What can I do so my Corydoras Catfish will get some food?

Question

I have:
2 Cories
2 Cherry barbs
1 Betta

The cherries and the betta always hog the food and my cories cant find food for themselves before the food gets to the bottom of the tank. What can I so they can eat and be fed?

Answer 1

In addition to feeding sinking meaty foods, try feeding after the light is out. The corys aren't all that active at night, but more so than your betta or barbs.

Since corys are carnivores and not herbivores, they will attack such things as brine shrimp or bloodworms faster than veggie based foods and that will help them get more food more quickly.

I have used a turkey baster to deliver worms to the bottom of a tank for corys and other bottom feeders before, that can work as long as the barbs are busy with other foods.

MM

Answer 2

Get a can of peas. Rinse 1 or 2 to remove the salt. Remove the "hulls" from the peas. Smash one against the side of the tank(near the bottom). The Cories will find the treat and eat it. Siphon out the left-overs.

Answer 3

Get some bottom dweller food tablets. The other fish will give up chasing the tablets because they fall really quick. Or else, take a large pinch of flakes and shove your hand into the tank, near to the bottom and then let go.

Answer 4

you can always target feed them. drop some food directly in front of their noses.

the problem with your tank is that the barbs will eat everywhere, the corys eat off the bottom only, and the betta eats off the surface only.

when you put food in do what i do with my endler/dwarf cory tank and swirl the food a little so some definitely sinks. be careful not to overfeed however. and remember corys are primarily scavengers and carnivorous ones at that, they won't touch algae and veges offer little nutrition to them. you can always try all the tank with bloodworms, they take a little time to eat so some will definitely sink to the bottom and the corys would love it!

Answer 5

The best thing is to give them some sinking pellets as they are bottom feeder, they will scavenge around the tank looking for scraps. Thus even if the sinking pellets are broken down by other fishes in your tank, they will still have their share from the scattered particles.

Supplement their diet with Algae Wafers that sink to the bottom of the tank.

As Cory's are good herbivores, you can even feed them with Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that can be a great supplement for your fish that are herbivores.

Check this site for more food options:
http://www.fishlore.com/Food.htm