Barbels are sensory organs of Corydoras, used to search for food from the substrate, and for breeding activities in female Corydoras. They will have trouble feeding if the barbels are worn, and this could also result in secondary infections.
Therefore, it is best to avoid sharp substrates that can worn out their barbels, and use fine gravel instead.
However, there is another line of thought that attributes the worn barbels to high nitrate, which is still very much debatable and contentious.
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