Feeding Corys in a busy tank

[joeinlondon]

Hi All

Well my five-strong shoal of C. sterbai have settled down nicely in my tank. But I am worried about getting food to them. I have two issues: 1) the tank is 24 inches deep, and 2) there are two shoals of fast moving tetras, and one adult Bolivian ram that can fit pea-sized objects in its mouth.

This means that, despite my efforts (which involve dissolving frozen food into a cup of water, then 'sluicing' this mix down at the substrate), not a lot of food is getting down to the catfish. I think I need a food that sinks, but gets soft very quickly. I have been trying Hikari Algae wafers (which my Ram loves), and the catfish certainly get interested in it, but don't seem to get much off of it, before in cruises the Ram (or the tetras en masse) and strip it or swallow it whole.

My local store has Nutrafin, JBL and Tetra tabs. What do you guys recommend? The JBL ones are stratospherically expensive, but if they do the job, they do the job. I have been using Algae wafers because I do not like to use an excess of fish-meal based foods. Corydoras are not piscivores, after all. What are the tricks to feeding bottom dwellers in busy tanks?

Any input, as ever, would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Joes

[Richard B]

There are many tricks & doubtless others will post their faves but in this situation i'd drop a wafer in at one end & maybe 20 seconds later one at the other end - maybe down an old undergravel uplift so other fish can't get it until it hits the bottom - they should all be at the other end by then anyway.

I like the newer aquarian wafers - they softened quickly but stayed in one piece - comparable money to most other brands.

[MatsP]

I use a lot of JBL Novo Tabs. They are quite expensive - I've been thinking of getting the 12.5 liter tub, which is less than half the price per liter compared to the one liter tub - but it's STILL a huge amount of money. 1 liter lasts me a couple of months or so.

Tetra Tabimin is also good. A medium tub of them has 360 tablets, the JBL one for a tiny bit more money has 400 tablets (so about 10% more). A 1 liter tub holds 1800 tablets - and yes, it's north more than 40 pounds for a tub.

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Mats

[bronzefry]

I have some larger Tetras with a large group of Corydoras spp. in a 75 gallon tank. I feed flake or freeze-dried food to the Tetras on one side of the tank. Then, move to the other side and drop the wafers in. The Tetras always become interested in the wafers, but they're usually attracted by "their" food first. It's surprising how pushy some Corydoras spp. can be when it comes to food. (Their dorsal fins are erect when they eat.) I also stick freeze-dried tubifex in small amounts on the sides of the glass around the tank as a treat, once a week. This goes over big. Play around and find a balance that works for this tank.
Amanda

[mummymonkey]

Tetra Tabimin are excellent. Drop a couple in after dark.

[jeff@zina.com]

Ken's Fish, catfish sticks. Flake food for the others, then the catfish sticks right after. Works fine here.

Jeff

[Carp37]

I have been using Algae wafers because I do not like to use an excess of fish-meal based foods. Corydoras are not piscivores, after all.

Hi Joe-
have you checked the ingredients for your algae wafers? Typically the main ingredient of them is fishmeal (way above their algae content).

[MatsP]

have you checked the ingredients for your algae wafers? Typically the main ingredient of them is fishmeal (way above their algae content).

Absolutely. The main ingredient in nearly all fish-food is fishmeal. It's not because they are meant as a piscivore food, but because it's a suitable protein for feeding to fishes. Corys are omnivores, and if given a chance, they do eat fish-meat - they are not predators, but they will eat fry and pieces of dead fish in nature, as a small part of their diet.

--
Mats

[Bas Pels]

as an alternative way to answer the first quiestion, you could feed the corydoras through a tube - the food will end up on the bottom, and only fish eating from the bottom will eat it

This might enable one to use not expensive tablets, but cheaper (just as good) granulated food, or flakes.

There is also more choice in flakes and granulated food

[DJ-don]

get a turkey baster (if thats how you spell it) and put some frozen bloodworms in a cup with water and pick up some worms with the turkey baster and squeeze it into planted areas where corydoras will find easily