Damaged Catfish Barbels/Whiskers - will they grow back?

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Romeowns

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 30, 2008
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New Zealand
Gidday all from New Zealand,
I've had my eye on a fully grown 6 inch Two Spot Catfish at my local fish shop for some time. Just recently I've been trying to get an idea of what kind of tank he'll need so I can buy him.

WELL, I went in today (after visiting him yesterday) and overnight SOME IDIOT had put a school of Odessa Barbs in with him! ALL of his barbels have been bitten/chewed/snapped off of him. He's only got about 1/3 of an inch left on all of them.

I'm still planning on buying him (mainly to rescue him from the newbie twats at the store), but I'm wondering if they'll grow back or not?


He looks like this...

FishesPics_reply_29343.jpg

source: saimensis.org


At the moment I can only really afford a 2*1*1 foot tank with a spare canister filter, would this be suitable for him? From what I can see he's fully grown. I've got minimal tropical fish keeping experience, but about a years worth of New Zealand Native coldwater carnivorous Crayfish and Scaleless fish keeping experience.


PS: Excuse the spelling, we have a habit of spelling things differently from the rest of the educated world.



Cheers (thanks for your time),
Romeo
 
yup they always grow back
 
the barbels will grow back as long as they werent broken off too close to nerve endings near the beginning of the barbel. that tank should be fine for him, im pretty sure they max out around 5 inches or so, but someone correct me if im wrong
 
Ok, so they'll grow back, that's excellent news!

So how long should it take?

Does anyone have any recommendations for which medications which I can apply along with tri-weekly 20% water changes? I've heard that many are unable to be treated with regular medications due to their scaleless nature - is this the case with the Two Spot Catfish as well?



Cheers,
Romeo
 
I can say from personal experiance they will grow back. He will be fine. I have a little guy who got his barbs stuck in a net and I cut the net and he broke his barbs off before I could balls up and catch him. Two months later he was doing fine.
 
They usually grow back fine. As for a time line...it may take a few weeks.
 
They will grow back OK I have run into similar situations. Thats a neat cat I think im gonna throw one in 55 gallon
 
they will heal and grow back some they just won't be as long as they were before
 
UPDATE:

His whiskers have grown to about 2" long. They've probably tripled in length in the last 9 days.

They grow back really quick! I guess the Melafix, good nutrition and daily water changes have been helping.


Thanks for all the advice,
Romeo
 
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