Corydoras are easy fish to care for badly by accident: a sitter can feed the tank faithfully and still starve them, because their food never reaches the floor. The care log for a sitter should therefore revolve around sinking food, the group as a whole, and what is happening down at the substrate while you are away.
Specify Sinking Food, Amount, and Timing
Name the exact sinking pellets or wafers, where they are kept, how many to drop, and where in the tank to drop them so they land in the corys' usual feeding area. Set the timing: many keepers feed corys after the main tank feeding, or shortly before lights-out, so bolder tankmates steal less. Tell the sitter to wait and watch at least once — the log should confirm food reached the floor and the corys gathered on it, not just that food went into the tank. Ban substitutes in plain language: extra flakes floating on the surface do not feed bottom dwellers, and doubling wafers 'to be safe' only fouls the water the corys live closest to.
Ask for a Group Count and Behaviour Line
Corys rest together and forage in loose company, so ask the sitter to log a rough daily count and a one-line behaviour note: group resting together, busy rooting through the substrate, or scattered and still. Counting small camouflaged fish is imperfect, and the log should say a best-effort count is fine — what matters is a fish missing day after day, or the whole group sitting motionless. Note how often they dart to the surface: an occasional gulp is normal cory behaviour, but the log should flag a session of repeated rushing up and down, with the time noted, so you and a vet can judge it later. Also ask for a glance at barbels and mouths when fish rest near the glass, recorded simply as normal or worth a photo.
Protect the Substrate and the Water Routine
Write down the floor rules: no deep vacuuming, no stirring or levelling the substrate, and no moving rocks or wood to 'clean under them,' because the corys' feeding ground and shelter stay exactly as they are. Give top-up instructions with conditioned water left ready, and note the water level mark to restore. Record the last full water change before your trip and state that the next one falls after your return unless the trip is long, in which case write the change steps out in full rather than assuming the sitter knows them. Include filter checks in ordinary words — water flowing, no strange noise — and what to do if flow stops.
List Contacts and the Changes That Matter
Close the log with your number, a backup fishkeeper or vet, and the short list of changes that should trigger a call rather than a wait: a cory found dead, several fish gasping at the surface, cloudy water with a smell, or equipment failure. Ask the sitter to note any fish loss in the log with the day and time, and not to attempt water treatments or add anything beyond food and top-ups. Note which other fish share the tank and any feeding quirks of theirs that affect the corys' share. Sharing this floor-level routine through KinsLe's Care Pass gives the sitter temporary, clear access to exactly what the corys need until you return.