# Question about Cory Cats!



## AAquarist (Dec 3, 2013)

Hi All!

I just got two male guppies yesterday for one of my tanks where I have a school of Pygmy Corycats! The little guys are carnivorous, as far as my research says! I feed them shrimp pellets normally and occasionally some freeze dried foods, but I saw one munching on guppy food (which is flakes)...I'm wondering if that's okay for them? He seemed to have finished eating too LOL. I am just curious! I think the Guppies eat some of the shrimp pellets too!


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## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

As far as I know, cories are mostly carnivorous but like bears, they are sometimes omnivorous. I have caught my cories eating not only their shrimp pellets, but the NLS I drop in for bettas, the frozen herbivore mix I drop in for my other community fish, algae wafers, Ocean Nutrition's Formula One(a mixture diet) as well as anything else I drop in the tank. Point being, I don't thing the little guys are exactly picky xD

If you can afford it, my fish go INSANE for the Formula One I mentioned above. It's also easy to portion off for solitary fish because its a frozen gel that you can thaw quickly in your hand and scrape off with a knife or fingernail. It's about 9$ in the frozen fish food sections of Petco I believe.


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## AAquarist (Dec 3, 2013)

Crossroads said:


> As far as I know, cories are mostly carnivorous but like bears, they are sometimes omnivorous. I have caught my cories eating not only their shrimp pellets, but the NLS I drop in for bettas, the frozen herbivore mix I drop in for my other community fish, algae wafers, Ocean Nutrition's Formula One(a mixture diet) as well as anything else I drop in the tank. Point being, I don't thing the little guys are exactly picky xD
> 
> If you can afford it, my fish go INSANE for the Formula One I mentioned above. It's also easy to portion off for solitary fish because its a frozen gel that you can thaw quickly in your hand and scrape off with a knife or fingernail. It's about 9$ in the frozen fish food sections of Petco I believe.


Thank you for your reply! XD They do not seem very picky, I was just curious. I can't see why it would be bad for them but who knows. I suppose if it was they would only be compatible with carnivorous. I will definitely look into the Formula One, seems like a nice treat for them LOL.


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## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

I have one fish who turns his nose up at it out of a school of 5 tetras, 6 pencilfish, 13 bettas(including roomies), a handful of cories and guppies(including babies) and a pleco.


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## Kieranfish (Dec 23, 2014)

hi there, I believe that the flakes are absolutely fine for the corydoras! They are scavangers anyway so let's say if there was some flakes to drop to the substrate, they'd eat that. So yeah it's absolutely fine. My uncle's cories thrived and BRED on tropical flakes on for 5 days straight when he was snowed in and couldn't get out to get proper cory food. 

@crossroads- Would loaches eat that formula one stuff you mention? They wont eat the food I buy them


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## Crossroads (Jun 28, 2014)

I have no idea, its worth a go?I don't have loaches(though man do I want some Kuhlis) If not I'm sure the other fish will eat it HAPPILY. My cories eat it up quick and so do all but one of my male bettas. The guy in my avatar hunts for it. Goes right to where I drop it every time I near the tank and wiggles at the top for me to drop it in.

I've also found that it seems less likely to cause bloat or constipation, even in giants and Doubletails which are notorious for digestive issues.(found this out by accidentally overfeeding a couple of my DTs) 

Straight from the product page:


> Supports color formula for marine carnivores and omnivores.
> With Spirulina, and Vitamin C to help maintain health.
> A gourmet diet rich in fresh seafood and algae.
> Supports coloration and will maintain health and vitality.
> ...


It says marine but NLS also has seafood stuff in it and the packaging says recommended for Marine and Freshwater.
Formula Two is good for herbivores.


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## Kieranfish (Dec 23, 2014)

thanks for that crossroads! And yeah I might as well try it eh?


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## SmallFry23 (Oct 24, 2014)

I have an emergency question about my little cory. Its in a 10 gal tank with a loach 3 platies and 2 ghost shrimp. Idk if it is sick or lonesome. He is alive his gills are moving but today he just doesnt want to swim much and idk if he is eating. I'm scared he might not make it much longer. I know he needs two more like him in the tank with him. I planned on getting two more Thursday. Help!!


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## Kieranfish (Dec 23, 2014)

smallfry23- You're better off starting a new thread in the catfish section, just like everyone else would. But if he is lethargic and has lost his appetite, could be ammonia poisoning. Or possibly internal parasites. is his poo white?


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## n25philly (Dec 5, 2013)

Cory cats are omnivores. Their diet should be mostly meat but it is good for them to get some other sources of nutrition as well. I give my algae wafers every third meal. Cory cats will gladly eat pretty much any food put in the tank.


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## n25philly (Dec 5, 2013)

SmallFry23 said:


> I have an emergency question about my little cory. Its in a 10 gal tank with a loach 3 platies and 2 ghost shrimp. Idk if it is sick or lonesome. He is alive his gills are moving but today he just doesnt want to swim much and idk if he is eating. I'm scared he might not make it much longer. I know he needs two more like him in the tank with him. I planned on getting two more Thursday. Help!!



Cory cats and loaches are schooling fish that should not be kept alone. Unless the cory cat is of the dwarf variety a 10 gallon is too small for them. The tank is probably too small for the loach as well.


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