i have a question

is it normal for the male to not eat but just fan eggs i am abit worried for him as he has not eaten in 2 days now i put fresh food in the tank every night and i take it out in the morning and not touched am i just being paranoid

Some males will stay in the caves and not eat and some will make the occasional excursion out to eat, it's nothing to worry about. Keep putting fresh food in and he will eventually start venturing out for it

thats good to know as i have not seen him out of the cave hes doing a brill job its good to see the eggs growing and not a single one has been kicked thanks for the help jim

This is the reason why males should be allowed a rest between spawns. They eat very little if at all while they have eggs or wrigglers in the cave.

The only time i see my male start to venture out is when the fry are almost ready to leave the cave.Of course he may do so at night when i don't know but I always see him come out at feeding time just before the fry are ready to come out.It is a long time for them and a tiring job constantly fanning and not eating so a good rest between spawns is a very good idea.I wasn't fast enough this time and my new tank was not ready and no sooner had the fry left he was on another load.As soon as this lot leaves he is having a well deserved rest.

thats what i might do keep him separated for a while and let him spend time with the fry and fatten him up before he goes back into main tank thanks for the help

Yes that is a very good idea

I think all of us went through this anxiousness.
As for myself, I did not dare to sleep, in case something goes wrong... :geek:

Well, to answer your question, there is nothing to worry about. It is normal that they put parenting much higher on the priority list.
However, my regular BN is moving around the cave, although doesn't swim too far, while my L144 never leaves until all babies are able to look after food for themselves.

many thanks