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Background
Neolamprologus brichardi is a graceful, delicate fish. The elegant males must bear the emasculating titles "Princess of Burundi" and "Fairy Cichlid" thanks to this elegance of appearance; with a soft eggshell color and trailing fintips it is little wonder these epithets have remained popular. Brichardi are, absolutely, lovely and delicate-looking fish.
If only that delicacy was echoed in their behavior. Potential owners are all too easily tricked by the gentle behavior of young brichardi or even pairs, adding them to peaceful Tanganyikan communities.  Unfortunately brichardi have a hidden danger: unbreakable family loyalty. Prolific spawners, brichardi quickly form colonies which impinge on the territory of other species in the tank and, inevitably, war breaks out. Brichardi are deadly and devoted fighters, driving fish twice their size or larger into corners or simply dispatching them. Colonies fight as one, and quarter-inch fry line up to protect their younger siblings. Arguably these wars are a heartwarming sight, like seeing a wolf pack protect cubs - but it's certainly not a desirable trait in a community tank resident!
But brichardi are no means a fish to be avoided completely. This beautiful, fascinating species simply needs special accomodations. The safest bet by far is to keep them in a species tank. In something like a 30 gallon, a colony can flourish and grow, producing generation after generation of fry. Public aquariums seem to love brichardi colonies in extra tall tanks, four feet high and nearly as long. Piled up to the surface with rock, the brichardi learn to use every available cave and visitors are enthralled by the varying sizes and ages of the inhabitants.
If fry are removed at very young ages, pairs of brichardi are safer, though still potentially dangerous occupants of large Tang communities. However, the safest bet is still a single fish as a show specimen in a community. Males are marginally more attractive, but a female is a safer bet for not becoming a "rogue," always a possibility worth considering with specimen fish.
Care
Housing has already been discussed; a tank of more than 20 gallons with plenty of rockwork. The topic of rockwork deserves further discussion. Many people have seen few if any serious rockdweller tanks, and have little idea what rockwork is meant to look like. In essence, the owner muct imagine in how many places a fish could conceivably hide and live. Caves should be private and closed on all sides but one. A pile of slate, when stacked parallel to the substrate, will create many openings but likely nothing brichardi would want as a cave. However, the same rock when tilted and stacked unevenly can create numerous hideyholes and caves. A pile or more irregular rock or limestone which takes up the same space (ideally, from substrate to surface) is much better, because it creates many more caves, and ones which are tighter and better-shaped for fish. With brichardi, the more rock the better. Place it on eggcrate or styrofoam, then put down substrate; brichardi aren't terribly gifted diggeres but they may do enough to topple rocks that have been placed on top of the substrate, which could be catastrophic.
As with any Tang, warm, clean, hard, alkaline water should be provided. However, it is fair to say that brichardi has become a very adaptable, hardy fish. While this in no way means they deserve less care and attention, it does mean that brichardi makes an excellent begginer Tang - as long as said beginner doesn't try to put them in a community tank!
Carnivores, brichardi do well on staple diets but won't refuse brine shrimp, cyclops, or any other treats you're willing to feed.
Breeding
Brichardi are difficult but not impossible to sex. Males generally have longer, trailing fin tips; those of females are long but not spectacular. Females are genrally smaller than age-mate males and have a different facial shape. Some older males develop significant nuchal humps. Pairs are best when allowed to choose each other: cheap and easy to find, purchasing six brichardi juveniles is no hardship, and a large species tank may allow the extras to safely stay with any pairs that form.
Pairs will secretively lay eggs in a cave and guard them, though they are subtle enough that many an owner is completely surprised by the sudden cloud or fry.  One clue is disappearance of the female; some brichardi females will stay primarily in the cave, fanning and guarding the eggs.
For Tangs, brichardi are not slow growers, and besides that any slow growth may very easily be ignored since every few weeks there are more fry to enjoy. Soon enough the lucky brichardi owner has a tank of adults, teenagers, and numerous generations of fry.
Notes
This species is the titular member of a large group of closely-related fish. The brichardi complex contains N. savoryi, N. gracilis, and N. splendens among others, but the member most worthy of focus is N. pulcher. The "daffodil brichardi" is often sold as and mistaken for N. brichardi, although to those in the know the two are vastly different.
To identify a true brichardi, the surest and safest method is with the cheek patches. True brichardi bear two dark marks, one on the edge of the operculum and another, nearly perpendicular, line extending through the eye. Some say the whole design is a T, others a V, but it is nothing like pulcher's two parallel lines, though one of those is in the same spot as a brichardi mark, on the edge of the operculum. The other species are rarely sold as brichardi, are not as similar in appearance, are sure to have a vast price difference, and none of them bear brichardi's distinctive V or T facial markings.
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Scientific name: Neolamprologus brichardi
Common names: Princess of Burundi, Fairy Cichlid
Synonyms: Lamprologus brichardi
Origin: Lake Tanganyika, Africa (Northern area of lake)
Niche: Rockdwelling, cave spawner
Optimal pH: 7.6+
Optimal GH: 10-20 degrees
Optimal temperature: 75-78F (23-26C)
Adult length: 4"(9cm)
Diet: Carnivore
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