Geophagus winemilleri
Geophagus winemilleri is naturally found in the Orinoco River basin in South America. The fish can be found in areas with clear water, along coastal areas with sandy substrate. The fish takes its name from Dr. Kirk O. Winemiller, who led field expeditions to the Rio Caspiare region, during which many new fish species were discovered. It should be noted that these fish have high requirements for water quality, as well as for their menu, which ultimately does not contribute to their widespread distribution among aquarists.
Geophagus winemilleri is yellow-orange in colour. Along the entire body there are rows of bluish stripes. In the middle part of the body is a large dark spot. The fins are reddish with light mottling. Sex differences are absent, only during the spawning period, you can uniquely identify the sex of fish, when females are clearly visible ovipositor. Fish reach up to 20 cm in size.
Geophagus winemilleri are peaceful fish. Keep them in a common aquarium with other calm, peaceful fish. Do not share them with territorial fish and fish require stiffer water. Keep Weinmiller geofagus need a group of 5-8 individuals. Over time, the group will form a hierarchy, which will appear dominant fish. When kept in smaller numbers, weaker individuals will be the object of harassment of dominant fish.
Keep the fish in an aquarium with a capacity of 500 liters. The interior decoration is quite simple and includes two main components - sandy soil and a few large snags. The main attention should be paid to the bottom ground, it should not contain large particles that might get caught in the gill filaments of the fish during feeding. Plants that take root in the soil should not be planted, because they sooner or later will certainly be pulled from it along with the roots. Several shrubs of floating plants can be placed on the water surface as an additional means of darkening the water.
Water parameters: temperature 26-30° C, hardness dH 0-8°, pH 4,0-7,0. Requires good water filtration, increased aeration and weekly change of 1/2 part of the water with fresh water.
The diets of fish in the wild consist mainly of small aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates, plant seeds, organic detritus and sediments. Under aquarium conditions, fish are fed with artemia, daphnia and chironomid moths. Good fish eat dry flake food containing spirulina. Feed the fish 3-4 times a day in small portions.
Reproduction
Geophagus winemilleri reaches sexual maturity at about a year old. When kept in clean water and with a varied menu, the fish spawn frequently. Another important point for successful fish breeding in the aquarium is the formation of pairs in a natural way, which requires buying a group of young fish initially.
During the spawning period, the fish pair select a spawning spot, which is usually the surface of a large flat rock. Spawning is portioned, the female lays several rows of eggs on the substrate, which the male immediately fertilizes. The spawning process sometimes takes several hours. The female is constantly at the clutch, while the male guards the far approaches to it.
After about 72 hours, the larvae hatch out and the female immediately collects them all in her mouth. Once the fry are stronger, usually 8-11 days of life, the female releases them, and they swim under the supervision of both parents, but at the slightest risk of them swimming back into the mouth of his mother.
The fry are fed artemia and micro worms at least 4 times a day.
