Fairy cichlid care
Neolamprologus brichardi · Rocky shores of Lake Tanganyika, Africa
The fairy cichlid, sold as the princess of Burundi or the lyretail cichlid, is a pale, elegant Lake Tanganyika cichlid with long, white-edged fins.
- Tank size
- 30 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 81 °F (24 to 27 °C)
- Group size
- 2 or more
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 3.5 in (total length of the largest fish)
- pH
- 7.8 to 9
- Hardness (GH)
- 9 to 19 dGH
- Lifespan
- 8 to 10 years
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Care level
- Easy
In a 30 gallon
36¼ × 12⅝ × 16¾ in outsideHow to keep fairy cichlids
The fairy cichlid, sold as the princess of Burundi or the lyretail cichlid, is a pale, elegant Lake Tanganyika cichlid with long, white-edged fins. A pair in a 30 gallon or larger tank with hard, alkaline water and piles of rock soon becomes a colony: older young help guard the new fry. Over time the colony needs more room.
Diet: Carnivore: small pellets, frozen brine shrimp, mysis and cyclops. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Middle of the tank.
Fairy cichlid tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
Rabbit snail
3 in · 20+ gal · 76–84 °F
Petricola catfish
4.5 in · 30+ gal · 73–79 °F
Convict julie
5.1 in · 30+ gal · 75–80 °F
Shell-dweller cichlid
2 in · 10+ gal · 75–80 °F
Zebra nerite snail
1 in · 5+ gal · 70–80 °F
Bladder snail
0.6 in · 5+ gal · 64–82 °F
Horned nerite snail
0.5 in · 5+ gal · 72–80 °F
Molly
3.9 in · 29+ gal · 72–82 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: fairy cichlids need 75 to 81 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Discus: No shared temperature: fairy cichlids need 75 to 81 °F, discus 82 to 88 °F.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: No shared temperature: fairy cichlids need 75 to 81 °F, fancy goldfish 64 to 74 °F.
Cherry shrimp: Fairy cichlids eat shrimp.
Amano shrimp: Fairy cichlids eat shrimp.
What a fairy cichlid tank needs
A tank of 30 US gallons or more (such as the 30 gallon) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 20
Rated by the maker for up to 30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon fairy cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 30 gallon fairy cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Fluval E100
Fairy cichlids need 75 to 81 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding fairy cichlids.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 81 °F.
We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common fairy cichlid problems
- A colony takes over the rockwork and drives other fish away; plan room for it to grow.
- Soft or acidic water does not suit them.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name and origin checked against Wikipedia: Neolamprologus brichardi; adult size from FishBase: Neolamprologus brichardi. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Fairy cichlid FakirNL, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Petricola catfish Nerezza, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Convict julie Regani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Shell-dweller cichlid Richard A. Ingebrigtsen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Zebra nerite snail TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Bladder snail Dat doris, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Horned nerite snail Obsidian Soul, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Molly LPA74, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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