Pictus with very short barbells

[mostlycichlids]

I just notices that 2 of my pictus cats have very short barbells I dont ever remember them being so short. I was wondering if they could have got broken from a fight? I know I did not break them myself I am pretty sure they were longer before. Will these grow back or are they permanently damaged? What are the effects besides not being detect things farther away? This makes me a little upset because they look funny.

 

[plah831]

it happened to one of my dojo loaches. If it's the same thing, it's called "barbel erosion" (got that from Toirtis, he's my hero ) it's due to bacterial infections from scraping them on jagged gravel. I think you would know better than that, though, Paul Maybe it's not barbel erosion, but it's weird that ALL of them would be bitten off in a fight.

I changed all my gravel to natural river bed gravel two months ago, but they still haven't grown back yet. He's a little "special", though. I think I might have gotten a slightly brain-damaged fish :

If yours were damaged in a skirmish, I'm sure they'll grow back soon enough

 

[mostlycichlids]

well Only two of the pictus are like that the other two have beautiful and very long barbells and healthy looking too. That is why I suggested a fight I My gravel is not that courus most of it is rounded and pretty small. I hope they grow back they look pretty funky on of them is the one with only one eye it seems like he has been through enough already.

 

[plah831]

oh yeah! you're the one with the one-eyed pictus

poor guy. Now he's missing another part of his sensory system Is that one able to eat OK like this?

I'm pretty sure your guys will regrow theirs. Like I said, my dojo is just a bit odd.

 

[mostlycichlids]

yeah they all seem to get food as normal he kinda hangs in the corner vertically a lot but moves around when I come in the room. The other one hangs in his own spot.

 

[plah831]

is the vertical hanging a recent development? I've never seen a catfish do that.

 

[mostlycichlids]

yeah he likes to do it a lot maybe cause he only has the one eye and short barbells he is very interseting. well thanks Paula I guess I will see what happens and maybe look in to changing the substrate or adding sand to the rocks.