# Feeding corys



## Scott_R (Dec 27, 2015)

I have a question along the lines of this thread here.

I have 6 black sail corys (Corydoras melanistius) newly installed in a 10 gallon quarantine tank. I've been alternating feeding them Omega One shrimp pellets (sinking) and Hikari Sinking wafers. Two shrimp pellets per cory; I just got the wafers so I'm still working on an amount... any advice there for six corys?

I also have some bloodworms in the freezer, but I haven't used them yet. They're leftover from quite a while ago when I had a betta; the cardinal tetras I have in my display tank have more or less ignored them so I haven't taken them out in a while. Should I try them out, maybe once a week, with the corys?

I also have Aqueon Tropical flakes, which came with the tank. Any reason to use them?

Should I be feeding the corys twice a day? So far, I've been feeding them once, in the mornings. Is it still a good idea to get algae wafers to work into the above diet?

My cardinal tetras haven't prepared me for feeding the corys. When I put food into my display tank, the tetras swarm for it immediately and it is GONE. The corys are still a bit skittish and more or less go into a corner when I'm present, so I don't see them feeding after I add their food.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

i would feed them twice a day.often it is a good idea to feed after lights out..most species of catfish are nocturnal feeders.
all species need a well rounded and balanced diet using a variety of foods.we keep several species of the cory family and they are fed at least 8 different kinds of foods.we do not feed blood worms at all..i just do not trust them.i have lost several valuable plecos from them...this is a just me kind of thing...folks can feed whatever they wish to their animals..


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## e048 (Dec 23, 2010)

Cories seem to eat better right after lights on and right before lights out. Honestly if you're doing that amount and not seeing it in the tank 5 minutes later you're fine. Most fish in nature can go a fair amount of time without eating and be fine. I had a discuss go 10days without eating and be fine.

Now if you're seeing leftover food in the tank then you're doing too much, also of water quality is going down then you're also feeding too much 

I'm not too familiar with that species of cories but when I had them (13 in a 55g) they never got special bottom feeder food and they did fine eating left over flakes and detritus 

Sounds like you're doing good, if their bodies are the same width as the head and when you see them from the bottom or top they look about the same size you're fine if you see any pinching in then feed more


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## Scott_R (Dec 27, 2015)

Thanks. My parameters are pretty spot on: just checked tonight before a 25% change and ammonia was 0, nitrites 0, nitrate 10ppm. I'm a little surprised nitrates were that low, but I suppose that's the effect of 2x/week 25% changes.

Should I be crushing up their wafers? By *my* eye they're small (but dense, which triggered my concern), but I'm not a <2" fish.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

no need to crush their food...nobody does it for them in nature...


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## Scott_R (Dec 27, 2015)

lohachata said:


> no need to crush their food...nobody does it for them in nature...


Yes, but they don't get wafers in nature, either.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

we feed ours many foods including styx , bytes and wafers...none of which get broken up or crushed.
in nature they will chew on whatever they find..and shortly after you put a wafer in the water it will start to soften up and break down..

i often find it amusing when folks have a bit of a bloat or constipation problem with their pleco and people tell them to remove the skin of a pea and mash it up for them.....if that fish can chew wood it certainly can chew through the skin of a pea.....lol


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## WildForFish (Aug 5, 2008)

e048 said:


> they did fine eating left over flakes and detritus



Corydoras do not consume detritus.....


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## BabyGirl77 (Nov 2, 2015)

lohachata said:


> we feed ours many foods including styx , bytes and wafers...none of which get broken up or crushed.
> in nature they will chew on whatever they find..and shortly after you put a wafer in the water it will start to soften up and break down..
> 
> i often find it amusing when folks have a bit of a bloat or constipation problem with their pleco and people tell them to remove the skin of a pea and mash it up for them.....if that fish can chew wood it certainly can chew through the skin of a pea.....lol


I agree with this. Plecos do not need anything broken up for them. In nature, the food softens, making it easier for plecos to eat. Yes, if they can eat wood, they can eat anything and nothing needs to be broken up for them. I have seen a pleco eat an algae wafer.


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## LizStreithorst (Aug 5, 2015)

lohachata said:


> i often find it amusing when folks have a bit of a bloat or constipation problem with their pleco and people tell them to remove the skin of a pea and mash it up for them.....if that fish can chew wood it certainly can chew through the skin of a pea.....lol


Very funny and very true. 

You have been breeding pelcos for years. Not everybody has the experience that you have. I'm glad I don't remember any of the questions I asked when I started breeding Discus. I still ask questions that experts must consider stupid when it comes to Angelfish genetics.

Please don't forget Mr. Lohachata, that all of us were fish breeding virgins once.


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