PlanetCatfish.com

I have a new cat which has severely damaged barbels.
It is a clarias, and i know that they are pretty tough and usually pull through most illnesses/ infections. But I'm curious to know about others experiences of cats with damaged barbels. Has anyone else here had a fish that didnt regenerate its barbels? Ive had fish with minor damage before, but this is an extreme case, all are just stubs. Fins are torn/ missing etc.
jason

No reason why the barbels should not regenerate. When I first got my African Clarias, I let the barbels degenerate into stubs due to poor water. The barbels have since grown back and are now very long for a Clarias, I might add.

I wouldnt worry too much. They are a tough fish, just make sure you try give them good water quality and feed them well and they will come good. One of my clarias has a split barbel and has grown into two, looks pretty weird but it doesn't bother the fish.

Thanks Guys
Thats cool then, ill post some pics when I have some then maybe someone can ID it.
jason

I have witnessed barble loss in Pimelodus (due to pH at 4.5...) that regenerated perfectly in about 8 months. The barbles were reduced to stumps (and this fish couldn't find food unless you literally droped it on the poor fish) but grew back to the point you wouldn't be able to tell anything had happened.

Jools

When I got my first corydoras one had barbel damage and couldn't (or wouldn't) eat. I placed a deep plate w/ sand in it and dropped food on it until the barbels regenerated. I kept the water really clean (nitrates under 10 ppm at all times) and added the slightest pinch of salt, barbels were looking normal again after approx 3 months.

clarrids are a little more hardy than your average fish. Its barbels are now fully regenerated, and it has doubled in size in a little under 2 weeks.
jason