Cory Wont Eat Shrimp Pellets

[williamc]

I have put some shrimp pellets in my fish tank but I never see my cory eat them and they seem like he doesnt care for them?
What should I feed him instead?

 

[guppy_man]

First off a cory isnt a shrimp maybe try some catfish pellets?

Cory's will eat flake that sinks to the bottom, so if you cant buy pellest just sink some flake.

 

[williamc]

well they are shrimp pellets made for corycats is what it says on the container?

 

[guppy_man]

What brand of pellets are they?

 

[williamc]

not a well known brand and I forgot

 

[three-fingers]

What do you usually feed them? What brand are the pellets? My corys eat pretty much all pellets, including all the cheap ones from ebay, they just need to soften up first then they will all gather round them.

 

[williamc]

my fish usally eat leftovers and he seems to be fine after doing that after 2 years and sometimes has a big stomach

 

[three-fingers]

To answer you question based on the information given, it sounds like it's not eating them because they are rubbish, and because it's not particularly hungry, so it doesn't think it's worthwhile to tackle them.

What should you feed it? The leftovers (I'm assuming this is flakes falling to the bottom of the tank) are fine, and you could suppliment with bloodworm every few days as they really seem to enjoy this.

Another thing I'd add is that you should get more corys of the same species, corydoras are naturally gregarious, keeping one on it's own usually effects the behaviour of the fish and could possibly have a long-term effect on health. Regardless of how long you've had your corydoras or how healthy it seems, if you have the space you should try get it some friends of the same species.

If you don't have space...can you describe it's usual behaviour? You might be OK, and corys often are on their own, but I've seen them do badly too.

 

[williamc]

mine seems to do fine by himself he just goes about his business and I will get him a friend once my lfs has them

 

[Corleone]

They get much more outgoing in groups. I had a single one for a while, and he wouldn't eat shrimp pellets, but does now. He wasn't confident around other fish, and tetras would come down to nibble at pellets as well.

I've had good results with micropellets. There's a few brands of them, I use Hikari and Wardley foods mostly. Take a pinch and release them under the water (so they sink immediately) at the start of feeding, then start adding floating flake to keep most of the fish near the surface and give the catfish a chance to get started.

If you can get live blackworm, that's great cory food. The worms will go into the substrate and stick their heads out for food. Corys will hunt them down and suck them out of the gravel, but many other fish will have a hard time getting any once they reach the substrate.

 

[williamc]

thanks corelone anything else?
So I should get some more catfish for him to be around?Same species?

 

[flash22]

A group of 5+ if you have the room would be good thay can take months to settle in there skittish little buggers. I got some hikari sinking wafers (iirc there made for corys) mine arnt too keen on carnivor pellets either.

 

[williamc]

ok Ill pick up somemore albanio corys for my 20g and then hopefully he will eat pellets or ill try another brand

 

[Inchworm]

Hi williamc

Corys are schooling fish and should have companions. Even if you can't get many more, please try to get at least one more of his species. If you watch when the new one is introduced you will enjoy seeing how happy he will be.

If "he" has a rounded stomach, he's probably a "she."

Now as to the shrimp pellets........... Please feed your corys quality flake or bottom feeder wafers and some black worms or bloodworms too. They will love you for it!

 

[williamc]

I am going to get some quality shrimp pellets and some more of his kind when they come in inchworm thanks