What type of food best for Corys?

[cmartin]

I have 4 little bronze corys - who are absolutely great. They are in a 10 gal with a male betta.

The betta chases them from time to time, but there has been zero damage done over the last 2 weeks so I think it is safe - the corys are too fast LOL.

My problem is that the betta eats everything I put in the tank - and try to eat it all before it hits the bottom. I went to one of my LFS and asked what I should use - and was given algae wafers.

I looked around a little and decided that I would take "freeze dried tablets" Tropical fish food. They seemed interested in it - but then again they are Corys - everything is interesting.

Should I be feeding them the freeze dried formula (bloodworm, brine shrimp, tubiflex) or go for the veggie algae wafer?

Sorry - just learning about Corys and thought this would be the best place to get a straight answer.

Thanks.

[Weezer]

We drop in algae wafers and shrimp pellets.........:)

[soobie]

A little bit of both. My cories eat leftover flakes that sink to the bottom, algae wafers, frozen or dried bloodworms, frozen blackworms.......you name it. They like a varied diet.

[RedScare]

They will eat everything that hits the bottom. I guarantee it!

[boomerjr91]

I use hikari bottom feeder wafers and shrimp bits and algae discs. Every third day they git a couple slices of zucchini as well.

[legendaryfrog]

It would be best to give your cories a variety. A veggie wafer along with some meat (like bloodworms or shrimp pellets) would be sufficient for them.

[Cory Lover]

Variety is best. Give them some algae wafers, freeze-dried tubifex worms, shrimp pellets, ect.

CL

[cmartin]

Thanks for the advice everyone -

I didn't know that hikari made wafers. I feed hikari frozen bloodworm to my BGK. I was told that they had great quality and from the way he is growing, I'd have to agree. I will have to keep an eye out for them on my next shopping trip.

What other veggies do they like? Zuchini is not something that you usually find at our house. Would Cucumber work? peas? green beans? broccoli?

I like to vary their diets and to watch their reactions when I introduce something new.

[hitman12131976]

Hikari Micro Wafers. They're awesome for bottom feeders.

[ct-death]

I use hikari bottom feeder wafers and shrimp bits and algae discs. Every third day they git a couple slices of zucchini as well.
Yup, essentially what I do as well. They love me for it! ;)

[legendaryfrog]

Would Cucumber work? peas? green beans? broccoli?


those would work great..........although im not sure if they would like broccoli.

[platytetrafan]

They eat anything that falls to the gravel or sand whichever you have in your tank. At night though I feed one sinkable tetra tetramin tropical tablet I break it in half and they feed on that.

[Carp37]

I agree with most of the posts here- for my smaller tanks, the Corys are the most important fish in them (and the Hoplos and Syno are the most important fish in the 4' tank) so I feed at least partly with them in mind.

I feed flake, catfish pellets, algae wafers, freeze-dried tubifex and frozen bloodworm (but not all that every day!- flake in a morning and bloodworm in the evening are staples).

If the betta's eating all the food going in, then either pre-soak the flake/other food so it sinks immeditately, or feed more or more often. Food shouldn't be lying uneaten in a tank for long periods, but if ALL the food is being eaten by one fish then either there's not enough food going into the tank or that's one greedy fish!

You don't say how old your fish are- much like teenagers need more calories than adults, growing fish require more food than adult fish. If your fish are still growing then you pretty much can't overfeed them unless they're leaving food- not many types of fish get obese even as adults but a few do.

[morfin]

Peas, lettuce and cucumber are all good as well. Just make sure if you are feeding frozen peas that you thaw first (don't cook) and then pinch the pea so that you take off the tough outer shell and then just put in the inside bit, they love it. My LFS also told me to slice some cucumber and then slide it down the side of the glass so that it sticks, apparently they love to hang on it and eat,

[Snakes]

I must add that corys eat almost anything at the bottom but dont just rely on that scraps yes

I drop a tablet or half it while feeding flakes to my other fish so that the others dont rob my cory's

[grannylvsfish]

my question is how to get freeze dried foods to fall to the bottom. mine just float. my cories will not eat anything thats floating only bottom foods. even frozen will not stay on the bottom.

[Snakes]

Thats actually a good question
I haven't given my bottom dwellers frozen food and I haven't actually checked that out

Maybe I should check l8r

[lucy42083]

my question is how to get freeze dried foods to fall to the bottom. mine just float. my cories will not eat anything thats floating only bottom foods. even frozen will not stay on the bottom.

Your frozen foods don't stay on the bottom??!!! I don't understand what you mean by this. I feed frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp, and both sink within a minute or two, and then stay there. And my cories (and other fish) eat it off the gravel. How would it not stay on the bottom?