Geophagus sveni are South American cichlids and are native to the rivers of Brazil. The sveni is a type of Geophagus, which translates to “earth eater”, and they will display some interesting behavior in your aquarium. Like most Geophagus species, they’ll sift through the sand or substrate constantly looking for left over food.
One of the first things that stands out about the Geophagus sveni is the coloration. They are arguably the most beautiful of all the geophagus species, with bright blue and red through their bodies, tall spiked dorsal fins, and long filamentous fin extensions. All of this combined make them a showstopper in any tank, and definitely worthy of being a centerpiece fish.
Similar to other Geophagus species, they can be slower growers relative to other cichlids, but if you’re patient and let these fish grow into adults, there isn’t much that can top them. As full-grown adults, they’ll usually max out around 10 inches, with some topping out a bit smaller.
Tank Size
Due to their medium to large max size, I would recommend a decent sized tank as well. I wouldn’t recommend keeping adult sveni in anything less than a 75 gallon tank. You may be able to keep sveni in a slightly smaller tank as they are growing out, but once they hit that 6-7 inch range, you really need a 75 gallon or larger. That’s what I currently have my group in, but I also have a larger tank order processing, and they’ll be getting an upgraded tank size in about a month.
My largest sveni is about 5-6 inches, so my sveni still have a lot of room to grow, along with getting some larger fin extensions.
Keeping Geophagus sveni in groups can help avoid some aggression between each other, and I’ve found that you’ll have the best luck keeping them solo, in pairs, or in groups of 5 or more. It can be hard to manage them if you have 2 males and 1 female for example, as the males will likely fight. Sveni are usually one of the more peaceful Geophagus, but like any cichlid, there could always be an outlier where you one that is aggressive. Keeping the appropriate male to female ratio and a larger tank will give the best chances of success with them.
Water Parameters
Since Geophagus sveni are South American cichlids, they’re ideal tank parameters are going to be in lower PH and softer water, along with tropical temps. For PH, anywhere from 6-7 is ideal, while temps can range from the mid-70s to lower 80s. I actually have hard water and high PH in my area and the sveni have done just fine and are growing and healthy. In my opinion, if you keep consistent water parameters in a cycled tank with regular water changes, and keeping nitrates level low, the sveni should do great long term even if they aren’t in the ideal PH/hardness levels.
Tank Setup
As mentioned, Geophagus sveni are sand sifters, so a sand substrate is highly recommended. Gravel could potentially damage the sveni gills, so just keep that in mind. The ideal setup for the sveni would include sand, with some driftwood and rocks. They can do well with live plants if they are firmly planted or tied down. They usually won’t eat the plants, but they will dig and move the substrate around, which could uproot some plants.
Tank Mates
Given the tank size, tank setup, and temperament, here are some tank mate options for the Geophagus sveni. The Severum is one of my favorite combinations for the sveni since they share many requirements and aren’t overly aggressive for their size. They also can compliment the sveni well with a few different color variations. Another great choice is the Electric Blue Acara. Sveni, Severums and Electric Blue Acaras make for a great trio of tank mates, with a variety of colors, behaviors and body shapes.
The sveni can also mix with some other species of Geophagus. Geo Tapajos would likely be a good mix, along with Steindachneri, Brasiliensis, and Winemelleri potentially working as well. The Satanoperca jurupari and Threadfin acara would be great choices with the Sveni.
Overall, with cichlid tank mates, I would just recommend other American cichlids that don’t get too aggressive. It would be a shame if the sveni had aggressive tank mates nipping at their fins.
For non-cichlids, the Bala shark would be a great tank mate if the tank is large, silver dollars would be great, and Roseline sharks would work well – all of which would provide some activity to the upper and mid-level of the tank. Smaller tetras like neons and cardinals might not work with adult geos, but some slightly larger barbs and tetras would likely do well, such as the Columbian tetra or the Buenos Aires tetra. These will also add a unique dimension to the tank with some shoaling behavior and movement.
Feeding / Diet
When it comes to feeding, Geophagus sveni will readily accept most foods. I haven’t really seen them be picky eaters, and a variety of foods are recommended. The recommended diet for Geophagus sveni is a high-quality pellet, flake food, and occasional frozen food, such as brine shrimp or bloodworms. Sveni will do best with smaller sized pellets. I use Xtreme pellets since they sink fairly quick and the sveni will eat some out of the water column and the rest off the sand.
Breeding
Breeding Geophagus sveni is similar to other Geophagus species. They will pair off and the female will lay eggs on a flat surface, such as a slate rock, or they will dig out an area of the substrate and lay the eggs on the bottom of the tank. Males and females will both have great color and fin extensions usually, so it can be hard to tell the difference until the female is ready to lay the eggs.
Summary
Overall, the Geophagus sveni is one my favorite cichlids, which has amazing coloration, peaceful temperament, and interesting sand sifting behavior. As long as you provide a good-sized tank, a sand substrate, and tank mates that won’t bully or nip at them, the Geophagus is relatively easy to care for. I would highly recommend these for anyone looking into South American cichlids.
