Emma!~ I got the curved barbel loach pics. Plz look :)

[Emma Turner]

Hi angelfish,

Sorry I've not been here in a few days, but have been unwell.

The barbels on this loach look a little red and inflamed to me, which would suggest that this fish has either come off worse in a dispute with another loach (in serious disputes they will lock barbels) or else they are beginning to become eroded. Barbel erosion can be caused by sharp substrates, or via an infection (or a secondary infection which can occur after 'substrate' erosion starts).

It is difficult to be 100% accurate from photographs, but I think I'd be inclined to treat the tank as a precaution to prevent any possible infection from spreading further. If the water is kept in tip-top condition, with plenty of water changes, the barbels shouldn't get any worse.

My old 9" Alpha clown loach (before the days of Marge and Stripes) has missing/shortened barbels. I rescued her from a tank after she'd spent a few years of being kept on gravel, which I believe was the cause of the erosion. The barbels have never grown back properly, but with good water quality and a fine sand substrate, they never got any worse. Some 14 years on, she is still as bossy as ever (when Marge isn't looking!) and is the first to the food on most occasions.

Does this fish have any problems locating or eating it's food? It may be that this fish has had slightly curly barbels from day 1, and is nothing to worry about. I do think from the head-on shot that they look a little inflamed though.

Emma