Tropheus brichardi

Freshwater Lake Tanganyika, Africa Usually captive bred

A robust, high-energy Tanganyikan herbivore with subtle brown, green, or chocolate tones accented by bright markings. Highly aggressive within its colony, it must be kept in large groups to disperse social bullying. It demands high-grade spirulina foods, exceptional water cleanliness, and strong oxygenation.

10 cm adult length, drawn to scale. deep body.

Try it in the planner Opens a tank sized to its minimum with 10 fish added.

What it needs

Item	Value	Because
Adult length	10 cm	Used for the Space check: the tank must be long enough for the fish to turn round.
Smallest tank	300 L, at least 120 cm long estimated	The least water and floor length this species is kept in for good, as a single fish or smallest group.
Extra water per added fish	20 L estimated	What each further fish adds once the minimum is met.
Waste load	Class 3 of 5 estimated	How much waste an adult makes against its size. Feeds the Load check.
Temperature	24 to 27 C	Stock sharing a tank need overlapping ranges.
pH	8 to 9.2	Compared with tankmates in the Water check.
Hardness	GH 12 to 22, KH 10 to 18	Degrees of general and carbonate hardness.
Flow	High	Low-flow fish are stressed in a strong current.
Light	Bright	Matched to the lighting class on the needs sheet.
Group size	At least 10, ideally 15	Kept alone or in small numbers it hides, fades or turns on tankmates.
Temperament	Aggressive	Territorial: strong.
Swims in	Near the bottom	Fish that use different levels share a tank more easily.
Lifespan	About 8 years	A fish is a long commitment.
Experience	Experienced keepers only	A guide to how forgiving the species is of mistakes.

Tags marked estimated are judged from the size and habits of the species rather than measured, so treat them as a sensible default.

Diet and tank layout

Tropheus brichardi is an herbivore that swims in the lowest part of the tank. It eats or uproots plants, so choose hard-leaved species or none. Give it plenty of cover. It nips fins.

Tankmates

Works with

No close matches in the data. Check the pair tool.

Depends

Nothing flagged.

Avoid

Compare any two fish on the compatibility page, or print the equipment for a stock on the needs sheet. How this is worked out: the method.