New Pygmy Corydoras aren't eating

[BayFish28]

Hello,

 

New member here and wanted to know why aren't my new pygmy cory's eating? The tank is well planted with fluval substrate, ammonia and nitrites are both 0 with Nitrates at about 20ppm, ph 6.8. The only other things I have in there are 2 amano and one mystery snail. 

 

Could it be they're still new and getting adjusted? it's the 3rd day so far and haven't seen them eat but they're active and schooling around and even foraging for food in the substrate but haven't seen them eat any variety of food. So far I've tried tetra tropical flakes, hikari sinking wafers for bottom feeders, omega 1 veggie rounds, frozen brine shrimp, and frozen blood worms.

Any ideas? Thanks!!

[KBOzzie59]

If they are foraging the substrate then they are eating.

[Guppysnail]

I love my Pygmy but they worried me at first because I did not see them eat what I put in. AS @KBOzzie59 said if they are foraging they are eating and finding enough they just are not running towards what you put in. I find little luck with wafers and pellets mine do go nuts for is north fin fry food hikari first bites and super fine crushed flake crushed smell granukes. They sort of sift it off the substrate. Mine love live baby brine shrimp. If they are active and schooling they are happy. If they start hiding/cowering in a hiding spot then start looking for issues. 

[PedroPete]

What size tank do you have? Could you put sinking wafers or whatever in a small clear plastic box or lidless container and lower the whole thing into the bottom of the tank. Perhaps you would be able to observe the feeding process better then. 
 

Also, how many Pygmy corys do you have? I just got 10 last weekend and they’ve done pretty well together in my quarantine tank. I feed in the morning and watch for 5-10 minutes to gauge activity and interest. I also try to watch their bellies to see who is more full - and who isn’t. 

[Ken]

When I got my Pygmys they were definitely not eating, they even appeared to be losing weight. Frozen baby brine shrimp turned them around. When I tried live BBS the Kubotia Rasboras they share a tank with ate until they were about to pop and the Pygmys didn't get any. 

[eatyourpeas]

Their mouths are so tiny, I have found giving them Hikari First Bites helped. 

[Gannon]

3 days is a decent amount of time, but I've known sensitive fish like those to go even longer without eating once first introduced to a tank and new water parameters. Keep an eye on them and their health. If it comes down to it, Seachem Garlic Guard is very helpful in getting fish to eat when they may feel less inclined to try new foods. Hope this helps and keep us updated. 

[BayFish28]

OK so I'm guessing they are still getting acclimated to their new environment since the store I bought them from had them on gravel substrate with no plants so maybe they feel lost in my "Jungle."

 

As far as tank size, it's a 10 gallon tank and there's 5 of them in there and they seem to be just hanging around themselves and swimming together. I'll try some of the foods tips you've all recommended like Hikari First Bites, Northfin Fry, and the baby brine. 

 

For now I'll continue putting a tiny bit of sinking Omega 1 Veggie wafers at night but the mystery snail and shrimp might get to them first lol.

 

Thanks all for the tips. Will continue to update.

[AnimalNerd98]

Something that my Pygmy corys go nuts for is Repashy Bottom Feeder. It may be a bit much to get a whole bottle for just the 5 of them, but if the other options don’t work, you might want to give it a try. Sometimes, they are also just clumsy eaters and take a while to hone in on the actual food, I definitely have seen this when my pygmies are trying to find the adult frozen brine shrimp on the bottom. Like you said, they might still be acclimating, I wouldn’t worry too much unless it’s been past a week or they look noticeably thinner. Good luck! 

[BayFish28]

On 11/19/2021 at 10:30 PM, AnimalNerd98 said:

Something that my Pygmy corys go nuts for is Repashy Bottom Feeder. It may be a bit much to get a whole bottle for just the 5 of them, but if the other options don’t work, you might want to give it a try. Sometimes, they are also just clumsy eaters and take a while to hone in on the actual food, I definitely have seen this when my pygmies are trying to find the adult frozen brine shrimp on the bottom. Like you said, they might still be acclimating, I wouldn’t worry too much unless it’s been past a week or they look noticeably thinner. Good luck! 

Oh I totally forgot about Repashy, I've been so out of the hobby for so long that they didn't have this stuff 20 years ago. I read up a little on it and yeah it is somewhat overwhelming for some cory's but since I have a couple shrimp and plan on getting some endlers I figure I might just give this a shot. I'll probably try and make a small batch so it doesn't spoil. Thanks for the tip!

[AnimalNerd98]

On 11/20/2021 at 12:12 AM, BayFish28 said:

Oh I totally forgot about Repashy, I've been so out of the hobby for so long that they didn't have this stuff 20 years ago. I read up a little on it and yeah it is somewhat overwhelming for some cory's but since I have a couple shrimp and plan on getting some endlers I figure I might just give this a shot. I'll probably try and make a small batch so it doesn't spoil. Thanks for the tip!

Cory has a video on the Aquarium Co-Op YouTube channel for how to make Repashy. Just a warning: it stinks to high heaven, I gagged the first time I made it (but then again I’ve always had a sensitive nose). Cory also suggests Repashy food for conditioning corydoras to breed since it gives them something to constantly munch on. Let me know if it works out! 

[Torrey]

On 11/20/2021 at 12:12 AM, BayFish28 said:

Oh I totally forgot about Repashy, I've been so out of the hobby for so long that they didn't have this stuff 20 years ago. I read up a little on it and yeah it is somewhat overwhelming for some cory's but since I have a couple shrimp and plan on getting some endlers I figure I might just give this a shot. I'll probably try and make a small batch so it doesn't spoil. Thanks for the tip!

@Guppysnail has some of the most helpful tips for Repashy

[BayFish28]

Yeah I recently watched that video and he mentioned his wife won't let him make it at home, now I know why!!

[BayFish28]

Update: After a couple days they're no longer ignoring the frozen blood worms and brine shrimp! Guess they had to get acclimated to the new water parameters and surroundings. 

 

Thanks all for the tips! 

[Guppysnail]

I found thin sheets of repashy to do best with my Pygmy corydora. They also like when I drip in tiny drops on wax paper and sprinkle them in the food area. They have zero interest on the stick method. Community is only enjoyed with garlic guard. Spawn and grow, grub pie are favorites. Soilent green is hit and miss with them. Bbs ground up bloodworms ground up my sis shrimp are always fan favorites 

[BayFish28]

So far they've been munching on the worms and brine but I will definitely give repashy a try

[stitches]

On 11/23/2021 at 10:42 PM, BayFish28 said:

Update: After a couple days they're no longer ignoring the frozen blood worms and brine shrimp! Guess they had to get acclimated to the new water parameters and surroundings. 

 

Thanks all for the tips! 

 

Hi @bayfish28! and anyone else that can help! Just curious to know how you finally got them to pay attention to the food and eat it. your situation is so close to mine. i have a 10 gallon, 5 cories, one java fern and a tiny baby anubia. the tank is newly cycled (been prepping it for my betta). i've had the cories about 2 weeks and do not see them eating. i've tried

• freeze dried blood worms
• sinking wafers
• frozen blood worms
• fish flakes (shop said it'd work, it didn't)
• vibra bites (my betta loves these)...

yet, it doesn't seem like  any of the food disappear but have had a few spikes in ammonia because of the uneaten food lol not fun. i do see them foraging but... what are they eating? i'm very new to the fish world and i'm worried i'm doing something wrong. 

Edited December 15, 2021 by stitches

[AndEEss]

On 12/15/2021 at 11:35 AM, stitches said:

 

 

 

On 12/15/2021 at 11:35 AM, stitches said:

 

i do see them foraging but... what are they eating? i'm very new to the fish world and i'm worried i'm doing something wrong. 

Just because they are foraging doesn't mean they are actually eating anything. Unless there is something in the substrate, there's nothing to consume. 

When I first got my cory cats, I gathered up a bunch of leaves from our backyard pond, and put them in the water. A couple days later, scuds appeared. They cleaned up the tank, and were also consumed by my cordoras.

[stitches]

On 12/15/2021 at 10:41 AM, AndEEss said:

 

Just because they are foraging doesn't mean they are actually eating anything. Unless there is something in the substrate, there's nothing to consume. 

When I first got my cory cats, I gathered up a bunch of leaves from our backyard pond, and put them in the water. A couple days later, scuds appeared. They cleaned up the tank, and were also consumed by my cordoras.

right, that's exactly it. outside of maybe bits of left over unseen fish flakes that i didn't/couldn't catch during water change/food cleaning, i can't imagine they're actually eating from the foraging. this to me seems like they're looking for food. but the food just sits there, ignored.

i'm in socal not anywhere close to a pond but i may do a google search to find one close by.

[BayFish28]

On 12/15/2021 at 10:35 AM, stitches said:

 

Hi @bayfish28! and anyone else that can help! Just curious to know how you finally got them to pay attention to the food and eat it. your situation is so close to mine. i have a 10 gallon, 5 cories, one java fern and a tiny baby anubia. the tank is newly cycled (been prepping it for my betta). i've had the cories about 2 weeks and do not see them eating. i've tried

• freeze dried blood worms
• sinking wafers
• frozen blood worms
• fish flakes (shop said it'd work, it didn't)
• vibra bites (my betta loves these)...

yet, it doesn't seem like  any of the food disappear but have had a few spikes in ammonia because of the uneaten food lol not fun. i do see them foraging but... what are they eating? i'm very new to the fish world and i'm worried i'm doing something wrong. 

So my experience was first few days they weren't foraging at all just cuddled up under a cave I made and just stayed there probably due to new surroundings and water parameters. My tank is somewhat heavily planted so that might have aided them in feeling more comfortable. I have java moss, java fern, dwarf hairgrass, subwassertang, pogostemon octopus, some small crypts, bacopa, anubias petite so maybe all that helped. 

Currently I've been feeding all inhabitant of the tank a variety of flake, frozen blood worms, brine shrimp, daphnia, repashy soilent green, north fin fry starter. I think they like the frozen stuff the best so far. 

 

BTW water temp is about 75 deg F, zero ammonia and nitrites, 10ppm nitrates.