All fish / Cichlidae

Fairy Cichlid

Neolamprologus brichardi

Also known as princess of burundi, brichardi cichlid, lyretail lamprologus, fairy cichlid, lamprologus brichardi, brichardi, princess cichlid, lyretail cichlid, ปลาปริ๊นเซส, ブリシャルディ, プリンセス・オブ・ブルンジ, 布隆迪公主

This slim, pale beige cichlid has fine blue edging on its fins, a dark mark behind the eye and long white-tipped filaments on its lyre-shaped tail. People keep it for its graceful look and its unusual social life, where older young help their parents guard newer broods.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

9 cm

Temperature

23 to 27 °C

pH

7.8 to 9

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

One pair, which will form a family colony

Diet

Carnivore: small live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, mysis and cyclops, plus good quality pellets and flakes

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

6 to 10 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Lake Tanganyika (Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia)

Breeding

Pairs spawn in caves among the rocks and both parents guard the eggs and fry, with earlier broods staying on to help defend the territory. It breeds readily in captivity and a single pair can soon fill a tank with a colony.

Good to know

Breeding colonies become very territorial and can make life hard for tankmates, so give plenty of rockwork and plan for the growing numbers. It is easily confused with the closely related Neolamprologus pulcher, which is often sold under the same name.