shell dweller

i have an extra 40gallon tank. and was wondering if this is big enough for shell dwellers.

that is more than enough, shellies can easily fit in a 10 gallon.

i might also want to do a group of brichardi but no nothing aobut them. i want to do a tank full of them. so i have a 40g...about 10?

Fairy Cichlid
Lyretail Lamprologus - Brichardi - Princess of Burundi

Family: Cichlidae

Neolamprologus brichardi
(Now: Neolamprologus pulcher)

A hardy and good looking cichlid, the Fairy Cichlid makes an ideal Tanganyikan Cichlid for the beginner!
The Fairy Cichlid was one of the first African cichlids imported for the aquarium hobby. Today it is also known as the Lyretail Lamprologus or the Brichardi Cichlid, and was originally called the 'Princess of Burundi' when first imported in the early 1970's. It is moderately easy to care for as long it has the proper sized aquarium and the right tank mates, and will eat a wide variety of aquarium foods. It has a very pleasing coloration and is not shy about swimming out in the open.

It has been recently determined that The Fairy Cichlid or Brichardi is likely the same fish as the Daffodil Cichlid!

Formerly known as Neolamprologus brichardi, the Fairy Cichlid or Brichardi may now be called Neolamprologus pulcher. You may recognize this as the scientific name for another popular cichlid, the Daffodil Cichlid. These two fish are almost identical in appearance. The distinguishing characteristics that help the hobbyist to identify the Fairy Cichlid is the black stripe running from the eye to the gill cover and a yellow spot just above it, which are absent in the Daffodil Cichlid. These two fish are also never found occurring together in the wild, but rather in close vicinity to each other. However color patterning and location are not the only determination of a species, today there is also DNA sequencing.
A recent study published in the journal Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution has suggested that these two fish are a single species. Because Neolamprologus pulcher is the older of the two scientific names, the rules of scientific nomenclature would make this the correct name for the species.

These are a schooling fish that pair off only to breed. They can be kept in a species tank, or a group of these fish can be kept with other durable species in a good sized aquarium. They may scrap a bit with each other (which keeps them quite busy!) but then they are not inclined to quarrel with others. They like an aquarium with lots of rock formations and caves for retreating. Plants are not essential though they do not harm them, nor do they burrow.
Though the Fairy Cichlids spend a good deal of their time spawning, they are a secretive shelter spawner. You may not even know they have spawned until you see small fry darting about. A pair of Fairy Cichlid will spawn again and again. The older fry will help protect the younger ones, thus various ages of fry will be present in the same tank. This is an example of "stepped breeding".

resource;
http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/cichlid/brichardi.php

A very important item to consider in selecting brichardi for an aquarium is being mindful of how protective this fish is in defending their fry. They have been known to have spawns numbering more than 100 fry at a time. It is not at all unheard of, for a single pair of brichardi to take over a mixed tank of Tanganyikans, even as large as a 120 cm (4 ft), 75-gallon aquarium. As they tend to pair off earlier than most other Tanganyikans, this becomes quite a common occurrence, with all of the other fish either huddled in the top corner, with some degree of damage, and often dead.

It is my opinion that the best method for keeping Neolam-prologus brichardi is in a species only tank. A tank as small as 15 gallons can be utilized, though between 20 and 35 gallons would be more appropriate. By keeping this fish on its own, not only do you limit the chance they will eliminate their tankmates, but their graceful finnage will likely grow much better.

That is not to say that it is impossible to keep this fish with other Tanganyikans, but one must be careful in selecting tank mates, and the aquarium best be at least 90cm long (36"), with a 120cm (48") tank being preferable. Some commonly available fish that should be compatible would include; Neolamprologus leleupi, cylindricus; Altolamprologus calvus, compressiceps; Julidochromis marlieri or regani.

There is, however, a bit of a secret to making this work. Any other tankmates must be much larger then the brichardi to begin with, and they must establish their territory in the aquarium first. Purchasing an adult pair of calvus and juvenile brichardi would be an example of a situation that would normally work out. There is one important caveat: in a tank of less then 120cm (48") you would be limited to two pairs of fish when including brichardi in the mix.

I would not recommend keeping N. brichardi with Malawian, or Victorian cichlids no matter the circumstances, and Tanganyikan shell dwellers in most cases.
If your aquarium is 180cm (6ft), it is possible to house N. brichardi with many fish that you would not otherwise be able to do. I will categorically state, that it is not very easy to pull off, and you must know how to build territories that will limit where certain species of fish will go. Even then, the most experienced aquarists will get this wrong.

resource ; http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n_brichardi.php