Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos maingano

Question
I have 2 female and 1 male.  they have been together for about two weeks.  the male would chase the females but they all would be together and get in the caves and eat really well now the male is in the caves and the females are at the top in the corner they will eat but not much and when they come out of the corner the male chases them back into the corner.  is this normal behavior or do i have a problem.  any suggestions will be great they are beautiful fish and i don't want to lose them

Answer
Hi Fay,
This is a very agressive fish, and will be agressive to any fish having the same colours.  These fish are agressive when spawning therefore you should have many many hiding places in your tank. Stacked rocks with holes in them to go through, and rocky formations.  They should have a 60 gallon tank with lots of space to swim.  You didn't mention the size of your tank.  This is very important.  You should also get one or two other females.  This is a fish that needs more than two females as he is very aggressive.  If your females are not eating, they may have eggs in their mouth.  Observation is the key.  They need more hiding places, and if they do have eggs, and the spawn is over, they should really be in another aquarium where the male will not harass them, with the same water conditions.
Hope this helps
Lynda