Feeding Cories - How Do You Assure They Get Their Share?

In my 36 gallon tank I currently have 6 zebra danios, 3 platies, and 3 panda cories (I do plan to add 3 more...I’m just adding fish slowly). The cories are the most recent addition.

Right now I alternate with feeding New Life Spectrum Thera A small fish pellets one day, and Omega one flakes on the other day. On the day I feed the flakes, I drop a few Omega One shrimp pellets in as I don’t think many flakes make it to the bottom.

I did drop the shrimp pellets in tonight after lights out, but when I looked in the tank...the zebra danios and the platies we’re happily picking at the pellet. (I did see one Cory was working on a pellet).

Should I wait longer after lights out? How do I assure the cories get enough to eat without over-feeding everyone else?

Thanks!

 

I feed both flake and pellet at the same time, but I also have a bigger tank with more fish. Algae wafers seem harder and the other fish don't bother them that much...I drop in one or two of those (I have 7 cories), that way the cories still have something to munch on after the feeding frenzy is over.

 

I’ll try to drop my flake on one side of the tank and once all my piggy eaters get focused on them drop my sinking pellets on the other side.

 

Thank you!

 

Look for the fat bellies, that should give you some relief to know they're eating.

 

I'm sure theyre getting their fair share, but some nice shrimp wafers or Bug Bites Cory/Bottom feeder food is what I use. Corys are definitely a meat eater, so a healthy diet should include bloodworms, shrimp, etc.

 

Thank you all for your suggestions!

 

Crumbling food to dust is great. The others won't bother and the Corys are equipped to find the tiniest bits. Keeps them busy in a natural way as well.

Algaewafers provide only a little nutrition for Corys. They're no good as staplefood.

 

I'm fortunate enough to have a goldfish/angel fish with my Corys in their tanks (quite a significant difference in size there), but what I do is drop the tablets for the Corys on the side of the tank's filter - between the filter and the glass.

It's close enough to the bottom and two of the sides of the tank that only the Corys can get to the tablets, but not cramped for them - their dorsal fins don't have to come down for them to fit. It's just an area I know that the bigger fish can't get to.

I also allow my shrimp brine to thaw completely (in water from the tank - I have a small bowl and spoon that is used EXCLUSIVELY for this purpose) when I feed them that about once a week, so the shrimp scatter all over the tank and not drop to the bottom in one block like it would if I added it still frozen. I also pour it in in front of the filter so it gets spread around the tank.

My Corys (Pandas in one tank and Peppered in the other - 6 of each) definitely get their share. ALL of mine were in a rather shabby state when I first got them - nipped fins, no barbles, etc - typical pet-store condition I guess.
Mac, one of my Peppered Corys, actually had a very damaged fin (front right side) - it had almost been pulled off completely. He's all healed up now, and is first in line when it's supper time.

The goldfish have pellets specially formulated for them, and they really adore the stuff.

My Angelfish (Gills) loves his flakes, for some reason - he actually refuses to eat at all unless I give him some :/ only then will he eat some of the other food. But he is rather silly, so yeah. My fish have a very varied diet.

I feed all the fish at the same time, and it works out well for me because while the bigger fish are eating the flakes/crisps/pellets at at top of the tank, the Corys are digging in to the tablets at the bottom. One of the goldfish, Brooke, has a thing for the algae tablets I give to my Plecos, so I drop an extra one in for him once in a while on the opposite side of the tank I feed my Plecos on. He doesn't eat the whole thing though. Guess he just enjoys the taste.

I have been lucky with not having to worry about turning lights off when feeding my fish, but I think that might be because I have a ton of hiding places for the bottom feeders. I actually see them all the time; including my Plecos. They literally only hide when I do water changes, and even then it's a half-hearted "oh, movement in the tank. Better hide on top of the LED light-bubble-maker machine thing...."

Gosh, this sounds like a heck of a lot of food #w# obviously, I adjust the amounts of food I give them, and feed once a day.
Be very careful not to overfeed; it causes all kinds of mayhem in the tank

I would also just like to mention here just in case you might not be aware of it, that fine, smooth gravel is better for Corys - because they dig around in it A LOT.
This is important, because if you have the wrong gravel it can damage their barbles, and the fish can end up starving because they can't find the food. Stay far away from the "common" rough gravel that you typically see in fish tank for-sale set-ups. The gravel I use is around 1-2 millimetres in size each and it's soft (kind of like very watery mud) when submerged in water.

Hope you find your balance soon! Corys are amazing!

 

Thank you all! They have been fun. They were pretty wound up their first few days home, but seem to be settling in.

Thanks for all the suggestions! I do have a smooth gravel.

8wolff..I’m glad your cories healed up so well!