Cory catfish are bottom feeders, and their diet consists of fish flakes, worms, and shrimp pellets. However, cory catfish are not fussy about what they eat and will also eat sinking wafers, Hikari Vibra bites, and anything else that is small, soft, and can fit into their mouths.
Cory catfish are omnivores and require a varied diet to keep them healthy. Corydoras look for food by burying their snout into the substrate and then using their mouth to suck up the food. Therefore, when corydoras live with other fish in aquarium environments, they often fall victim to insufficient food and can become malnourished.
What Should You Feed Cory Catfish?
In their natural habitat, cory catfish are scavengers by nature and will eat anything they can find. Most of what they eat in the wild includes brine shrimp, insect larvae, snails, insects, and s variety of vegetable matter.
Corydoras are not fond of algae in the wild and won’t usually eat it. A common misconception is that cory catfish love eating algae, but they are only seen eating algae wafers in some instances, and they don’t enjoy feeding on them.
When keeping corydoras in a home aquarium environment, they are easy to feed. You can feed your cory catfish, fish flakes, worms, shrimp pellets, small insects, and any other type of fish food that will meet their nutritional requirements.
How Often Should You Feed Cory Catfish?
Cory catfish must be fed once or twice a day. The general guideline is to feed them the amount they can eat in five minutes.
Most of the time, corydoras will spend the remainder of the day scavenging for food. Cory catfish need a 12-hour gap between feeds. Baby corydoras will need more food than adults, so they must be fed twice a day.
It is essential to avoid overfeeding your cory catfish. If you notice your cory catfish taking longer to consume their food, then they are probably overeating. If this is the case, reduce the amount of food you give them during feeding times.
When corydoras are overfed, they can be prone to bloating and constipation, and they may avoid eating altogether.
Overfeeding also affects the water quality in your aquarium, as pieces of food are left floating around, building up more ammonia in your tank. The food particles floating in the tank are unlikely to be eaten by the cory catfish or the other fish in the aquarium if they are already full.
Choosing Food For Cory Catfish
When choosing food for your cory catfish, you want to ensure that they are made with high-quality ingredients and contain all the vitamins and minerals that your corydoras need.
Many generic brands of fish food contain fillers that offer no nutritional value for your fish and can severely impact your corydoras’ health. If you’re purchasing any kind of fish flakes, make sure you buy one with a guaranteed analysis on the packaging, this lists the percentages of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, and protein in the fish food.
Cory catfish thrive when they have a varied diet. It isn’t recommended to feed corydoras the same food for an extended period. Instead, you can mix their feedings with bloodworms, vegetables, and shrimp.
Your corydoras will love a change in their menu, and what you feed them can be changed twice a month.
Best Foods For Cory Catfish
There are a few foods that provide a fantastic amount of nutrition for your cory catfish. These foods should be added to their diet to keep them healthy and happy.
- Fly larvae. Fly larvae, mainly black soldier fly larvae, are an excellent source of protein for corydoras. They also contain a good amount of calcium for your cory catfish.
- Spirulina. Spirulina is known as a superfood, not just for humans but for cory catfish too. Spirulina has vitamins and minerals and color-enhancing effects on cory catfish when consumed.
- Fish. Corydoras can consume certain types of fish, including salmon and shrimp. If feeding your cory catfish fresh salmon or shrimp, it should be ground up to make it easier for them to consume. Many commercial fish foods contain ground fish, and this can also be given to your corydoras.
- Worms. Your cory catfish can consume a few different types of worms. These are easy to digest and are high in protein. Some of the worms you can include in your corydoras diet are blackworms and bloodworms.
- Vegetables. Cory catfish are omnivores and, as such, need a balanced diet that includes vegetables. You can feed corydoras a range of nutrient-dense vegetables, which can be given to them fresh or boiled if they are hard vegetables that the cory catfish may struggle to eat. Some vegetables you can give your cory catfish include spinach, kale, chard, romaine lettuce, green peas, seaweed, cucumber, squash, and zucchini.
- Shrimp pellets. Shrimp pellets are a popular food choice for bottom-dwelling fish. Shrimp pellets sink slowly to the bottom of the tank and have low fat but high fiber content. Shrimp pellets are also high in protein and contain additional vitamins and minerals.
- Hikari wafers. Hikari sinking wafers are soft wafers designed for bottom feeders. They contain many nutrients and a great for small fish who often don’t get to other types of food when in an aquarium with other fish. Many Hikari wafers also include spirulina and are highly digestible.
- Kelp. Kelp is a form of seaweed with immune-boosting benefits and is a great food to use when changing your corydoras diet.
- Cory catfish wafers. Cory catfish wafers are a staple when feeding your corydoras. Wafers are designed to meet the nutritional requirements of your corydoras and offer a balanced diet for your cory catfish. Nutritious wafers can be used daily, but your corydoras diet should still consist of other types of food.
Foods To Avoid Feeding Cory Catfish
Many commercially made fish foods can be harmful to your corydoras’ health. Foods like low-quality fish meal, soy, corn, and other grains are not suitable for your cory catfish. In addition, foods that contain fillers may not be eaten, and the food particles will sink to the bottom, causing more waste.
Cory catfish may not be able to digest grains, leaving them feeling sick and having many digestive issues.
Foods that you should avoid feeding your cory catfish include:
- Wheat
- Rice
- Soy
- Corn
- Commercial food with fillers
Conclusion
Cory catfish are happy when they have a variety of foods to eat. They are not fussy eaters and will often scavage for food at the bottom of the tank. Corydoras should be fed a combination of foods like brine shrimp, worms, wafers, vegetables, and fish flakes to meet their nutritional requirements.