Above: A magnificent premium quality male WILD WYSIWYG Surinamensis Eartheater about 7" to 8" long and swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.

Comments: This is a fabulous fish that often develops very bright orange and even red markings with a gleaming metallic sheen like a piece of jewelry.

Origin: Eartheaters are a family of closely related fish within a larger family of closely related fish, called Cichlids.

The ancestors of these Eartheaters lived the Orinoco Rainforest in northeastern South America, but now there are Eartheaters living in aquariums all over the world.

Maximum Size: In aquariums males can grow to be more than 8" long, including their tails, which is a bit big for most aquariums but not too big for large aquariums.

Females are a bit smaller than males. DrTom raised a group of them up and measured them to be over 7.5" long.

They can grow to be bigger, perhaps 10" long, perhaps even bigger.

Behaviors: Eartheaters are usually not aggressive fish, but males will quarrel with each other from time to time.

They are more aggressive just before spawning, during spawning, and when protecting their eggs and babies.

They're called Eartheaters not because they eat earth, but because they lake large mouthfuls of small gravel and sift out food particles to eat.

In this way they help keep the gravel cleaner, which is a big benefit in many aquariums with gravel.

Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include catfish like Pictus Cats, Plecostomus, and most other fish that are not too aggressive.

Even small fish are usually not bothered by Eartheaters.

Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.

Temperature: Eartheaters live best from about 74 to 82-degrees F., with 78 being perhaps ideal.

Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters.

Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets is the best type of food to feed Eartheaters, and can be fed to them throughout their entire lives. Probably best to feed the smaller size pellets.

Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods.

Water Conditions: Their ancestors lived in a rainforest, where the water is usually soft and rather acidic, but apparently at times the pH and hardness increased in these water.

So Eartheaters can adapt to most types of tap water, and as usual it's best not to change water chemistry, unless you want to breed them, hatch the eggs, and raise the baby fish.

Click here for a lot more information about aquarium water conditions.

If water conditions are not kept very good, Eartheaters may get the so-called Hole in the Head Disease. Click here to learn more about that.