Trying to figure out a way to feed everyone without feeding too much

[Ken Sauer]

Someone gave me some black worms suggesting I drop them into my 125 gallon tank. He said they will live in the substrate, they are good for the tank and my peppered corys will root them out and eat them.
I have 8 Corys, 8 Zebra Danios, 7 Cherry Barbs and 12 Candy Canes
I am trying to figure out how to feed them without over-feeding them.
If I use "bug bites" the Zebras (being top dwellers) get everything. If I put some bug bite on the top and stick some under the water to fall, the cherry barbs and candy canes get some, but it doesn't make it to the corys.
What do you think about this black worm idea?
It is hard not to overfeed small fish. Their stomaches are the size of their eyes, so I am told they are to only get one bug bite a piece. I know this thread is all over the place, but does anyone have suggestions?

 

[mcordelia]

I have no practical experience since I have not previously had this problem (I used to feed my danios floating flakes and my cories sinking pellets), but you can try different methods of distraction (use your right hand to drop the danios and cherrys food all the way to the right, and your left hand to simultaneously drop cories food all the way to the left for example), or timing (if some of your fish species are diurnal feed them during the day, and if some are nocturnal feed those before going to bed).

I've also heard of folks using turkey basters to put food directly in front of certain fish.

I think your best bet might be to get foods of different buoyancies, where the danios and cherrys would be focusing on floating and slowly sinking stuff, and your cories and other bottom dwellers would be able to get the rapidly sinking things.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

What about some super fast sinking pellets? I had some pellets that sunk so fast my tetras couldn't even get to them (they only eat mid to top of tank). All the pellets wound up rotting in the substrate. And they weren't even supposed to be the sinking type. I'm guessing the ones that are made to sink would go straight to the bottom like lead. Maybe try the distraction technique mentioned above and then put some super sinking food on the other side of the tank?

 

[mbsqw1d]

When I had the corydoras and barbs together, the barbs would happily swim to the bottom and pick food from there and bully/nip at the corys ?
As the corys are known for being nocturnal, what seemed to work was feeding the corys at night before I went to bed.

 

[ClownLurch]

Turkey blaster and distraction combined here.

 

[Ken Sauer]

What about some super fast sinking pellets? I had some pellets that sunk so fast my tetras couldn't even get to them (they only eat mid to top of tank). All the pellets wound up rotting in the substrate. And they weren't even supposed to be the sinking type. I'm guessing the ones that are made to sink would go straight to the bottom like lead. Maybe try the distraction technique mentioned above and then put some super sinking food on the other side of the tank?

I tried that this morning and the zebras went at them like crazy. Corys couldn't even get close. lol

 

[Ken Sauer]

I tried that this morning and the zebras went at them like crazy. Corys couldn't even get close. lol

Even though the pellets were on the bottom.

 

[mcordelia]

Lol hooboy.

 

[Fishmanic]

I have 7 tiger barbs, a BN pleco, one salt and pepper cory (survivor) and a Bolivian ram. The Bolivian ram is slow at eating and the tiger barbs eat ferociously. I put a large pinch of flakes on the left side to distract the tiger barbs and I use 12 inch tweezers to drop flakes right in front of the Bolivian Ram near the lower area of the tank. I also sometimes drop sinking shrimp pellets near the Bolivian Ram. I watch to be sure he eats one - the tiger barbs or pleco generally eat the rest.

For the BN pleco, I drop in an algae wafer every other day and he pounces on it and shoos any other fish away from it. He's the boss of the tank.

 

[mrsjoannh13]

I tried that this morning and the zebras went at them like crazy. Corys couldn't even get close. lol

What about some of that repashy gel stuff? You put chunks of it in and it sinks to the bottom and fish have to kind of graze on it. Might be around long enough for the bottom dwellers to get a good bit of it.