Need to know how to make sure my 4 little corys are getting enough food.

[Shady Lady]

I have lost 2 already, within 3 days apart. The angelfish are real gluttons, I have started feeding small discs at night, but I am not sure this is enough. Is there susch a thing as a little nook they can feed from, so the angels can't get to it?[/i]
The guy at the pet shop said that I should make sure that all decorations are vaccumed under, could be a bacteria. I am new at this, I did a fishless cycle before  I added 3 angelfish, 2 weeks later I added 3 more, (30 gallon tank) the 4 corys & 1 bristlenose pleco are the latest additions. The corys are copper (2) & Sterbai (2)
I initially lost 1 pepper cory & 1 copper. My tank is 2 months old- I started addind fish 1 month ago.The corys have been in since Sept. 9/07

[MikeM]

Sorry to hear about your corys.    They're industrious little guys.  The guy at the LFS has a point, because cory cats like to dig through the gravel for goodies, if the gravel is dirty, they can be exposed to all kinds of nasty bacteria.  But it doesn't sound like your tank's been up long enough to be all that dirty.  What are your water parameters like (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate)?  What is your water change regimen like?  Each time you add fish, you increase the bioload, which can cause an ammonia spike.  6 angels, 4 corys, and a bn pleco is a pretty high bioload for a 30 in the long run, as angels get quite large and aggressive as they age.

My angels get very boisterous during feeding, splashing me and chasing each other and the other fish around.  I find the best way to make sure everyone gets fed, is to pitch in the sinking pellets for my clown loaches, then sprinkle the flake and cichlid pellets for the angels.  They get so busy eating the food at the top, that they leave the loaches alone with their pellet.  This works the other way for me too, because the loaches will come up and harass the angelfish, and steal their flake if I don't put the pellet in first.

Try distracting the angels with some flake so the corys get a minute or two with the pellets by themselves.  Remember all the food should be gone within about 3 -5 minutes after you put it in.  Remove any food that isn't eaten by then, to prevent it adding to the pollution load in your tank.  Finally, cories are shoaling fish, and prefer to be with others of their own kind.  I don't know if the coppers and peppers will shoal together, someone who has kept cory cats will have something to add to this for sure.

Be more worried about overfeeding than underfeeding, test your water to make sure there hasn't been an ammonia or nitrite spike, and keep an eye on the other fish to make sure it wasn't something contagious.  Good luck with your fish, and keep us posted.  I'm sure the experts will have more hints for you.

P.S. Welcome to OVAS.   If you're like most of the folks around here, you're at the top of a slippery slope that will lead to more tanks than you ever thought you'd have.

[Shady Lady]

Thank you Mike M. for your quick reply- I do water readings  every week with a liquid test kit- Amonia=0, Nitrites=0, nitrates= 10-12 maybe, before 20% water change & vacuming.
I have 2 Sterbai (apparently they are not true corys- different species from Brazil waters) & 2 coppers. if the 2 corys died from a bacteria, I would think that the other ones would have as well, and I am thinking, that the agels would have too, as they are as good at picking the bottom as the Pleco & the Corys.
I never knew Agels could do that, but mine do. They are voracious, I feed them small feedings 2-3 times a day because they are juveniles, I am doing the right thing? They look wonderful, growing like crazy, and their colour is amazing. i have the temp at 79 F. thank you for your information.

[babblefish1960]

I am a little surprised to hear that the corydoras sterbai is suddenly not a corydoras anymore.      There are definitely too many angels in there, and honestly, a 30 gallon tank doesn't give them enough length for bolting either, which they like to do on occasion.  However, it sure sounds like you are in a cycle, don't worry too much about the gravel just yet, as mike says, it doesn't seem old enough to be harbouring any gases or bacteria.

Corydoras species definitely need company, a very social fish with its own kind.  Usually in numbers of 5 or 6 or more, if you have the space.

Good luck with your fish of course, and I am sure things will work out fine. Most of all, be patient, everything progresses in its own time.

[Shady Lady]

Thank You Mike M. for your information, I will keep a close eye on the Angels, will likely move them to a larger tank down the road.So far so Good, thank you for the encouragement.