sveni is arguably one of the most brightly coloured geophagus species. The base colour is lime green which is overlayed with streaks of red, iridescent green, and blue scales that capture the light like little Christmas decorations. These scales range from head to tail and mature fish look like they were almost painted. Like other geophagus species they also have the central eyespot and also carry vibrant blues and reds in all the fins. Another notable factor for this species is that they have beautiful lengthy streamers on the fins which look angelic in full-grown fish. 

The Geophagus Sevni is a fairly easy fish to care for. Aside from the max size of 25 cm, their personality is mostly community aquarium standards. Breeding this geophagus in the aquarium is quite common, they are actually mouth-brooding fish where the male will dig a small pit to attract the female to lay eggs. The male will then fertilize the eggs and the female will take the eggs into her mouth to safeguard the fry for around three days. Males and females do have distinguishing features where males have more vibrant colours and longer fins when compared to females. 

Tank Recommendations for your Geophagus Sveni

Being a fairly large growing South American cichlid that will reach a max size of 25 cm, the redhead geophagus will need an aquarium that is a minimum of 400 liters. The geophagus is a fish that prefers to be kept in groups of at least 3 or more which is why a larger aquarium is always best.

A sand substrate is always best because of the constant sand-sifting behaviour that these fish have. Having some additional materials in the aquarium such as smooth river stones and driftwood would also be great. Because the geophagus Sveni is a South American fish they do require softer water with a PH of around 6.0 - 7.0.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Geophagus Sveni is a relatively peaceful fish that can essentially be kept in a community aquarium setting. It is usually best practice to avoid fish that are smaller than their mouth just to be safe however there are many accounts of geophagus being kept with nano tank mates before. 

Usually Compatible

Angelfish, corydoras, severums, discus, blue acara, and a range of fast-moving small to medium community fish.

Sometimes Compatible

Semi-aggressive South American fish such as convicts, fire mouths, and similar species. Pencil fish, cardinal tetras, and other slow nano fish may possibly be eaten. 

Rarely Compatible

Large and aggressive species such as Dovii would be far too aggressive and invertebrates like shrimp would be prey for the geophagus.

Feeding your Geophagus Sveni

Like many other South American cichlids, the Geophagus Sveni is a very easy fish to feed. Due to their bottom-dwelling nature in the aquarium, care should be taken in ensuring food reaches these fish before being eaten by tank mates. It is best to feed them either a sinking pellet or flake food which is supplemented with frozen foods to ensure these fish have optimal health. A fun feeding option would be to add some live black worms to the aquarium which promotes the geophagus to naturally sift through the substrate to find their food.