Is There Something Wrong With My Cory's?

[KrystaK]

I have 4 Panda Cory's, I've had a pair for 3 months and the second pair I've had for about 2 months.
The younger pair don't appear to have whiskers or whatever they may be called around their mouths like I've seen all other Panda's have, is there something wrong with them or were they just probably born without them? (I didn't notice if they did or didn't have them when I bough them)
I've read that they can actually rub them off on substrate, could this be the problem? (My -substrate is coarse sand) How do I fix it? Will they grow back if this is the case?

 

[ainsy]

Is it the tank in your signature?

It is hard to see but it looks more like you have a gravel substrate (or at least some largeish blue pebbles on the bottom). If this is the case then you are probably right it is the rough/coarse substrate that has caused it.

Cory like to 'nussle' in the substrate so a fine (but not sharp!) sand is best for them. I always use playpit sand in my tanks.

If you replace the substrate then you may find that they grow back (I have never lost any barbels so can't be sure). Just be aware that if you do change to a sand substrate you may induce a mini-cycle so frequent testing is a must.

HTH

 

[Harlequins]

I agree with above, your substrate looks more like gravel...

Barbel loss on corys could be rough substrate or poor water quality/diet can lead to this,keeping the water in tip top condition, changing to play sand etc will help them to grow back slightly,although they wont be has long has before.,also keeping the substrate clean.

Corys need their barbels to hunt out food etc,and having stumpy barbels may also lead to bacterial infection...

 

[KrystaK]

Oh my poor stumpy faced babies

I was planning on changing to sand anyways so this is just gives me more reason to do it I suppose
Thanks

 

[Cazgar]

Corys definitely prefer sand.
I bought some that had been on gravel in the Lfs, their barbels were quite short.
After a few weeks on sand they were doing much better, although their barbels aren't as long as my others that had always been on sand

 

[Dieses Madchen]

I had one that lost its barbels from the gravel. Now they are on sand and the barbels have since grown back.