One of my Albina Corys doesnt have its whiskers

[jeffrey]

Well I have had this cory for a long time, like a year or so, after like 6 monhts his buddy (another albino cory) died, and since then has been mainly hiding. The LFS hasnt had albino corys for a while, and finally got some last week and I jsut got 2 more yesterday, and now this morning they are all swimming happy, but my old cory doesnt have his barbs or whiskers anymore.
Where did they go? and is this bad?

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Well, it's usually a sign of the wrong substrate. What do you have? Good parameters and plenty of scoffing (also the right substrate, as mentioned) should sort it right out.

 

[jeffrey]

I have aquarium sand, and no matter how hard I grind it in my fingers its not sharp at all.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Hmmm, sand is the best substrate for them. Is he healthy in other respects? Eating, etc? How are your paramters? Is he active now?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Are there any fish in your tank who might have done this?

 

[jeffrey]

all perameters are fine, he eats and swims around (lots now that the two young ones are there with him).
He still sniff around in the sand all day like the other two, seems normal to me in how he acts.

I'll try and get a picture here.

Only other fish at the bottom are kuhli loaches, but most all have died a month or two ago (whole stores shippment died a month or two after they got them, it sucks, but they gave me double credit for each one).

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Argh, I think he'll be grand. Just keep an eye on himnand keep water clean and IMO there'll be no problems. If he's eating and swimming around then I am sure he'll get over it.

 

[GuppyDude]

my albino cory does great, he juts moves throgh the sand eating all in his way. and if u ever need to find a friend for him, my albino cory is great friends with my grey one, i accually think they r the same species execpt for the albino coloring.

 

[Cheese Specialist]

Bronze and albino are generally the same, you can get albino peppereds but they are not easily found where as broze albinos are the norm.

 

[clutterydrawer]

Barbel loss can also be caused by bacterial infection or (possibly) high nitrAtes...

 

[jeffrey]

Barbel loss can also be caused by bacterial infection or (possibly) high nitrAtes...

could he have had the infection when his buddies died? I cant see any red or anything. He looks perfectly normal, and is acting that way.
I would hate for my other 2 to lose their barbels too.

 

[Inchworm]

Barbel loss can also be caused by bacterial infection or (possibly) high nitrAtes...

could he have had the infection when his buddies died? I cant see any red or anything. He looks perfectly normal, and is acting that way.

Hi jeffrey

I suspect that was what happened. If he looks normal in every other way, chances are that he was very sick at some time and you didn't notice. Give him a good looking over to see that his tail and fins look sound and he has no white patches or anything at all odd about his appearance, (except for the barbels, of course), just to be sure he is OK now.

Bacterial infections are perhaps the leading cause of death among corys and keeping your tank water clean and fresh is the best thing you can do to prevent them.

Barbels are sensory organs that corys use to find their food. If they have eroded to the point where they are gone, it's going to be necessary for you to watch him to make sure he is actually getting enough food to eat. It's not impossible for him to regrow them to some extent, but you will have to wait and see what happens.

Feed him a diet high in protien, with live or frozen blackworms, tubifex or blood worms to help him regrow this tissue and rebuild his immune system after being sick.

 

[jeffrey]

Hi jeffrey

I suspect that was what happened. If he looks normal in every other way, chances are that he was very sick at some time and you didn't notice. Give him a good looking over to see that his tail and fins look sound and he has no white patches or anything at all odd about his appearance, (except for the barbels, of course), just to be sure he is OK now.

Bacterial infections are perhaps the leading cause of death among corys and keeping your tank water clean and fresh is the best thing you can do to prevent them.

Barbels are sensory organs that corys use to find their food. If they have eroded to the point where they are gone, it's going to be necessary for you to watch him to make sure he is actually getting enough food to eat. It's not impossible for him to regrow them to some extent, but you will have to wait and see what happens.

Feed him a diet high in protien, with live or frozen blackworms, tubifex or blood worms to help him regrow this tissue and rebuild his immune system after being sick.

Well a while ago something bad happened and I lost most of my fish to it.
2 cory's were among them.
So it was just him for a while cause I couldnt find more albino corys at my local fish store.

HE seemed ok for a week or so, then he just went into hiding (I have lots of hiding spots) and i would only see him for a moment when I turned on the lights.

Now that I finnaly found a pair of albino's again he came out and is playing and stuff more.

He is white (albino) so its hard ot tell if there is white spots.
But he appears to look normal (minus barbels) and is the first one to the pellets unless it lands like on another one.

I have noticed he and the other two even, will go and get flakes off the surface sometimes too... Never seen that befor.

Tomorrow is tuesday, so they get bloodworms

 

[Inchworm]

Hi jeffrey

Your cory must be so happy to have companions again!

They really do need to be in a school, and get quite lonesome and sad when they are alone. He'll always be your special pet though.

He'll enjoy having the bloodworms tomorrow, and they will help him get strong again too.