Sinking Food Question

I recently got a couple of pygmy cories (my first ones, and I am now obsessed with them). My tank is relatively clean, so I bought them sinking algae wafers. I put one in and left if for a couple of hours (per the instructions). I expected I would have to remove the uneaten portion (even though the wafers are less than 1 cm diameter). But, it was gone...and all my rummy nose tetras (the only other fish in the tank) had protruding bellies!

Today, after I fed the tetras their flake food, I broke off a quarter of a wafer and nestled it down in an (artificial) plant for the cories to find. The tetras were immediately hovering around it. I come back to see one tetra with a giant belly again. These tetras are like Labradors; they will eat everything! And I can't imagine it's good for them to gorge themselves to the point of protruding bellies.

So, my first question is this: How do I feed my cories without the tetras eating their food? Or should I just let the tetras eat the wafers and not feed them the flake food?

Second, today there is a small portion of the wafer left (it's been in there about an hour). It is now nestled into the gravel a bit. Should I leave it there for cories (or likely the fatty tetras, who are still picking at it as I type), or get it out? I don't want to pollute my water with uneaten food, or overfeed the tetras, but I want the cories to have something to eat!

Any tips on using sinking food (and not having it dirty up the water) are welcome, as I've never had bottom feeders before. It's not clear to me how much I should be using. (FWIW, I have three pygmy cories and three rummy nose tetras. Don't worry, I'm going to get a bigger tank so they can be in bigger groups!) It also seems to me that gravel and sinking food aren't too compatible (it gets lost in there).

Thanks!

 

Best advice is to drop the food in after you turn the lights off. The cories will find it but the tetras will (hopefully) be sleeping.

Oh, and give the cories more meaty wafers than just algae pellets. Shrimp pellets are great!

 

Cories are not algae eaters, and should not be fed algae wafers at all. As mentioned, they need meaty pellets, as they are mostly carnivorous.

 

Cories are not algae eaters, and should not be fed algae wafers at all. As mentioned, they need meaty pellets, as they are mostly carnivorous.

Well, go figure. Cories were pictured right on the package. Shame on me for not doing my homework. These wafers do have fish and shrimp meal in them.

Won't shrimp pellets just get lost in the gravel? I looked at those and they are tiny. When I move to a bigger tank I will use sand, but for now I have gravel.

 

Cories are like dogs, they'll sniff out and find whatever uneaten food that is on the floor.

If you want you can always buy pellets that sink right away or feed at night when the lights are off.

 

You can also use a plastic lid or a glass dish and put the food in that at night so the cories can have access to it. Food can get lost in gravel, and then it can pollute your tank. A common drawback with gravel.

 

You can also use a plastic lid or a glass dish and put the food in that at night so the cories can have access to it. Food can get lost in gravel, and then it can pollute your tank. A common drawback with gravel.

Thanks, I will try that!

 

Have you considered switching to sand now? It's not that difficult to do

 

Have you considered switching to sand now? It's not that difficult to do

I thought about it. What I have is a Fluval, and it's a pain to work in, especially with fish in it. I thought I'd opt not to traumatize them and instead move them all to a bigger tank when I get it set up in a month or two, at which point I will probably completely redo the small tank.

 

Oh yeah, pygmy cories should be in a 20 gal minimum tank anyway, so if you're moving them in a month, sounds like a good plan!

 

Oh yeah, pygmy cories should be in a 20 gal minimum tank anyway, so if you're moving them in a month, sounds like a good plan!

Thanks! I'll be getting a few more of them then, too. They are so cool.