Cory catfish are bottom dweller fish and feed on leftovers and other waste. They are known to be good cleaners and will help you keep your tank clean from food leftovers and rotten plants.
However, they will also need other various types of food to ensure their growth and happy lifespan. So, we should feed them various types of food rather than just relying on leftovers and other waste. So, Can cory catfish eat bloodworms? Can I feed bloodworms to my cory catfish? Let us find out.
Cory catfish can eat bloodworms occasionally as a treat. Bloodworms contain high fat and protein, which can make your cory catfish constipated, and they will suffer from bloating if we overfeed bloodworms to them. Feed your cory catfish bloodworms one to two times a week to prevent such issues.
This article will discuss whether cory catfish can eat bloodworms and how often we should feed bloodworms to them. Also, we will discuss the ideal dietary requirements of cory catfish. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Can I feed bloodworms to my corydoras?
You can feed bloodworms to your corydoras.
Cory catfish loves to feed on every type of worm.
They will feed on blackworms, tubifex worms, and bloodworms.
However, bloodworms contain high protein and fat content, which can make your fish constipated and bloated when feeding every day.
So, make sure not to make the bloodworms the staple diet of your cory catfish.
Instead, consider feeding them occasionally rather than feeding them every day.
Also, it is essential to feed various types of food to your cory catfish as they are omnivore fish.
Feeding your cory catfish with only bloodworms will not get all the nutrients they require for their faster growth and good health.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Herbivores Carnivores Or Omnivores?
Cory catfish ideal dietary requirements.
Cort catfish are omnivore fish and require meat and plant matter food to fulfill their dietary needs and ensure their faster growth and development.
They will feed on almost anything you serve as they are not too demanding regarding food.
However, corydoras loves to feed on all types of worms, whether blackworms, tubifex worms, or bloodworms.
They are ready to feed on worms anytime and every time.
Cory catfish feed on worms, larvae, and bottom-dwelling insects in their natural habitat. Also, they munch on some vegetable matter to fulfill their plant-based nutritional requirement.
Feed your corydoras a variety of food that contains both meat and veggies to ensure their faster growth and longer lifespan.
Feeding only one type of food will not do great for them, and they can start avoiding eating.
Bloodworms should not be a staple part of your cory catfish’s daily diet, as it contains high protein and fat, which can make your cory catfish bloated and constipated.
So, instead of relying only on bloodworms, consider feeding them various types of food to prevent such issues.
Also read: Are Cory Catfish Bottom Feeders?
Should I feed frozen, freeze-dried, or live bloodworms to my cory catfish?
You have three options available when it comes to feeding bloodworms to your cory catfish:
- Live bloodworms
- Freeze-dried bloodworms
- Frozen bloodworms
Live bloodworms
Feeding live bloodworms are something aquarist avoid as they are costly and difficult to carry.
Also, you cannot store the live bloodworms for more than 2-3 days after purchase.
You have to feed bloodworms to your cory catfish within 2-3 days of buying it.
The other important reason for not feeding live bloodworms is that they may carry harmful bacteria and parasites.
These bacteria and parasites can make your cory catfish suffer from critical issues.
However, live bloodworms contain more nutrition than frozen and freeze-dried bloodworms, but we cannot ignore the disadvantages of feeding them live bloodworms.
Freeze-dried bloodworms
Freeze-dried bloodworms are easily available and cheap.
When feeding freeze-dried bloodworms to a bottom dweller fish, you have to soak them for about 10-15 minutes first in water before placing them in the tank.
Pre-soaked bloodworms will sink to the bottom of the tank slowly.
Freeze-dried bloodworms lose most of their nutrients during the drying process.
And, when you feed it to your fish, they get more fat than other beneficial nutrients.
So, it also doesn’t make a good option to feed bloodworms to your cory catfish.
Frozen bloodworms
Frozen bloodworms are also easily available and cheap.
They contain more nutrition than freeze-dried bloodworms, and even you can compare the nutritional value of frozen bloodworms with live bloodworms, as it preserved from fresh bloodworms and don’t lose much nutrition.
Another best thing is that you can store the frozen bloodworms for up to six months, which means that you will never go out of stock when keeping frozen bloodworms.
Also, feeding frozen bloodworms will eliminate all the risk of carrying bacteria and parasites as all the bacteria and parasites get killed during the freezing process.
Pre-soak them as you soak freeze-dried bloodworms to let them sink to the bottom.
So, it makes the frozen bloodworms the best option to feed to your cory catfish.
| Particulars | Live Bloodworms | Freeze Dried Bloodworms | Frozen Bloodworms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advantages | Live bloodworms contain more nutritional value than freeze-dried and frozen bloodworms. | Are easy to store and feed. Pre-soak them for 10-15 minutes to let them sink. | Frozen bloodworms are easy to feed and can be stored for up to 6 months in a freezer. Also, it contains more nutritional value than freeze-dried bloodworms. Frozen bloodworms don’t contain any bacteria and parasites as all the bacteria and parasites get eliminated during the freezing process. |
| Disadvantages | High risk of carrying bacteria and parasites. Live bloodworms are much more expensive than freeze-dried and frozen bloodworms. | Loses some of the nutrition during the drying process. Your cory catfish will get less nutrition and more fat feeding on freeze-dried bloodworms. Pre-soak them for 10-15 minutes so that they can sink slowly. | There is no harm in feeding frozen bloodworms to your cory catfish. |
| Price range | Live bloodworms are very costly. | Freeze-dried bloodworms are easily affordable and also available | Frozen bloodworms too are easily affordable and also available. |
How often to feed bloodworms to my cory catfish?
Feed your cory catfish bloodworms one to two times a week.
Bloodworms should not be a staple part of your cory catfish’s everyday diet.
They are high on protein and fat, which can make your cory catfish suffer from bloating and constipation if you feed them daily with bloodworms.
Feed them bloodworms in a quantity that they can finish eating in one to two minutes to avoid overfeeding them.
If you are feeding for only one time a day, then feed them in a quantity that they finish eating in 4-5 minutes.
Make sure that you are not overfeeding your cory catfish, as overfeeding can make them suffer from constipation and bloating, which can change into life-threatening conditions.
What are the other best foods for a cory catfish?
Cory catfish are bottom dwellers and spend most of their time scavenging on the bottom, searching for food.
They will feed on fish leftovers, dead and decaying plants, and small dead fish.
However, we should not let our cory catfish rely only on these and should provide them with various foods to ensure their good health and longer lifespan.
These are some food that your cory catfish will love to eat:
- Sinking flake food
- Sinking pellets
- Daphnia
- Mosquito larvae
- Blanched cucumber
- Blanched zucchini
- Boiled peas
Also read: Do Cory Catfish Eat Snails?
Conclusion:
Cory catfish can feed on bloodworms.
They will love to eat every type of worm.
Cory catfish will feed on bloodworms, blackworms, and tubifex worms.
However, we don’t recommend feeding your cory catfish bloodworms daily as it contains high protein and fats, which can make your catfish bloated and constipated.
Feed frozen bloodworms to your cory catfish as it is easily available, and there is no risk of carrying bacteria and parasites.
Feed your cory catfish bloodworms one to two times a week.
Referene: Wikipedia