Can corydoras eat without barbels?

[CherryBarb123]

I have 6 Julii Corydoras. Before I rehomed my zebra loaches, one of them was badly bullied. He lost his barbels (Water conditions were fine - Ammonia, nitrite 0 and nitrate 5-10) even though he is on a sand substate

Over the past couple of weeks, he seems better and less lethargic. I don't know whether he has been eating or not, but without barbels is he able to eat? What are his chances of survival without them?

He has been like this for about a month

None of my cories seem to have long barbels anymore, and while none of them are as short as his, they all seem shorter. As I say, they have a sand substrate and no gravel. Decor include plants, bogwood and a 3D Background.

Do cories barbels get shorter as they get older? To me it makes no sense. 1 other one has short barbels, the others are not as bad. Water paramaters are all normal.

Thanks

 

[BBradbury]

Your Corydoras

I have 6 Julii Corydoras. Before I rehomed my zebra loaches, one of them was badly bullied. He lost his barbels (Water conditions were fine - Ammonia, nitrite 0 and nitrate 5-10) even though he is on a sand substate

Over the past couple of weeks, he seems better and less lethargic. I don't know whether he has been eating or not, but without barbels is he able to eat? What are his chances of survival without them?

He has been like this for about a month




None of my cories seem to have long barbels anymore, and while none of them are as short as his, they all seem shorter. As I say, they have a sand substrate and no gravel. Decor include plants, bogwood and a 3D Background.

Do cories barbels get shorter as they get older? To me it makes no sense. 1 other one has short barbels, the others are not as bad. Water paramaters are all normal.

Thanks

Hello Cherry...

I keep a lot of different kinds of Corys and can tell you that sand is their preferred substrate. They love a sandy bottom because their barbells are very sensative.

If a Cory is injured, they can lose a barbell, but they'll usually grow back in a couple of months. The best thing you can do for them is to keep the tank water very clean. I change out half the water in my tanks every week. This way, there's no time for wastes to build up in the water and stress your fish.

Feed your Corys a couple of times a day with some sinking wafers and shrimp pellets. Hikari is a good brand. I also feed TetraMin Tropical Crisps. They'll like the variety.

B

 

[foster53]

You could try using Melafix in a tank with the cories. It doesn't do anything as far as a medication,IMO but does seem to help with regeneration issues.

 

[CherryBarb123]

Thanks!

I know ottos can be senstive to medication. Would they be ok with this? Is it like normal medication which removes some of your bacteria? I haven't got a quarantine tank

I feed my cories, catfish pellets, algae wafers and bloodworms. They also get any flakes which sink down.

 

[BBradbury]

Your Corydoras

Thanks!

I know ottos can be senstive to medication. Would they be ok with this? Is it like normal medication which removes some of your bacteria? I haven't got a quarantine tank

I feed my cories, catfish pellets, algae wafers and bloodworms. They also get any flakes which sink down.

Hello again Cherry...

Medications can stress your fish, so I recommend making things easier on your fish and you too, by just commiting to a strict water change routine by changing out half the tank water every week. You could also raise the temperature of the water to about 80 degrees and follow this routine for a few weeks.

A little warmth and a lot of pure, treated tap water flushed though the tank will help.

B

 

[CherryBarb123]

Ok, thanks!

His gills appear to be slightly red. The water is normal, and all of the other fish are nicely coloured with no visible signs of stress. Is this normal for injured fish?