Species feeding guide

Live food for corydoras

Corydoras spend their lives sifting the bottom for worms and tiny crustaceans — live food that reaches the substrate is what they are built for. Microworms serve cory fry and adults alike; grindal worms are the bigger bottom feed.

Photo: Matthew Mannell, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

The feeding plan

Stage	Feed this	Why it works
Cory fry, first 2 weeks	Microworms (+ vinegar eels)	Fry feed on the bottom where microworms settle; eels cover fry still feeding higher up
Growing fry	Baby daphnia, then young grindal worms	Step sizes up as barbels and mouths develop
Adults	Grindal worms + microworms on the substrate	Sinking worms trigger natural sifting and foraging; feed after lights-dim for shy species
Whole-tank bonus	Live daphnia	Corys pick off daphnia that drift down; the rest of the tank hunts the column

Practical tips

Target-feed the bottom: pipette microworms onto the sand rather than broadcasting into the current.
Feed adult corys in the evening — many are most active and confident at dusk.
Cory fry tanks: small daily microworm feeds plus gentle water changes beat big infrequent feeds.

Watch out: Bottom food rots where you cannot see it. Feed adult corys what is gone within the hour, and keep substrate thin and clean in fry tanks so uneaten worms do not foul it.

Common questions

What do corydoras fry eat?

Microworms from the first days — they settle exactly where cory fry feed. Add vinegar eels for variety, then baby daphnia and young grindal worms as they grow.

Are grindal worms good for adult corydoras?

Yes — they sink, wriggle on the substrate and trigger natural foraging. A small harvest a few times a week is an excellent supplement to a quality bottom staple.