How can I feed my fish better?

I currently have 1 betta, 3 juliI corys, 3 sterbaI corys and a bristlenose catfish in my tank.

The problem I am having is getting the food to the bottom for the bottom-feeders. My betta is a little piggy and chomps up most of the flake before it gets to the bottom. I feed him three betta pellets, and on top of that he eats the flake, and as a result he is left with a big full belly every day. I've tried fasting for one day a week, or feeding him less pellets to make room for flake, but he eats just as much if not more than normal - therefore less flake reaches the bottom.

I also put in a sinking pellet for the corys, but some of them obviously prefer the flake.

I'm worried my betta is getting too much, and my corys are getting too little.

Any advice?


My tank setup:



My tubby betta:



One cory eating the pellet, but the rest looking for flake:

 

You can get some plastic pipe and sink pellets down to the bottom with it.

 

Buy some zucchini, cucumber, or summer squash cut a nice little slice and rubber-band it to a rock or pebble. Cories will love that.

 

Buy some zucchini, cucumber, or summer squash cut a nice little slice and rubber-band it to a rock or pebble. Cories will love that.

I tried that, they'd 'sniff' it and swim away
I had some in for my bristlenose too, but he's been busy with the algae on my Squidwards house lol.

 

My cories don't touch fresh veggies either. They love meat pie and algae wafer

 

You can get some plastic pipe and sink pellets down to the bottom with it.

I've thought of that.
But once the top of the water is clear from flake and everything, the betta eventually swims down to the bottom searching for flake with the corys - he even goes for the sinking pellet (quite funny seeing this huge pellet in his mouth, and he sits there thinking "what do I do now" lol :anim_63.

 

U can try crushing up the shrimp pellets. My corries pretty much shunned the pellets or pushed them around until they got stuck under some pvc pipe until I started crushing them now they happily eat them.

 

Wow. My beta... Once food starts to sink he no longer wants it.

 

Wow. My beta... Once food starts to sink he no longer wants it.

Yep, I've got a real piggy on my hands lol.

 

Welcome to fishlore! ;D

What I would do is feed the betta his pellets, then once everybody's ready to go to bed, turn off the lights, and drop in some sinking pellets for the cories. Since cories are nocturnal, they should find it easier. Keep feeding sinking tablets to the cories, even if they don't eat it at first; eventually they'll recognize it as food. IMO, flakes aren't a good diet for cories anyways.

 

Welcome to fishlore! ;D

What I would do is feed the betta his pellets, then once everybody's ready to go to bed, turn off the lights, and drop in some sinking pellets for the cories. Since cories are nocturnal, they should find it easier. Keep feeding sinking tablets to the cories, even if they don't eat it at first; eventually they'll recognize it as food. IMO, flakes aren't a good diet for cories anyways.

What would you say is the best food for corys?

 

What would you say is the best food for corys?

I feed mine everything- HikarI makes quite a few pellets/wafers that are good for cories; they'll eat frozen tubifex and bloodworms; some shrimp pellets are good; I'm sure NLS makes a bottom feeder food too, but I'm not 100% sure. They also eat what leftovers come to them

You could throw in some hikarI sinking algae wafers too- the cories would eat some, and the pleco would eat even more!

 

NLS does make bottom-feeder rounds, yes, and those would be terrific. Might take the cories a bit to get used to them, especially since they take time to soften, but they should prove difficult for the betta to eat and NLS is a great brand. You have to watch the HikarI because some formulas include corn, which is pretty well indigestible for fish.

 

Actually, cories are diurnal.

You could try gel food. In addition to sinking wafers and shrimp pellets, I feed mine Repashy gel food. It sinks real fast, and my mid level feeders don't even try to touch it.

I've tried both bettas (they are in their own tanks) on Repashy meat pie, and since it sinks, even though they go look at it, they won't touch it.

 

Actually, cories are diurnal.

You could try gel food. In addition to sinking wafers and shrimp pellets, I feed mine Repashy gel food. It sinks real fast, and my mid level feeders don't even try to touch it.

I've tried both bettas (they are in their own tanks) on Repashy meat pie, and since it sinks, even though they go look at it, they won't touch it.

Mine absolutely LOVE the Repashy meat pie.

 

They are omnivores with a carnivore slant...