Urgent-cories Lost Whiskers

DOES ANYONE CHECK THEIR CORIES WHEN THEY DIE FOR LOST WHISKERS/BARBELS? I had 3 adorable albino cories, Huey, Dewey and Louie, who were very very busy and hung out, slept together, etc. lATELY, all they've been doing is sleeping. I checked my tank temp and it had risen from 78 to 82 (don't know when, but we've had a heat wave over the last 2 weeks). I keep my place shaded, tank is not near windows, and I keep the air conditioning on low while I'm out. I lowered it to 80 and they seemed to revive for a day or two. To my sorrow, Dewey died, and little Louie died a few days later--only symptom was periods of heavy breathing and sleeping alot. I do weekly 25 - 50% water changes/gravel vacs, and water testing was perfect.

Now the third one is swimming in the middle of the tank and sleeping alot. Well, I noticed after bringing home 2 new cories to keep him company (he perked right up and has been following them constantly like a little lost puppy!) that he has NO whiskers and what looks like a very short barbel on each side. I realize now that the other two looked the same! Does this happen and why? I have a lot of plants, a rock and use gravel that the pet shops use in their cory tanks. This is very upsetting, the third one probably isn't eating without his whiskers/barbels?

My water readings were perfect. I do weekly water changes, I am hoping it's not the gravel.

f8ldzz said:

I think some of them just freak out and damage their whiskers.
I've been through dozens of corys, and there is no real pattern to which ones lose their barbels or not.
I've currently got two peppers, and one has only one side of it's whiskers.
They seem to grow back slowly though.
I had this happen on another pepper a few months ago, and his ones grew back within a month.
About half of my pandas have "stunted" whiskers, but these freak out sometimes and swim erratically all over the tank when I scare them.
My substrate is now covered with (expensive) medium sized gravel - pieces are on average 1mm in diameter and are epoxy coated and rounded, so it can't be the substrate.
I feed them tubifex worms, and they all have healthy appetites.

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Thanks for the info. I can't remember if they ever even had whiskers--the new ones are much bigger and haven't stopped moving since I brought them home, and the last cory (Huey) who I nearly netted because I though he was dead, hasn't stopped moving since I brought the two new ones home. It breaks my heart to see him without any whiskers or barbels, but he seems so happy now that he has company! Aren't fish amazing!