Eartheater questions

[Plec123]

Ive been thinking abour picking up a Satanoperca jurupari or Geophagus sp. red head tapajos.

Could i keep one of these in my tank if its got regular gravel substrate? The biggest gravel grains are like 1/3" diameter.

 

[HiImSean]

what size tank. i've always had my jurupari with sand because they're constantly sifting. the gravel will prolly be hard to sift through

 

[Allan01230]

I have kept red head tapajos adults and juvies in gravel for years and never had any promblems. They will sift it just like sand. If it damages their mouths there is something wrong with the fish to begin with. Go for it.

 

[Plec123]

Tank is a 38gal. 36"x12" footprint.
I would be getting juveniles and raising them to adult size, so when i buy them their mouths will be about the size of the largest grains of gravel.

 

[HiImSean]

i'd skip on the jurupari and only consider a pair of orange heads for that size tank. even though they have a slow growth rate jurupari can reach 10" and orange heads 6-8". i'd consider gymnogeophagus. they're eartheaters but will max out at 6", you could prolly keep two trios in a 36x12 tank for a while.

if you do go with eatheaters, switch to sand. its easy and they will be happier. my small gymnos sift all day as did the jurupari

 

[Plec123]

All right. The tank is already a partially stocked community do i'll skip on the eartheaters. Maybe ill change the substrate but its not likely.