Cory catfish are the most common bottom dweller fish aquarist prefer to add to their community tank because of their peaceful and hardy nature. They feed on fish leftovers and other waste from the bottom of the tank.
However, we should not let our cory catfish rely on leftovers and should feed them with various types of food. Tropical flakes are common food aquarists provide to their fish, but can cory catfish feed on them? So, Can cory catfish eat tropical flakes? Let us find out.
Cory catfish can eat tropical flakes as they are high in protein and will help your cory catfish in their faster growth. However, tropical flakes should not be a staple part of their everyday diet as it is also high in fat. Feed them tropical flakes two to three times a week to avoid overfeeding.
We will discuss whether cory catfish can eat tropical flakes and how often we should feed tropical flakes to them. Also, we will discuss the ideal dietary requirement of a cory catfish. So, let us get into it.
Contents
Can I feed tropical flakes to my cory catfish?
You can feed tropical flakes to your cory catfish as they contain high protein, which will help them in their growth process.
However, tropical flakes also contain a high-fat volume, which can make your cory catfish suffer from constipation and bloating if you overfeed them.
So, you can feed tropical flakes to your cory catfish, but it should not be a staple part of your cory catfish’s everyday diet.
Cory catfish will require various types of food to ensure their good health and longer lifespan.
Feeding only one type of food will not provide your cory catfish with all the nutrients they require for their growth and development.
So, make sure not to rely only on one type of food and instead feed them with various kinds of food.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Eat Brine Shrimp?
Cory catfish ideal dietary requirements.
Cory catfish are omnivore fish and feed on plant and meat-based food to fulfill their dietary needs.
They will almost eat anything you provide to them which fits their mouth.
However, feeding your cory catfish various food is essential to ensure their faster growth and development.
Cory catfish feed on insects, larvae, worms, and some vegetable matter in their natural habitat.
Consider feeding your cory catfish bloodworms, tubifex worms, blackworms, mosquito larvae, and brine shrimp to fulfill their meat-based nutritional needs.
| Cory Catfish Food | Serving Quantity | No of Times |
|---|---|---|
| Bloodworms | One small pinch | 1-2 times a week |
| Mosquito larvae | 10-15 pieces | 2-3 times a week |
| Daphnia | One small pinch | 1-2 times a week |
| Peas | One pea per fish | 1-2 times a day (1-2 times a week) |
| Cucumber | One small piece | 1-2 times a day (1-2 times a week) |
Also, provide them with blanched vegetables like zucchini, lettuce, and cucumber. Of course, they will love to feed on boiled peas too.
Feeding only one type of food will not provide all the nutritional value your cory catfish need for their growth and development.
Also read: Can Cory Catfish Eat Bloodworms?
Can cory catfish survive feeding only on tropical flakes?
Cory catfish will not survive, feeding only on tropical flakes.
Instead, feeding only tropical flakes can make them constipated as they are high in fat.
Tropical flakes contain a good amount of protein which will boost your cory catfish’s growth process, but also a good amount of fat, which can make them suffer from constipation and bloating if overfed.
However, we don’t recommend feeding your cory catfish only one type of food as they are omnivore fish and will require various types of food to fulfill their ideal dietary requirements.
Feed them with worms, mosquito larvae, blanched vegetables, brine shrimp, and sinking pellets instead of relying only on tropical flakes.
How often should we feed tropical flakes to our cory catfish?
Feed your cory catfish tropical flakes two to three times a week.
You can feed them normal sinking flake food daily that carries vitamins, protein, fiber, fat, and other nutritional value.
But, tropical contains a high-fat value which can make your cory catfish suffer from constipation and bloating.
Make sure not to overfeed your cory catfish as it can also result in them suffering from critical issues.
So, to ensure that you are not overfeeding your cory catfish, provide them food in such a quantity that they can finish eating in one to two minutes.
If your corydoras are taking more time to complete their food, you are overfeeding them.
And, if they complete their food within seconds, you are underfeeding them.
Underfeeding can also make your cory catfish suffer from various issues like weakness, stress, and loss of appetite.
What are the other best foods we should feed to our cory catfish?
Cory catfish are bottom dweller fish that spends most of their time scavenging on the bottom, searching for food.
They will feed on leftovers and other waste from the bottom of the tank.
However, we should not let our cory catfish rely on those leftovers and other waste, and we should feed them appropriately with various types of food.
These are the best food your cory catfish will love to feed on and also it will provide the nutrition they require for their faster growth and development:
- Sinking pellets
- Bloodworms
- Tubifex Worms
- Blackworms
- Brine shrimp
- Shrimp pellets
- Blanched zucchini
- Blanched cucumber
- Blanched lettuce
- Boiled peas
Sinking flake food is also something your cory catfish will love to eat.
Also read: Do Cory Catfish Eat Cucumbers?
Conclusion:
Cory catfish can eat tropical flakes as they are high in protein and will help your cory catfish in their faster growth.
Tropical flakes are also high in fat and should not be overfed to your cory catfish as it can make them suffer from constipation and bloating.
Feed tropical flakes to your cory catfish two to three times a week.
Feed them in a quantity that they can finish eating in one to two minutes to avoid overfeeding and underfeeding.
Cory catfish are omnivore fish that require plant and meat matter food in their daily diet to ensure their faster growth and development.
Don’t rely only on flakes; feed them with various types of food like blackworms, bloodworms, brine shrimp, shrimp pellets, and blanched vegetables like zucchini and cucumber.
Reference: Wikipedia