Guppies Are Eating All The Food!

I moved my 3 male guppies from QT into the main tank (20g) a few days ago. They seem very happy in their new larger home. There are 17 pygmy cories that have already been in the tank for a little over a month, and since I put the guppies in, the cories are not getting much of a chance at eating their food!
I've been feeding the cories a couple of sinking wafers each night. They are pretty shy, so it takes a good few minutes for them to come out to nibble at the wafers. In the morning, the food is all gone, so they're obviously coming out and eating it at night when they feel more comfortable. Now that the guppies are in there, they push around and nibble the wafers before the cories even have a chance. I'm pretty sure if the guppies could fit the whole wafer in their mouths they would eat it in one bite! I'm feeding the guppies HikarI Fancy Guppy food, which floats, so I've tried putting that in and then dropping the sinking wafers in the far corner of the tank while they're 'distracted'. This hasn't worked. As soon as they're done eating the guppy food, they search the tank for more, and find the wafers (even with the lights off). Even when they were in QT, they'd search the whole tank for any food they might have missed right after a feeding. The one guppy even sifts through the sand with his mouth looking for food! He'll take a mouthful of sand, and spit out anything he can't eat!?! They're such little piggies!
There is a little 'cave' area that the cories usually hide in, I don't think the guppies could fit in there. I could try to shove a wafer in there, but I don't want to upset the cories 'safe place' or encourage the guppies to try to storm in there...
Any suggestions? I'm wondering if I should pre-soak the wafers so they crumble when I drop them in, and go all over the tank... thinking the cories might have a better chance of finding bits that way? I don't want to overfeed the guppies (too late )... but they seem to be getting all the food that goes into the tank.
Thanks everyone!

 

I moved my 3 male guppies from QT into the main tank (20g) a few days ago. They seem very happy in their new larger home. There are 17 pygmy cories that have already been in the tank for a little over a month, and since I put the guppies in, the cories are not getting much of a chance at eating their food!
I've been feeding the cories a couple of sinking wafers each night. They are pretty shy, so it takes a good few minutes for them to come out to nibble at the wafers. In the morning, the food is all gone, so they're obviously coming out and eating it at night when they feel more comfortable. Now that the guppies are in there, they push around and nibble the wafers before the cories even have a chance. I'm pretty sure if the guppies could fit the whole wafer in their mouths they would eat it in one bite! I'm feeding the guppies HikarI Fancy Guppy food, which floats, so I've tried putting that in and then dropping the sinking wafers in the far corner of the tank while they're 'distracted'. This hasn't worked. As soon as they're done eating the guppy food, they search the tank for more, and find the wafers (even with the lights off). Even when they were in QT, they'd search the whole tank for any food they might have missed right after a feeding. The one guppy even sifts through the sand with his mouth looking for food! He'll take a mouthful of sand, and spit out anything he can't eat!?! They're such little piggies!
There is a little 'cave' area that the cories usually hide in, I don't think the guppies could fit in there. I could try to shove a wafer in there, but I don't want to upset the cories 'safe place' or encourage the guppies to try to storm in there...
Any suggestions? I'm wondering if I should pre-soak the wafers so they crumble when I drop them in, and go all over the tank... thinking the cories might have a better chance of finding bits that way? I don't want to overfeed the guppies (too late )... but they seem to be getting all the food that goes into the tank.
Thanks everyone!

Hello! I recommend feeding the guppies in late afternoon if possible then turning off the lights. Right before you go to sleep, drop the wafers in with all the lights in the area off, trying to make as little sound and motion as possible. This works when my piggy gourami tries to eat my Albino Cories food in my 30 gal.

 

I tried that last night actually... The tank has a 'daytime' light and a blue light for 'evening', so I typically switch to blue around 6 or 7 pm (the cories seem to like the lower light and will be more active when it's on). I had fed the guppies late afternoon, then dropped the wafers in around 10pm when all the lights were off. The guppies raced to them like magnets. They assume that anytime someone is near the tank it's mealtime

 

I tried that last night actually... The tank has a 'daytime' light and a blue light for 'evening', so I typically switch to blue around 6 or 7 pm (the cories seem to like the lower light and will be more active when it's on). I had fed the guppies late afternoon, then dropped the wafers in around 10pm when all the lights were off. The guppies raced to them like magnets. They assume that anytime someone is near the tank it's mealtime

Yep they are pigs Have you tried feeding the food at the same time? If the guppies are distracted with their food then the cories may have time to get to the wafers

 

As I get into this hobby more and more, and make more and more mistakes , one of the things I'm learning about, which isn't really available as a resource anywhere, is "pace of life" compatibility. It's not aggressiveness per se, but I've had the same problems feeding cories, and with the same observations.
One thing you might try, which has sort of worked for me, is to drop the pellets through a tube or pipe straight to the bottom (preferably one that is not clear so the guppies don't see it falling, and ideally right to where the cories hang out), then slide an almond leaf or something like that over the food.

 

Yup, mentioned that in my original post. They eat their food, then they 'vacuum' the whole tank.

(in reply to akcarroll12)

HI Bit... yes I was having those thoughts exactly... maybe even though 'on paper' they are compatible, they're not really all that compatible...

I'll try the tube thing... but I'm pretty sure they guppies will find the food, even if I sunk it in a locked safe lol. I think they can smell it. I was thinking maybe I could bury it slightly in the sand, but they'd just dig it out.

 

Distract the guppies in what way you can

 

In my 55 gallon I generally feed with sinking pellets, unless I'm out then I use flake. I have 15 guppies, 12 cories of various types but mostly emerald, two bettas and a full grown rainbow shark. I just weighed what I would normally feed for that stock and oddly enough it was a gram. I feed every other day with Tetra Pro Corywafers, there is a shrimp variety and there is an algae variety which I alternate between feedings.
Basically the food gets broken up into chunks that are too big for a fish to quickly consume and they are spread throughout the tank. This gives everyone food and time to get there.

 

Another suggestion you might try is to grind your cory food super fine. It would go in as a powder basically, and you'd just have to trust that the guppies won't get it all, and enough will settle and be left for the cories to find and eat over time. To help with that, if you don't already, try putting the cory food into the outflow of your filter, if possible. That will help to push at least some of the food to the bottom faster. Is you substrate well planted, or ornamented? Is there lots of places for tiny bits of food to get caught in nooks and crannies, where the cories can find it over time?

 

I think I'll try that - crushing the pellets up into a powder would probably give the cories a better chance. There are a certain amount of 'nooks & crannies', but since it's a new tank, not as many as I'd like. I'm still working on planting & decorating - it still looks too sparse to me. With more shaded spots to hide, the cories will hopefully feel more confident as well.
I may also try adding another rock to 'extend' the 'cave' area where they like to hang out, then I can also try to slip a pellet in there, without the guppies being able to get in and steal it. We'll see how it goes!

 

HI Bit... yes I was having those thoughts exactly... maybe even though 'on paper' they are compatible, they're not really all that compatible...

I'll try the tube thing... but I'm pretty sure they guppies will find the food, even if I sunk it in a locked safe lol. I think they can smell it. I was thinking maybe I could bury it slightly in the sand, but they'd just dig it out.

I use a tank divider during feeding for this exact reason..I found my guppies pighin out on the wafers and the cories not getting anything. Luckily my guppies usually stay together so I just have to get their attention tI one side amd slide it in..my tank is different in I have sand on one side and river rock the other and corys stay on sand side for the most part.