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I noticed a while ago that one of my cories lost some of his barbels.
I use small gravel rocks for the substrate. They are the coated ones.....
I asked the lady what i could do and she said i could do nothing and that they might grow back. I have not seen a sign of any growth on that area and its been about two weeks....

Are there hostile tankmates?

"I am a believer in punctuality, though it makes me very lonely" EV Lucas

Nope.....they are in with 3 mollies, 5 rasboras, a pleco and a ghost shrimp

hmmm. I suppose it is possible that it was the substrate, but perhaps he ran into something on the way up for a gulp of air. Mine don't always watch where they're going too well.

"I am a believer in punctuality, though it makes me very lonely" EV Lucas

I would think that they will grow back, but it could take quite a bit of time for this to happen...but to be safe, be sure the substrate is smooth and doesn't have sharp edges, as that can at times harm their little barbels...I would say as long as they are eating, playing normally, and there isn't any fungus or infection they should be ok...if you want to put them in a quarantine tank (if it's only one add another 1-2 so he won't be lonely:#() and dose it with some melafix and see if that helps...but again make sure the substrate there isn't sharp, and you have adequate filtration...

And you're right my corries don't seem to watch where they are going either when they want to go at warp speed around the tank...I was watching mine last night in the 29 gallon, and they would swim the length of the tank, forgetting it wasn't 6 ft, then suddenly (as if remembering it was shorter; they've been in there a month) they would slam on the brakes and dive bomb the java moss:%)corries, you have to love their sillinesshml

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Ya might have been an injury from a crash....they like to cruise at warp speed.

It could be nitrates. Nitrates are the most common cause of barbel erosion (I don't put much stock into the claim that the substrate is usually responsible), especially since they are highest in the gravel bed. All the leftover food, fish waste and dead plant leaves go right to the bottom and decay. Cories hate nitrates, so you should make sure that they aren't the problem in your tank. Get your water tested if you want to, but I'd just pick up on the water changes and gravel vacs. Once nitrate levels in a cory tank subside, the fish will grow their barbels back.

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And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

ok cool that makes a lot of sense thanks.