The Best Foods For Cory Cat Fish Based on Ingredients (6 High-Quality Picks)

High-quality fish food is a must for keeping your cories’ health at its peak is essential if you want them to grow and live a long and happy life. But don’t be fooled by some big name brands (Tetra…).

When choosing, the key is to check the ingredients and the order. So in this guide, I want you to learn how to look at any fish food type and know instantly if it’s good or bad for your corys. I’ll also share my favorite commercial foods available.

How to Analyze Food For Cory Catfish

Always Check the Ingredients Order

The order of the ingredients on the back is the most important thing you need to consider. The first ingredients mentioned are in the highest quantity.

Low-Quality Ingredients to Avoid

Not all cory catfish food is created equal. You must avoid several ingredients at all costs to save your lovely cories from getting sick.

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t feed your cories low-quality fish meal or terrestrial grains and legumes like soy and corn. Low-quality fish meals are usually made from leftovers like guts, skin, scales, and bones. These ingredients add zero value to your cories’ diet. 

As for the terrestrial grains, cories (or any other fish species) just can’t digest them. Fillers will only result in more waste in your fish tank, which increases the levels of toxic ammonia and nitrite significantly to the point where the water can be lethal to your cories. Not to mention, you’ll have to clean your fish tank more often.

Here’s a complete list of all the ingredients that your cories shouldn’t be eating:

• Fish meal
• Soy
• Preservatives
• Rice
• Food coloring
• Corn
• Synthetic vitamins
• Wheat 

High-Quality Ingredients You Want

Putting the low-quality ingredients aside, there are some high-quality ingredients that your cories would thank you for.

Whole Fish

Whole fish, like salmon and shrimp, is a great food source for cory catfish. But since cories have small mouths, whole fish is usually ground up in commercially prepared food fish to make it easier for cories to eat. 

Whole fish is an excellent source of high-quality protein and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids essential for good skin health.

Spirulina

Spirulina is an alga that’s rich in vitamins and protein. It’s also easy to digest, which means less waste production. 

On top of that, Spirulina has natural skin-enhancing properties that’ll make your cory catfish’s skin glow, especially if they’re blue or green.

It’s worth noting that, while most cory catfish species don’t primarily feed on algae, they can be an excellent addition to their diet. You can give them a try, but if you notice that your cories only skim through them, it’d be better not to feed them algae again.

Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Black soldier fly larvae are rich in protein, and the fact that their exoskeletons aren’t hard makes them a great choice for cories. Cory catfish can’t digest hard exoskeletons, which will only result in more fish waste.

Worms

Worms are high in protein and easy to digest, so it makes sense to include them in your cories’ diet.

Kelp

Kelp is a seaweed with excellent anti-inflammatory benefits that’ll highly enhance your cory catfish’s immunity.

Krill

Krill is a superb protein source that’s also low in fat. Additionally, it’s rich in omega 3 fatty acids.

Best Food for Cory Catfish Based on Ingredients

Repashy Super Gold

Although this food is marketed towards goldfish, it’s actually and excellent choice for cory cats. It has a nice balance between high-quality protein, sources and plant-based ingredients. This would make a really well balanced staple diet for your fish.

Click For Full Ingredients

Krill Meal, Spirulina Algae, Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal, Chlorella Algae, Squid Meal, Dandelion Leaf, Seaweed Meal, Whole Egg, Pea Protein Isolate, Rice Protein Concentrate, Banana Powder, Brewer’s Dried Yeast, Mussel Meal, Mango Powder, Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Citric Acid, Stinging Nettle, Garlic, Ginger, Cinnamon, Dried Kelp, Phaffia Yeast, Dried Watermelon, RoseHips, Hibiscus Flower, Marigold Flower, Paprika, Turmeric, Salt, Calcium Propionate and Potassium Sorbate (as preservatives), Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Manganese Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Copper Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate. Vitamins: (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Calcium L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta Carotene, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex)

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Repashy Soilent Green

I love that the first ingredient of this gel food is spirulina. It is such a high-quality plant-based ingredient packed with lots of nutrients. It also contains high-quality protein sources Like krill and black soldier fly larvae meal. This is a great staple diet for cory cats.

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Spirulina Algae, Algae Meal (Chlorella), Krill Meal, Pea Protein Isolate, Black Soldier Fly Larvae Meal, Rice Protein Concentrate, Fish Meal, Alfalfa Leaf Meal, Dried Brewer’s Yeast, Coconut Meal, Stabilized Rice Bran, Flax Seed Meal, Schizochytrium Algae, Dried Seaweed Meal, Lecithin, Locust Bean Gum, Citric Acid, Taurine, Stinging Nettle, Garlic, Dried Kelp, Dried Watermelon, RoseHips, Hibiscus Flower, Marigold Flower, Paprika, Turmeric, Salt, Calcium Propionate and Potassium Sorbate (as preservatives), Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Manganese Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Copper Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate. Vitamins: (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D Supplement, Calcium L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta Carotene, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex)

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Omega One Sinking Catfish Pellets, 8mm Pellets

These large, sinking pellets are a great food source for cory catfish, and other bottom feeders. Featuring salmon, whole herring, shrimp, and kelp. These are great stable diet. They are fairly large, so make sure they are getting eaten completely by your fish.

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Salmon, Whole Herring, Whole Shrimp, Wheat Flour, Wheat Germ, Pea Protein, Wheat Gluten, Kelp, Astaxanthin, Canthanxanthin, Potassium Sorbate, Ethoxyquin (Preservative), BHT (Preservative), BHA (Preservative), Natural And Artificial Colors, Ascorbyl Monophosphate (Source Of Vitamin C), Niacin, Inositol, Folic Acid, Biotin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement.

Last update on 2024-10-08 / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Omega One Veggie Rounds, 14mm Rounds

These have always been one of my fish’s favorite foods. Made up of protein sources like salmon, whole herring, kelp, shrimp, and spirulina, pretty much every fish in the tank goes down to the bottom to munch on these. Cory’s will love them.

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Salmon, Whole Herring, Wheat Germ Meal, Wheat Flour, Rice Bran, Dried Kelp, Shrimp, Pea Protein, Wheat Gluten, Spirulina, Herring Oil, Vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Inositol, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement), Citric Acid (Preservative), Vinegar, Mixed Tocopherols (Preservative), Rosemary Extract, Astaxanthin (Color), Canthaxanthin (Color).

Last update on 2024-10-08 / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Northfin Fish Food Kelp Wafers 14mm

I love that the first ingredient of these wafers is kelp. So many “algae wafers“ have no actual kelp or algae ingredients, just fish meal, and fillers. These mix plant-based ingredients like kelp and spirulina with quality protein, sources like krill, herring, and whole sardines.

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Kelp, Whole Antarctic Krill Meal, High Omega-3 (DHA) Herring Meal, Whole Sardine Meal, Wheat Flour, Spirulina, Garlic, Astaxanthin (Haematococcus Algae), Calcium Montmorillonite Clay, Vitamin A Acetate, L-Ascorby-2-Polyphospate (Source of Vitamin C), D-Activated Animal-Sterol (D3), DL Alphatocopherol (E), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Thiamine, Calcium Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Biotin, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Selenium, Zinc

Last update on 2024-10-08 / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

New Life Spectrum Algae Max Mini-Wafers

New Life Spectrum AlgaeMax Mini-Wafers are a great choice for caory cats. It contains a rich mix of seaweeds and spirulina, really nutrient dense foods. And it has whole squid and krill that provide easily digestible protein.

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Seaweed (Ulva latuca, Undaria pinnatafida, Eucheuma cottonii, Eucheuma spinosum, Chondrus crispus, Porphyra umbilicus), Krill (Euphasia superba), Squid (Dosidicus gigas), Whole Wheat Flour, Kelp, Spirulina, Fish (Brevoortia tyrannus), Fish Oil, Garlic, Ginger, Astaxanthin, Marigold, Bentonite Clay, Sea Salt, Vitamin A Acetate,Vitamin D Supplement,Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement,Niacin, Folic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (Vitamin C), Choline, Chloride, Ethylenediamine Dihydroiodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Tocopherols (a preservative)

Last update on 2024-10-08 / Commissions Earned / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

A Varied Diet Is Best

Cory catfish need a variety of foods to ensure they get all of the nutrients they need to grow and stay healthy. While some fish foods can provide your cories with a complete meal and already contain a wide variety of healthy ingredients, it’s always a good idea to mix things up a bit every now and then. 

Feeding your cories the same food for prolonged periods isn’t really advised. You wouldn’t want to have chicken for dinner every single day, would you?

For the best results, pick a stable diet food like Omega One Sinking Catfish Pellets or one of the repashy gel foods, and then throw them some treats like Northfin Algae wafers or New life spectrum mini wafers a few times a week.