Are Algea Wafers Messy?

[guppy fan]

I've been changing my water every few days, and I've been knowtising my cories have been leaving peaces of algea wafers. Ive heard thier might be sizes that are made for cories, but I just have the regular size. I see them eat, I don't think they're sick. I've had them for a while. I have four bronze corries, and I feed them about a third of an algea wafer, and sometimes less. I do have gravle, could the problem be that peaces of the wafer sink too far down for them to pick them up? I don't think the gravel is sharp enough to hurt thier bellies. Has any one elts had problems with the mess algea wafers leave. By the way, I change my water this often because I have problems with low levels of ammonia in my tap water.
Thanks for the advice in advance, sory if this is a stupid question.

 

[guppy fan]

Anyone know? Again, sorry if this is a silly question.

 

[Matt_northants]

I thought algae wafers were meant for bristlenoses and plecos? Mine dont leave any mess, saying that the fish dont leave anything afcter about 5 minutes! For corys I think its better to give them catfish pellets, which are about one tenth the size and have a different nutrional composition.

 

[Inchworm]

Hi guppy fan

Yes, algae wafers can leave a mess if they are not eaten, but usually corys love them. That's what they are feasting on in this picture:

Algae wafers can stay in the water for many hours and be removed after the corys have had a chance to eat their fill. If your gravel is coarse, the uneaten bits, as well as other uneaten food, can sink down into it. This is not good for corys since harmful bacteria could feed on it. This is likely to cause as much trouble for the corys as sharp gravel.

 

[guppy fan]

O.k. I juess I'll just have to be really good about cleaning up after them. My cories love'em too, so I was hoping they'd be o.k.

 

[Barracuda518]

My cories love algae wafers too. There is never anything left when I feed them:

 

[guppy fan]

What if I put some kind of bowl in there so the food wouldn't go so far down that they couldn't get it? what materials shouldn't I use if I do this? I think a ceramic type thing that was glazed all around it might work. any other ideas?

 

[rocknurworld2006]

corys actually eat meat not algae!

 

[jollysue]

That's what I keep saying too! But some folk's Corys seem not to know. Mine don't give veggies and algae wafers a minute's glance. They would for sure cloud up my Cory tanks.

 

[Inchworm]

Corys should have a balanced diet with a lot of meat, but some vegetable matter (such as algae wafers) and a good flake food to round out their nutritional needs.

 

[guppy fan]

O.k. I think I was missinformed. I've also got Frog (for ADFs and ACFs) and tadpole bites, and topfin Tropical color inhansing flakes. Should I feed them these most often and only give them algea wafers like once a week or once every other week. By the way, frogs are carnivors. So the frog food has a good amoun of meet. Will these foods work or should I get a different kind?

 

[Lindsey88]

Is a balanced diet some flakes, algae wafers, and frozen bloodworms? This is what mine get.

 

[jollysue]

Ian Fuller, the premiere Cory specialist in Britian, founder of CoryWorld, and a member here with the ID Coryman, instructed us a year or so ago that Corys will get all the green and algae needed from the algae and plant matter in the water of a mature tank. Corys will graze on the unseen algae and other nutrients. I myself have seen fry that had survived all the hazards to grow up unaided by the unseen nutrients in an unplanted tank and no fry food had been added. I have a volunteer lf bronze C. aneaus now in the adult tank that never saw fry food. He is their first (that I know of) to survive and grow to juvie fryhood without assistance. I am a very proud grandmother.

Ian teaches that a good omnivore bottom feeder wafer or tab like Hikari Sinking Wafers for bottom feeders or TetraminTabs for bottom feeders will provide all that an omnivore Catfish needs. They are made to provide the special diets that omnivore bottomfeeders wants. When you go to your lps or lfs look at the ingredients on an omnivore catfish label. They contain greens and meat and vitamins, etc., for the fish.

On the other hand, some catfish owners feed their Corys algae wafers who seem to love them. But they should be considered a suppliment and a treat not a diet for an omnivore. They are formulated for herbavores like Plecs and otos.

I would not make frozen or freeze dried blood worms the primary source for the Catfish either. They make a nice treat, although again, my Corys are not impressed with frozen or freeze dried foods, because they get live black worms.

A good omnivore bottom feeder tab or wafer will provide all the needed requirements that the Catfish needs. The rest is treat. (Although I feed mine live blackworms as their primary staple and add other foods like flake and wafers to make sure they get what they need. I really don't bother with algae wafers.)

This is primarily what Ian taught us. And while I have had extended arguments with him over personal preferences, this is not one of them. It confirmed my own reasearch that I did before I was told anything else.

So what to feed your Corys? A good omnivore bottom feeder tab or wafer. Then suppliment that with what they like and eat. Many of the things being suggested here my Corys don't even bother with. They get what those things offer from other sources that they prefer.

 

[Inchworm]

Is a balanced diet some flakes, algae wafers, and frozen bloodworms? This is what mine get.

Hi Lindsey88

That sounds good to me.

 

[jollysue]

I misspoke.

Ian Fuller's site is in his signature here Ian's signature