# how aggressive are Brichardi?



## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

I am in the process of setting up a 75 gallon tank. My planned stocking list Is Julies (dickfeldi or transcriptus), Multies, and Brichardi or daffodils.

What worries me is that I have a continuous rock wall for my background. Will the julies and daffodils be in a constant state of war? I will be starting with juveniles, but I don't want large issues down the road.


----------



## Norm66 (Mar 3, 2005)

Brichardi will almost certainly kill everything else once they spawn. I've read about people doing it in 6' tanks, but I think that's the exception rather than the rule. I thought mine might be the exception because I had two females and one male for the past 3 months (they killed off the rest of the adults), both females spawned even. Yet one day last week they decided the 2nd female was surplus to requirements and within a couple hours had damaged her to the point I had to euthanize her. My point is that even if you think it's working for a while it probably won't long-term. They don't call them the Death Squad for nothing.

I would consider substituting caudopunctatus for the brichardi. Someone will probably have a better idea, but that's what popped into my head.


----------



## Protazerg (Aug 28, 2007)

*pistolpete*
The Brichardi "types" like the Daffodil, are usually pretty cool tank mates, UNTIL they pair off to spawn, then you got to worry. One pair of Brichardi, can take on a whole colony of Frontosa, they are fast, and they got fangs in the bottom jaw, I kid you not. One of my friends, had that situation. he had a pair of Brichardi in with a Front colony in like a 300 gallon acrylic tank. and the fronts were all pushed to one side of the tank when the Brichardi had babies. but I noticed, if they don't pair off, they seem to just mind them self's and are pretty mellow fish.


----------



## mccluggen (Jul 5, 2008)

I am starting to see that same sort of behavior in the little group in my new pulcher tank. For the first week everyone was cool and then I started to see what I assume is pairing behavior. The largest in the group (that I am assuming is male) claimed a cave and began excavating it, the second largest started twitching next to him whenever he came out of his cave, and since that point the others have been getting the boot. He seems to pick one fish out of the group to harass. When that one is removed he moves to another.

I wouldn't recommend these guys for a community tank. One single adult might make a pretty specimen fish in a community but not a group. The huge tang tank in the San Antonio zoo is in the process of being claimed by the brichardi they have in there and it is several thousand gallons. They have a huge school of them that is systematically pushing the other fish out of the center of the tank.


----------



## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

thanks for the info. I'm glad i checked. Any other suggestions for a third species to have in the tank.


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Altolamprologus and Cyprichromis would be my choices.


----------



## Mike_B (Jul 27, 2011)

I was in the same situation as you. I wanted to have a 75 community tank starting with Neolamprologus brichardi. Then, through the great people here at this forum, I found out it wouldn't work. I think I may have found a good substitute in Chalinchromus brichardi. They look a little like Neo brichardi, but supposedly are a lot less aggressive. Plus, I've gotten some good feedback from here. Check them out on youtube, you might like them.


----------



## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

I wanted cyprichromis, but they are not available around here. I'll check out the other suggestions.


----------



## Cooder (Jul 19, 2011)

yeh in my experience both daffodil and brichardi are not nice tank mates. i had a daffodil and brichardi, both males in my 55 and the daffodil took over the tank and bullied the other fish. stopped my calvus from breeding, he reckoned he wanted the calvus' shell, in fact he reckoned he owned the whole tank, i took him out, and the brichardi, now that boss is gone does the exact same thing... i got rid of them. i dont think they will kill your tankmates but they will bully them and push them around and take over, and not just conspecific, any species to small to make a meal out of them...

i now have 5 adult breeding calvus, 11 jumbo cyps (yes they will get a bigger tank when they are full size!) and 6 gold occies.

Oh and sorry if *** repeated what other people have posted, couldnt be bothered reading all the posts lol.

HTH


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Get Cyp's shipped to you from a good source.... Just a thought.


----------



## pistolpete (Dec 28, 2009)

I would get cyps shipped, but being in canada and a six hour drive from an international airport makes it way too difficult and risky. I'll have to stick with locally available fish.


----------

