# My cory has no barbels....please respond?



## mags2313 (Nov 25, 2008)

2 of my six sterba corydoras have no barbels... They seem happy and they shoal and eat at feeding time.... Could someone please tell me if they will live alright without them and if it hurts them etc?
All of their gills look alright.... except for one who is in my qt tank right now, i can't tell if his gills look red or not.....

my ph in my main tank is around 7.8 or 8 and I keep my temp at around 77 F..Mid to high alkalinity and hard water.

Is there pictures of sick corydoras that I can look at and compare with?

I greatly appreciate any response. Thanks


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Is this a new development (the missing barbels) since being in your tank or did the cories arrive this way?


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## mags2313 (Nov 25, 2008)

I think they may have came this way.


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## aunt kymmie (Jun 2, 2008)

Coarse gravel can damage their sensitive barbels. What type of substrate are you using in your tank??


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## cerianthus (Jul 13, 2008)

aunt kymmie said:


> Coarse gravel can damage their sensitive barbels. What type of substrate are you using in your tank??


Or Sharp Substrate (crushed glass). If an infection, need to treat ASAP in Q/T. I have experienced, when left untreated or delayed treatment, that it could be a permanent damage to fish or doen not grow back to its original state.


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## daisycutter (Jan 4, 2007)

they dont generally grow back i have a bronze cory with no barbels the tank they were kept in at the shop was crushed glass i didnt notice until i got them home that one was beardless
that was several years ago and there still going strong so barbel loss isnt fatal (at least in an aqarium probably not in the wild)but is preventable i keep my cories on soft sand


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## jeaninel (Aug 24, 2007)

I had one come from the LFS with no barbels also. He is eating fine and active. Keep a close eye on yours and watch for any white around their mouth. This is usually a sign of a bacterial infection. Clean water and keeping the substrate vacuumed will help to keep them healthy.


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