argh! cories too stoopid to feed

C

Canoe

AC Members
Jun 4, 2005
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I have a 7g tank with 3 julii cories and a pair of platies. I am finding it impossible to feed the cories -- whatever I drop into the tank is immediately gobbled up by the platies. I've tried flakes, crisps, sinking wafers, sinking pellets. The platies devour it all before it's barely wet.

Tonight I soaked a sinking wafer for 15 minutes, dropped in some of the platies' favorite crisps, and then quickly put the mushy wafer *right on top* of the cories. Oh, they got so excited, wagging their tails and sniffing all around the wafer, but they never actually FOUND it. Went right by it a zillion times, but never managed to figure out where it actually was. And then the platies swooped in and ate it.

How am I going to feed these stoopid, stoopid fish? I think they are adorable, but jeez, how do they survive out in the wild?
 
Perhaps you misunderstand the issue. It is not easy to keep slow feeders and aggressive feeders together and keep both styles well-fed without overfeeding the setup. Perhaps compatability should be re-examined?
 
Feed your Cories at night when your Platies are sleeping. Julii cories are usually wild-caught. They're not too used to pellets, crisps, and the like. It would be like giving someone from NYC a whole coconut and expecting them to know how to get into it.
 
If you take back or re-house the cories maybe you could replace them with a few amano shrimp? I know from personal experience that they can hold their own with platties.
 
It might not help them find the food, but you could use a turkey baster, so that way it at least gets to the bottom before the platys can get it!
 
i feed my cories and plecos at night. i turn off the lights on the aquarium. wait about an hour, and then drop in the sinking pellets/algae wafers. the catfish find the food first. the pleco will even push the wafer into his cave to eat.
 
I would definitely feed your cories right before you turn off the lights. They savage at night so they will find the food. Don't worrym they won't starve themselves to death if there is food at the bottom (shrimp pellets are the best).

By the way, I don't think your cories are stupid. I have two emerald green cories and every time I feed my discus live bloodworms, the cories always manage to find it even if they are on the other side of the tank. They eat it all before my discus gets a chance to eat. So, just give it time, your cories will eat. :)
 
Thanks, everyone --tonight I let the shrimp pellet dissolve into a slurry, turned out the lights and dumped it in an hour later. They seem to be happily eating!
 
Yeah, they can drive you crazy trying to get them to the food!
I drop freezed dried tubifex worm "cubes" squished in a small piece of lead weight (leftover from bunch plants), and it quickly drops to the bottom of the tank.
 
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