tuffpaws

I had a couple of corydoras in my tank a few months ago, but sadly they did not last much more than a week. Their barbels didn't look so hot after a few days. Is fluorite too rough for them? I'd like some more, but not if the cards are stacked against them.

agabr123

if you're having a problem with it, i put a layer of sand over top of the fluorite, that should protect them from any damage. i use pool filter sand, but make sure that you rinse it first so the dust doesnt clog up the filter. good luck

tuffpaws

Oops, I forgot to mention I have a blend of 50/50 sand and fluorite already.

agabr123

ah okay, hmm. is there anything else that they could have hurt their barbels on? decorations, maybe?

tuffpaws

Live plants, and a piece of driftwood. Neither I think would do anything. My pH was a bit low, but I doubt that would do it either. (Course, I'm new at this) I'm hoping it was just bad fish, because they were so cute, I'd love more after we move next month.

agabr123

i dont think that it was your pH, it may possibly have been your driftwood but unless there are lots of splinters on it i dont think so

Aries

I would think that flourite would hurt them but a friend I have on another forum has them on nothing but flourite and his do just fine. He makes thousands a year breeding them. I do know that when I switched from using gravel to sand my corys barbels grew considerably and they do seem to prefer it.

cerianthus

It could have been pH if was very low. Fish are usually shiped commercially slightly lower than normal pH to keep the toxicity of NH3 down.
Maybe Corys just arrived at LFS when you got them and were suffering from such exposure.. I've used fluorite w/o any mishaps.
BTW, when I used to mix different size substrates, all i see on top were coarse and finest (sand) at the bottom eventually. Do you see that happening yet?

Aries

Agreed, anything smaller will end up on the bottom.

mathas

Barbel erosion has also been attributed to infection, poor diet, or a variety of other reasons. See the 'Barbel Erosion' section under Callichthyidae in this article for more information, or do a search for 'barbel and erosion' at PlanetCatfish.

My guess, which has no scientific proof behind it whatsoever, is not that the sharper substrate is wearing the barbels down like a grindstone, but rather than it might produce small micro-cuts that allow any bacteria that might be present to get inside and start causing problems. Whether that's true or not, I have no idea.

agabr123

that's interesting.....hmm, I think that i may agree with you on that. i've never seen a cories barbels just be broken off by gravel or anything else....your guess seems more likely

Fishies-for-me

How well do you vacuum?? I have heard if the bottom is dirty they can get a bacterial infection that will erode the barbells.

Aries

I agree also. could be why some people find success doing it and others dont. I too have kept them on gravel with no harm done. Like I said though, they grew wayyyyy longer when I switched to sand.

tuffpaws

Thanks everyone, it's given me some things to think about

wuhungsix

I have a very similar problem with my Albino Corydovas and FLourite (normal black, 100%). I have no problems with barbles yet but the fins on the bottom of the fish that would be in contact with the substrate look all trashed. I was thinking of getting a top layer of sand but how do you keep it from mixing with the flourite?

LetDiceFly

have had had cories living with a flourite mixture for years and have seen no barbell related problems. While it appears sharp, in reality I think it is a softer material, especially compared to typical aquarium gravel which is both sharp and hard.