How Can I tell if my Cories are Eating?

So in my tank I have 3 cories (2 albino, 1 spotted), 2 mollies, 2 guppies, 1 danio.

When I feed them, I put regular flake food in it (which the non-cories eat up), and New Life Spectrum brand Sinking Pellets (1mm size), which sink to the bottom. My cories go after these, but they pick them up and spit them out, and keep doing this for a while. Once the non-cories are done with the flake food (very few flakes fall to the bottom), they go after the pellets, and seem to complete with the cories (again, they pick them up and spit them out and keep doing this)

I really can't tell if the cories get any food, they keep picking the pellets up, and spitting them out, but I'm not sure if they are the ones that eat them. Eventually the food is gone, but I don't know which fish gets it (and it takes them too long too watch)

Ideas? I've had the cories ~2-3 days now.

 

That's just the way corys eat. I've had them in every tank I've ever owned and they all eat the same way. Keep an eye on them at feeding time, and as long as you do see them eating, they're probably fine. Keep in mind that they're scavengers and are almost always rooting around and will find any little bits of food on the bottom that get missed by the other fish. Unless they're showing obvious signs of malnutrition, chances are high that they're getting enough to eat.

Also, since they are new to your tank, it's possible that they may not eat as much as normal until they become comfortable in they're new environment.

 

I've kept guppies and cories together before. Guppies are super greedy eaters. They will keep stealing the cories' food if they can.

What I ended up doing was feeding the cories at night time. Cories are somewhat nocturnal. They are pretty active at night (although sometimes they are awake in the day time too). If you put their food in after you turn off the lights, they will have a better chance of finding it (and the guppies will be more likely asleep).

Also, cories enjoy being in groups of 6 or more. When you only have 2-3, they tend to be more shy and perhaps are less willing to explore the tank for food.

My Cories are not huge fans of NLS food (although all my other fish loves them). I feed them and they go crazy for it.

 

Try HikarI tropical Micro Pellets. I had same concerns, someone on this forum recommended those, now my cory gobbles them up immediately. You can find them on Amazon.

 

I use New Era catfish pellets. There available in small and extra small, and there a soft texture. My corys love em.

 

I agree with bigdreams, 1mm pellet is too large for them to swallow and they are gleaning the pellets as they get soft until they get small enough to swallow.

You need micro pellets for dwarf cory's.

 

I have the NLS 1mm pellets also. I just crush them so that they're a bit smaller. Some float for a little while longer so that my top/mid dwellers get a chance at them and some sink right to my cories. I know the cories are eating them because I see their little mouths moving really quickly after finding one.

 

Mine do the same with the omega 1 pellets, I also feed frozen food which the eat right up so I would supplement t their diet with that too.

 

Thanks for the advice, everyone...

General feedback says to get smaller pellets - would .5mm New Life Work? Or go with the HikarI Tropical Micro Pellets?

 

I am using .5 mm NLS pellets for my top feeders and they (the pellets) stay on top a long time. After I put them in, they spread out on the surface of the water and they stay there long enough for my fish to completely clear them. I know it says sinking pellets, but they really don't. Just my experience. Good luck finding something that works. I can't give you any advice about what to feed the cories because I don't have any.

 

I am using .5 mm NLS pellets for my top feeders and they (the pellets) stay on top a long time. After I put them in, they spread out on the surface of the water and they stay there long enough for my fish to completely clear them. I know it says sinking pellets, but they really don't. Just my experience.

I use a wooden skewer stick (like for shish kabob) and bat down the pellets to break the water surface tension. Not a big deal. You can also use a plastic cup, full with tank water, put the pellets in the cup, and pour out the contents into the tank. The flow of the water will drag the pellets straight down to the bottom. I have no problem feeding the corys either way, even if the sinking pellets don't sink on their own.