Why do Corys lose their barbels?
There are several reasons why Corys lose their barbels, the first being the type of substrate they are kept on. Sharp sand or gritty gravel particles are very abrasive and can cause inflammation to delicate barbels. The substrate should be smooth grained and small, for example well-washed river sand or fine silica gravel, these have grains that are rounded like beach pebbles. The next area for consideration is the depth of the substrate, which should be no deeper than the depth that the Corys kept over it can penetrate, enabling them to reach the base of the aquarium. This will ensure all food particles can be found and eaten. Finally, poor water quality, such as a very low pH (below pH 5)and high ammonia levels will, very quickly, cause barbel erosion although this is most commonly experienced during the import process. Once barbels have become damaged they are susceptible to secondary bacterial infection that can develop into serious mouth fungus, which is usually fatal. Quite often
