Cichlids · Neolamprologus
Fairy cichlid
Neolamprologus brichardi · Northern Lake Tanganyika: rocky shores of Burundi, Tanzania, DR Congo, 5-25 m
Photo: FakirNL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At a glance
Water temperature
23–26 °C 73–79 °F
pH
8–9 hard, alkaline water
Adult size
9 cm 3.5 in
Swims
Mid-water mostly in open water
Keep together
2 or more a shoal feels safe
Current ≈
Gentle a steady gentle flow
Food ≈
Meaty foods
Temperament
Territorial
Where it comes from
Home water
Northern Lake Tanganyika: rocky shores of Burundi, Tanzania, DR Congo, 5-25 m
Congo
Lives in lake habitat.
The dot is placed on its home rivers, not an exact collecting site. Map: Natural Earth.
Tank mates
Checked against a roomy 300 L planted tank with moderate flow and plenty of caves. Your own tank may change the answer: try it in Your tanks.
Good together
- Peppermint bristlenose L181 Plecos · 13 cm · bottom
-
Flash pleco L204
Plecos · 11 cm · bottom -
Amano shrimp
Shrimp & snails · 5 cm · bottom -
Bolivian ram
Cichlids · 8 cm · bottom -
Bronze corydoras
Corydoras · 7 cm · bottom -
Cardinal tetra
Tetras · 4 cm · mid-water -
Celestial pearl danio
Rasboras & danios · 2.5 cm · mid-water -
Cherry barb
Barbs · 5 cm · mid-water
Keep apart
-
Aggressive and will eat the fairy cichlid
-
Need a different pH and will eat the fairy cichlid
-
Need a different pH
In the hobby
Where to find it
No store or breeder we know of has it right now.
Run a store? List the fish you usually have. Breed fish? List your fry.
Tanks with this fish
No shared tanks have this fish yet. Share yours from Your tanks.
From keepers
Notes appear here when a keeper shares a tank with this fish and writes about it.
Questions keepers ask
How big does a Fairy cichlid get?
About 9 cm (3.5 in) as an adult.
What temperature does a Fairy cichlid need?
23–26 °C (73–79 °F).
What pH does a Fairy cichlid need?
pH 8–9.
Does a Fairy cichlid need to be kept in a group?
Yes. Keep at least 2.
Is the Fairy cichlid aggressive?
It is territorial. Give it its own cave or space.
What does a Fairy cichlid eat?
Feed meaty foods: frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and quality sinking pellets.
Where does the Fairy cichlid come from?
Northern Lake Tanganyika: rocky shores of Burundi, Tanzania, DR Congo, 5-25 m.
What fish can live with a Fairy cichlid?
Good tank mates include Peppermint bristlenose (L181), Flash pleco (L204), Amano shrimp, Bolivian ram, Bronze corydoras.
All the numbers
| Temperature min (°C) | 23 | Sourced |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature max (°C) | 26 | Sourced |
| pH min | 8 | Sourced |
| pH max | 9 | Sourced |
| Adult size (cm) | 9 | Sourced |
| Flow | Moderate | Estimate |
| Swim level (top / middle / bottom) | middle | Sourced |
| Habitat | lake | Sourced |
| Smallest happy group | 2 | Sourced |
| Temperament | Territorial | Sourced |
| Diet | Carnivore | Estimate |
| Behaviour tags | hard_water | Sourced |
Some values are estimates from typical hobby ranges and haven't been checked against a source yet.
