[daylily]

I have a small planted tank that has been cycled now for a few weeks, so last week, I got a few small fish for it. I had a betta in it, but decided I wanted a few small fish, so Betta is in a temporary 3 gallon till I can go and get a 5 gallon for him. So the tank now has 4 pygmy cory, 3 cherry barbs and 2 male Endler's. They are doing ok, so tomorrow I'll get a a few more... so I have at least 7 or 8 cory and 6 barbs. The Endlers have been doing the mating dance to the Cherry Barbs non stop, so I don't think I will get any more Endlers right now. The 2 that I have spend a lot of time messing with the barbs and I don't think the barbs would appreciate any more Endler's.

Anyway, I have a few types of food that I bought when I bought the fish, or had for the betta. "Fancy Guppy" pellets, which are small and they eat it the best. I have a good flake food, but they don't like it or it's to large for them. Sinking shrimp pellets, algae wafers (which made a real mess!). Also have frozen blood worms and frozen brine shrimp.

I was thinking that if I alternate foods regularly, they will get a more balanced diet. But the algae wafer looks like no one touched it after it "exploded" in the bottom of the tank. The shrimp pellets didn't go over well, neither do the flakes. They like frozen brine shrimp and the guppy pellets.

Should I grind up the shrimp pellets and crush up the flakes to make it easier for them to eat?

Is there any other type of food I should get for these little tiny fish?

Going to the fish store tomorrow. Thought I might find some other small, nano size food for them. I know they also have frozen krill, which I have not tried.

Any suggestions at all for keeping them well fed and happy are more than welcome!

Thanks!!!

 

[Diana]

New life Spectrum has pellets in many sizes. One is designed for growing fry, and is just the right size for the fish you list.

Crush the flakes a bit and see if that makes a difference. I use www.almostnaturaltropicalfishfood.com products, and the fish like them. They have a carnivore wafer that is more like what the Cories ought to go for. Cories are not algae eaters.

Read the ingredients. Fish food ought to be whole fish and shellfish, algae and vegetables. Not fish meal and grains.

The only fish I might add to that would be an Oto, and then only if there is algae. If the Endlers are pestering the Barbs, then return them. They won't stop.

 

[daylily]

I didn't think to return the Endlers. Good idea! They are pretty, but they are displaying at the barbs almost non stop.

I ordered some food through Amazon that should have come today. NLS small fish food was one of them. Not the fry food you mention though. I will try that. I am sure the large store I am going to tomorrow will have a bigger selection.

Thanks!

I will check out the food at your link!

 

[gabysapha]

Hi, I have a similar issue as I just got a dozen pygmy cories a few days ago. I'm still figuring out how to get them to eat! I realized today that Hikari "micropellets" are too big for the cories and they weren't interested anyway. The micropellets are quite small, small enough for neon tetras to easily eat.

They were not interested in hikari sinking wafers (carnivorous kind) nor hikari algae wafers. I was certain the algae wafter would win them over but they didn't hang around to eat it. They continued looking for food all over and along the plants and hardscaoe.

I ground up some frozen mysis shrimp and the cories ate that without any issues. They could eat the small bits, and the shrimp fell onto the leaves and driftwood were the cories found them. I think cories like eating off of surfaces other than the substrate.

I think crushed flake food will be my next test, and then a crushed food like NLS. ALL of my fish love NLS pellets the most.

I did find out during these prior tests, however, that my pet bunny likes the taste of fish food.... a lot.