A colourful South American eartheater cichlid with flowing fins and bold facial markings
The Gymnogeophagus Balzanii is a striking and intelligent cichlid known for its shimmering body colours and distinctive facial striping. Males develop extended finnage and a pronounced nuchal hump as they mature, giving them a commanding presence in the aquarium. Their colours often shift between soft blues, greens, and warm gold tones depending on mood and lighting.
As an eartheater species, they naturally sift substrate through their mouths in search of food, making fine sand the ideal base. Best suited to spacious aquariums with open swimming areas and solid filtration, they are generally peaceful for a cichlid but may become territorial during breeding. A fantastic centrepiece for South American biotope or cichlid-focused setups.
Need to Know:
Recommended For: Intermediate aquarists and South American cichlid aquariums
Minimum Tank Size: 250 litres
Temperature Range: 20–26°C
pH Range: 6.0–7.5
Recommended School Size: Best kept as a pair or small group
Compatibility: Semi-peaceful; suitable with other medium, calm cichlids
Max Size: 15–18 cm
Shipping Disclaimer:
All fish are usually shipped on Monday or Tuesday mornings via an overnight courier. We use NZ Couriers for all livestock shipping, we find they handle your fish with the best possible care and have quick overnight delivery nationwide.
Special Requests:
If you have any requests for gender/colour etc we will do our best to accommodate them. Please note we can not always accommodate every request due to high stock turnover and what is available at the time. We move all fish sold online into separate holding tanks while they wait to be shipped.
Rural Shipping:
Good news! If you are a rural customer, we can still ship fish to you. Your order will be shipped to your nearest NZ Couriers Depot or Collect/Send Point and you will be phoned once it arrives. You can find your nearest depot/point here: https://nzcextras.co.nz/nearestlocation/
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