My tetras and barbs seem fine, but my Corydoras have lost their barbels. What could be wrong?
It’s important when keeping fish like Corydoras and other catfish that live and feed off the tank floor, that your substrate is clean. Otherwise they can be at risk of bacterial infection. This may erode the barbels and result in the death of the fish. Each time you do a water change, use a gravel cleaning syphon (available from your retailer) to suck the dirt out of the substrate, rather than just removing the water from above it. Gravel cleaning is particularly important if the tank is fitted with an undergravel filter, since the filter bed will block unless the dirt which collects there is removed. Sharp gravel may also wear away the barbels as the Corydoras nose around in it for food – although many fishkeepers successfully keep them in tanks with gravel substrates, most experts agree that aquarium sand is better for keeping Corydoras.
