Distribution Of Food Among Tank Inhabitants

Hi,

As previously mentioned, I have 6 x-ray tetras and 6 pygmy cories in my tank; I'm planning to add to that shortly with either an additional 2 x-ray tetras and 4 pygmy cories or else 6 slender rasboras, but wanted to enjoy and monitor the current situation for a while. Also as previously mentioned, with some photos, there is considerable variation in size of the x-ray tetras. One or both of the two largest (who may be pregnant) often consume all of the food intended for the 12 fish in the tank. I feed flakes which I cut into small pieces and some sinking or semi-sinking pellets daily, with recent additions/treats of sachets of daphnia and mini algae wafers.

Despite all 6 tetras being very excited at food time, when food is dropped in, the 4 tetras often simulate going up to the water surface but don't actually do so until the two largest have gone first, and the two largest have become so skilled at the angles and tail-flicks that they make when darting up that they manage to acquire all the food for themselves. I've tried various techniques of dispersing the food over the water surface, dropping in food at one corner to distract the two largest and then hoping I can entice the remaining four over to another corner for theirs, feeding immediately after a water change (when one of the two largest will inevitably be hiding in a cave despite even a minimally disruptive water change), but they seem to shoal best at feeding time and the four lower down the pecking order don't eat until the top two have done so.

I discovered that mini algae wafers were the one food that the tetras weren't particularly interested in and which meant that the cories were definitely getting fed - I was also keen that the cories would grow a little given that the two largest x-ray tetras have become adult-sized. However, the two largest fish seemed (although I think my other half thinks I'm observing and reading too much into their behaviour) perturbed to have the cories focusing on eating once they'd finished their own food and would hang around close by, keeping a very watchful eye. This morning, I noticed that one of them pushed the cories off the algae wafer, sat above it for a while, and has now learned to pick it up in its mouth and swim off in the tank with it (albeit it lost interest in it after that achievement).

I'm not overly concerned about this, as I expect that the cories may be managing to get more remnants of food than I actually witness, but some of the x-ray tetras look as though they could do with getting better access to the food. Does anyone have any tips/advice on ensuring the more equal distribution of food among aquarium inhabitants, or ought I just to "let it be" as it is?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts.

I have Xray tetra and they are incredibly voracious feeders! My platy, which are also big eaters, struggle to get any food before my Xrays have gobbled the lot.

I wouldn't worry about the size differences amongst the Xrays. The males are significantly smaller than the females and more slender too. You probably have four gents and two ladies in your tank. Tetras are egg scatterers and so your fish aren't pregnant like livebearers. The more rounded shape is another characteristic of the females.

I also wouldn't worry too much about the Cories. Fish are scavengers and will most likely get enough food. I feed pellets and notice that whilst the Xrays eat most of the pellet, there's always a plume of food that leaves their mouths as they swallow, which I'm sure the Cories will hoover up.

FC's technique sounds interesting though and I might give it a whirl over the weekend!

I presoak the food so it starts to sink slowly as it is swept away by the filter flow. I also crush flake up small; lots of small pieces take longer to catch that a few large ones.

But I have found that my fish don't behave the way you would expect. All my tetras do feed from the surface - as did the apistos and one of my loaches 

Thanks, all - some good suggestions here and some helpful reassurance too re the size difference among the x-ray tetras.