Any Tips For Feeding Corys In Tank With "aggressive" Eaters

My tank is 30 gallons and I have Odessa Barbs and somewhat recently added some Peppered Corys.

The problem is that my Odessa Barbs will eat anything and everything. Like, EVERYTHING. I'm not sure how much my Cory's are getting. I have flakes, fluval bites sinking pellets, frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, algae wafers, and Grindal worms.

The Barbs even pick at the shrimp pellets and algae wafers right off of the substrate. The first time I added pellets to the aquarium I saw a Barb swimming around with half a pellet sticking out of its mouth haha. I even tried some blanched spinach and the Barbs ate it!

I have tried feeding flakes in one side of the tank and dropping pellets in the other. Using a turkey baster to put food right onto the substrate. Feeding after lights out (may or may not be working).

I think the Barbs can taste the pellets in the water because they always find them. I'm most hopeful about the Grindal worms because usually there are so many that the Barbs can't eat them all before some fall on the substrate.

Any tips or tricks?

 

My tank is 30 gallons and I have Odessa Barbs and somewhat recently added some Peppered Corys.

The problem is that my Odessa Barbs will eat anything and everything. Like, EVERYTHING. I'm not sure how much my Cory's are getting. I have flakes, fluval bites sinking pellets, frozen blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, algae wafers, and Grindal worms.

The Barbs even pick at the shrimp pellets and algae wafers right off of the substrate. The first time I added pellets to the aquarium I saw a Barb swimming around with half a pellet sticking out of its mouth haha. I even tried some blanched spinach and the Barbs ate it!

I have tried feeding flakes in one side of the tank and dropping pellets in the other. Using a turkey baster to put food right onto the substrate. Feeding after lights out (may or may not be working).

I think the Barbs can taste the pellets in the water because they always find them. I'm most hopeful about the Grindal worms because usually there are so many that the Barbs can't eat them all before some fall on the substrate.

Any tips or tricks?

I have rainbows and panda Corys and what I do is when the lights have been off for 30 min I feed them. It helps if the room is pitch black that way their sight is lost so the Corys find it first.

 

I have rainbows and panda Corys and what I do is when the lights have been off for 30 min I feed them. It helps if the room is pitch black that way their sight is lost so the Corys find it first.

Good idea. Thanks! I'll give this a try. There is usually some ambient light in the room with the tank so I'll make sure to keep it as dark as possible and hope for the best.

 

If all else fails, you could try pushing shrimp pellets into the sand, if you have sand, the cories will find them, get excited, and dig them up. Another idea I've heard people use is to use some kind of cave that the cories will go into and the barbs can't.

 

Crush pellets to powder.
Corys are designed to find the tiny particles, barbs aren't and will be less interested (and will need more time to collect it)

 

Powdered pellets has definitely worked for my Corys.

 

Crush pellets to powder.
Corys are designed to find the tiny particles, barbs aren't and will be less interested (and will need more time to collect it)

I never would have though of that. Thanks!

 

If all else fails, you could try pushing shrimp pellets into the sand, if you have sand, the cories will find them, get excited, and dig them up. Another idea I've heard people use is to use some kind of cave that the cories will go into and the barbs can't.

I do have sand. I started my tank with sand having Corys in mind even though I didn't add them until 7 months later. My Corys seem kind of aloof so I don't know if the cave idea would work lol I think I'll try both burying a pellet or two and crushing them into powder like DoubleDutch suggested.

 

I do have sand. I started my tank with sand having Corys in mind even though I didn't add them until 7 months later. My Corys seem kind of aloof so I don't know if the cave idea would work lol I think I'll try both burying a pellet or two and crushing them into powder like DoubleDutch suggested.

I've discovered that the Sera O-Nip tablets are the perfect corydoras food. They dissolve into tiny little particles and the cories swarm over the area. Just turn off the filter for about 15 minutes while they clean up the bottom. For the record I turn off the filter whenever I feed either of my tanks so the food stays in the tank (til eaten) and not the filters.

 

I've discovered that the Sera O-Nip tablets are the perfect corydoras food. They dissolve into tiny little particles and the cories swarm over the area. Just turn off the filter for about 15 minutes while they clean up the bottom. For the record I turn off the filter whenever I feed either of my tanks so the food stays in the tank (til eaten) and not the filters.

I wish I could get Sera O-nip tabs where I am! I haven't found a Canadian distributor and my city only has big box pet stores (Canadian Petsmart doesn't carry them). On my shopping list for my next visit to the U.S.

 

For anyone who may read this thread in the future, crushing the pellets and adding them to the top of the substrate with a turkey baster worked like a charm. If you are willing to go through the trouble.

Probably could just sprinkle the crushed pellet in after lights out and I imagine most of it would get to the bottom.

 

For anyone who may read this thread in the future, crushing the pellets and adding them to the top of the substrate with a turkey baster worked like a charm. If you are willing to go through the trouble.

Probably could just sprinkle the crushed pellet in after lights out and I imagine most of it would get to the bottom.

I feed freeze dried brineshrimp also powdered. It will sink to the bottom quite fast that way leaving enough for.the Corys