Feeding Corys

[rdd1952]

Recently, I have lost a couple black spotted corys in my 75 gallon tank with perfect water conditions. They show no signs of disease or injury so I started thinking, since corys are scavengers and bottom feeders, how do you know they are getting enough to eat? My tetras, angels and SAEs all eat the sinking pellets I drop in too so they aren't going strictly to the corys. I sometimes wonder if they are getting anything at all to eat. Both of my tanks are heavily planted so any flake food that eventually sinks from the top probably ends up on plants so it doesn't get to the bottom for them to eat. Obviously, I don't want to over feed but I don't want to starve them to death either.

 

[abstract]

they are fat...

no really...if they are getting enough food, they will be fat and rounded...if not, their stomach will start to "sink in" and not be as rounded...their stomach will begin to flatten out and then eventually sink inwards

EDIT: it also helps to feed wafers/pellets right before litghts out...the nocturnal fish have a much better chance of getting them

 

[rdd1952]

I generally do try to feed them just before or after the lights go out. The ones that are left all look fat. Unfortunately, in the heavily planted tank, I didn't see the first dead one (only 2 so far) until a day or 2 later when he finally floated to the top. He was completely discolored and the other fish had apparently been nipping at his body. The one yesterday was stuck under some plants but I did see him while getting ready to do a WC. He actually looked very good and still had his color so he couldn't have been dead for long.