# Feeding problems with corydoras!



## steph667 (Sep 29, 2008)

Ok, so I have one panda corydora and two leopard corydoras. the leopard corydoras i only got about 3 hours ago and feeding doesn't seem to be a problem at all for them, other than I can't seem to figure out what food they like. I tried flakes, they don't seem to like them too much and they are very fussy when it comes to the flakes. so i tried some shrimp pellets, those seem to work a bit better, but it takes them forever to eat so the pellet ends up sitting there for a while. and for my panda cory, he seems to be not very interested in food, im kind of worried. I had another panda cory (they were both from the same store) and he died not too long ago, he seemed to have something wrong with his fins, they shrivled up and when he died, they were purple. the panda who is still alive seems to have one fin that is alot smaller than the other, and I am very worried about it. and he isnt eating very much! they are in with a male betta, but they seem to get along well, the betta only chases when it is feeding time. i need some suggestions please!!! i love my cories!!!


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## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

steph667 said:


> i need some suggestions please!!! i love my cories!!!


s6:

*One*
IMHO cories are not happy fishies unless in groups of five or more (ie. five Pandas and five Leopards).


*Two*
Although I have never kept Panda's your Leopards (aka Sterbai) are some of the hardiest fish which I have ever kept. (Please note that my Orange Lasers are appearing to be very hardy fish also.)
Your principal long term problem, IMHO, is either a water quality or a tank size issue (you did not post the tank size or the water parameters).


*Three*
Cories are slow eaters and will "hustle" the tank bottom fairly continuously for groceries when the tank lights are on.
Feeding the shrimp pellets is a good idea but the pellets must dissolve prior to becoming edible for the Corys.
The Corys will also enjoy sinking algae wafers.


*Four*
A secondary long term issue is the features which are in your tank.
My Corys appear to enjoy feeding from a sub-rounded angular aggregate substrate surface.
They also appear to enjoy having plants, wood and rocks in the tank.
They very rarely occupy the wood and rock holes as many Plecos do but they appear to enjoy feeding and playing around the perimeter of the rocks and wood.

TR


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

I agree with Jones. Cories thrive in schools. I would keep them at a minimum of 5, nothing smaller. They also eat, normally, when the light is off. You can keep trying the shrimp pellets or you can also get veggie wafers, which mine seem to enjoy.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

FishHead said:


> I agree with Jones. Cories thrive in schools. I would keep them at a minimum of 5, nothing smaller. They also eat, normally, when the light is off. You can keep trying the shrimp pellets or you can also get veggie wafers, which mine seem to enjoy.


I agree as well. When I set up my 135G in a few months I intend to have 3 shoals of cories at about 6-8 per shoal.


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## FishHead (Nov 16, 2006)

Ghost Knife said:


> I agree as well. When I set up my 135G in a few months I intend to have 3 shoals of cories at about 6-8 per shoal.


hell yeah, thats awesome! I was going to do a 20L tank of just cories.


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## Ghost Knife (Mar 12, 2008)

FishHead said:


> hell yeah, thats awesome! I was going to do a 20L tank of just cories.


Thanks Fish. I have been watching the Albinos, Emeralds, and Peppered Cories for months now and I must admit that the Albinos have been the most active. The Emeralds tend to be more reclusive and the Peppered Cories tend to be somewhere in the middle. 

Along with the Cories I intend to make larger schools of Tiger Barbs, Rosy Barbs, Clown Loaches, and Serpae Tetras. Then I want to add a school of about 8 Silver Dollars. All of that, with my beloved Ghost Knife as the centerpiece, will be a decent setup I think. Now cleaning this 135G is probably going to be the hardest part.


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## Guest (Sep 29, 2008)

Its ok if the pellets hang out in the tank awhile before they are eaten. As long as you don't have a ton of them breaking down at once, you are fine IMO. I would put in probably 4-5 pellets for your 3 Cories. You can also get some algae wafers and/or other types of bottom feeder wafers or pellets to add some variety.

I agree that Cories do best in groups. I found that Panda Cories especially needed groups of atleast 6. I had some a couple years ago and the group dwindled down to some unknown disease. I started with around 8 and when they got below 6, their behavior changed (hid alot more, didn't seem to eat as well...).

Depending on your tank size, I'd try to get atleast 3-4 of each type. If you have the room, then look at increasing to atleast 6 of each type.  Cories are definitely awesome fish. You won't be disappointed with 6 of each type for sure.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

feed them Plecocaine.


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