Hello, this is my first post. I have a 75 gallon tank and bought fish about 1-2 months ago. I purchased the last Geophageous at my LFS and they said that it is a Gold dust Geophageous. I googled a gold dust Geophageous when I got home, and I struggle to be confident that it is a gold dust. I'm hoping someone here can identify what fish this is for me. It is not old so perhaps it needs to mature to gain its color, but I see no real gold color to it.
Please help identify this Geophageous
- Thread starter vroomfish
- Start date
I believe the species name for this fish is "geophagus" sp Altu Sinu. meaning its a undescribed species. Looks to be from the pellegrini clade which can be tougher and like harder water than your satanoperca or suriname type geos.
I've kept the red humps and the pellegrini- they are big, bossy and very pretty with a more angular body that your typical geos. i kept mine with andinoacara rivulatus this was a 180, in a small tank like a 75 you may be only able to keep a pair or single male from the species longterm- not to say you couldnt have other fish.
I've kept the red humps and the pellegrini- they are big, bossy and very pretty with a more angular body that your typical geos. i kept mine with andinoacara rivulatus this was a 180, in a small tank like a 75 you may be only able to keep a pair or single male from the species longterm- not to say you couldnt have other fish.
Not Satanoperca, among the reasons is the one-spotted Satanoperca, lilith, is very rare in the hobby and the head is wrong. (it grows to be a pretty large fish)
"Gold dust" is a common name for sp. Alto Sinu, close relative of steindachneri (common name red hump), and they can be confused at smallish sizes-- but Alto Sinu typically show a dark lateral band, sometimes blotchy, at that size (easy to see if you google them) rather than a small spot like that, so I don't think so.
Possibly sp. Caqueta, sometimes called Caqueta gold-- the seller may have got it confused with gold dust. Some of the 'suriname type' geos are very similar and can be hard to distinguish, especially as juveniles, so you'll probably have to wait to really know.
"Gold dust" is a common name for sp. Alto Sinu, close relative of steindachneri (common name red hump), and they can be confused at smallish sizes-- but Alto Sinu typically show a dark lateral band, sometimes blotchy, at that size (easy to see if you google them) rather than a small spot like that, so I don't think so.
Possibly sp. Caqueta, sometimes called Caqueta gold-- the seller may have got it confused with gold dust. Some of the 'suriname type' geos are very similar and can be hard to distinguish, especially as juveniles, so you'll probably have to wait to really know.
Last edited:
Just in case the "Gold Dust was somewhat accurate, here is a guide to those red hump Geophagine earth eaters from west and north of the Andes.
Rio Alto sinu, is a low pH , soft water river flowing into the Caribbean in Colombia.
Because the species is fairly new to the hobby, it may be sensitive to water parameters not in its natural range, so maintaining soft low pH conditions may be quite important to keeping it healthy
Your's may be too young to ID at this point.
Rio Alto sinu, is a low pH , soft water river flowing into the Caribbean in Colombia.
Because the species is fairly new to the hobby, it may be sensitive to water parameters not in its natural range, so maintaining soft low pH conditions may be quite important to keeping it healthy
Thats the wrong River. The Rio Sinu shown in the Video is not where "Geophagus" Alto Sinu is from.
It is from small left sided Rio Cauca tributary called Rio Verde del Sinu. Which is clear water river flowing mostly through pastureland. The pH is close to neutral and because of the higher altitude the water ist not that warm compared to Clombian lowland rivers - 24-26°C /75.5 to 78.8°F.
Thank you all so much for your insight. Clearly you are all very passionate about your fish and I sincerely appreciate that. From the gist of the replies I've gotten it seems as though he (or she, it wasn't sexed when I bought it) may be to young to get a great identification on it. I will give it some time and see if it develops more noticable markings as it grows up. It seems as though most people are saying it seems to be a Red head, Gold dust (Alto sinus, which is what the LFS identified it as), or a Caqueta Gold. I'm glad to hear that as all of those look very pretty once matured (based off Google pictures), which is what I was interested in. The geo is not Ugly currently by any means, but I would love it to gain some more color. Another insight that may be useful for identification is the fact that at night time it will develop prominent black vertical stripes down it. It also randomly seems to put on and take off a horizontal black stripe. I'll try and take photos and post them, but the vertical stripes are difficult to take photos of as they only happen at night in the dark, and photos in the dark don't work too well
. Again thank you all for your insight.
. Again thank you all for your insight.