Princess of Burundi (Neolamprologus brichardi)
Neolamprologus brichardi
Min Tank Size
120L
Adult Size
9 cm
Lifespan
8 years
About
Native to the rocky shoreline of Lake Tanganyika, N. brichardi is one of those fish that manages to look genuinely delicate while being built surprisingly tough. The body is a soft pearl-beige with a subtle iridescence, and the fins trail into long filaments that give the fish its signature lyretail silhouette. Thin gold and blue facial lines run behind the eye, and there's a small dark spot near the gill cover that helps distinguish them from closely related species like N. pulcher.
Water chemistry matters a lot here. 8, plenty of hardness, and consistent temperatures around 25 to 26 degrees. Soft or acidic water will shorten their lives noticeably. They eat small invertebrates in the wild, and in the tank they'll accept quality cichlid pellets, frozen cyclops, daphnia, and brine shrimp readily.
What makes brichardi genuinely fascinating is their breeding system. They form extended family colonies where older offspring actively help the parents guard and fan eggs and fry from subsequent spawns. A single pair can turn into a colony of dozens over a few months. This behavior is unusual enough that it's been studied academically, and watching it play out in your own tank is something special.
For anyone looking to keep a functioning slice of Tanganyika, brichardi is one of the most rewarding starting points.
Water Parameters
Temperature
°CpH
GH
dGHKH
dKHSwimming Level
Flow Preference
Keeping multiple Princess of Burundi (Neolamprologus brichardi) together
Princess of Burundi (Neolamprologus brichardi) is strongly territorial. Multiples fight over space unless the tank is large enough for each to claim its own area. A single individual is the safer default.
Compatibility
Brichardi work well with other Tanganyikan species that occupy different niches and can hold their own. Altolamprologus compressiceps, Julidochromis species, and shell-dwelling Lamprologus occupy different zones and have similar water requirements. Cyprichromis leptosoma add open-water midlevel activity that doesn't compete for the same rocky territories. Avoid any fish with long flowing fins since the colony will get pestered by fin nippers and the brichardi's own tails are vulnerable. Definitely avoid any African cichlid from Lake Malawi or Victoria as they need different water parameters and usually different temperament handling. Absolutely no shrimp unless you want to feed them.
Commonly kept with
Species this one is most often paired withCommonly tried but avoid
Often paired, but shouldn't beCare Notes
The most common beginner mistake is underestimating how fast a single pair becomes a colony and how aggressive that colony gets in a small tank. People start with a pair in a 120-liter tank and within six months they have 40 fish and a miniature war zone. Hardscape is non-negotiable, you need stacked rocks with genuine caves and crevices or the fish will be perpetually stressed. Maintaining alkaline, hard water in tanks with driftwood or peat filtration is a constant fight, so stick to inert substrates and carbonate-based rocks like limestone or aragonite.
Behavior & Aggression
Brichardi are peaceable by Tanganyikan cichlid standards until they spawn, at which point the colony becomes a unified defensive force. Breeding pairs and their helpers will pursue and harass anything they perceive as a threat near the nest site, including fish considerably larger than themselves. The aggression is mostly territorial rather than random, so it concentrates around caves and rocky outcroppings. In larger tanks with visual breaks and multiple territories, the intensity drops significantly. The real problem is conspecific aggression toward unrelated individuals, which is often fatal in close quarters.
Things to Know
- Colony will aggressively defend territory, especially during spawning
- Population can boom quickly, rehoming fry is a real challenge
- Do not mix with fin-nipping species, lyretails are easy targets
- Needs rocky hardscape with many caves and crevices to thrive
- Pairs will harass and kill unrelated conspecifics in small tanks
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