Remarks: Red Hump Geosrequire a sandy substrate due to their earth-eating habits. They sift mouthfuls of sand through their gills, pulling out bits of food to eat. Gravel presents a very high probability of choking or refusing to eat.

Like all Geophagus, they prefer to be kept in groups of 4+ but will be okay as a breeding pair. Being a medium sized species of Geophagus,they get along well with mid-sized tetras and most other peaceful South American cichlids.

The red hump geophagus get their common name from the bright red hump, a structure referred to as a “nuchal hump,” that is present on mature, dominant males. They also show much more of the bright blue iridescent scales on their bodies compared to juveniles and females which lack the hump. These fish have been noted to be able to start breeding when they are as small as 3 inches, so they make an excellent introduction to breeding geophagus species or as one for smaller tanks.