HELP! - cory's ganging up on a weakling

[hartle]

Hi,

I need help quick please.

I've got 5 panda cory's in a 80L tank. Been in there for months (cant remember how long) and the tank is a few years old. Water parameters are all absolutely fine and have been consistent for a long time. There's also a school of tetra and a few ottos.

All of a sudden one of my panda's started looking stressed - fast breathing, sitting at an angle on the substrate, drooped dorsal fin and seemingly struggling to swim. He/she just sits there looking sad for himself. BUT more worryingly one (and sometimes a second one too) of the other panda's seems to constantly pester it. They sit on it and nudge it and when he/she finally tries to run off they both seem to attack it like mad. A frenzy of fins and off to another corner of the tank.

I've isolated the problem panda for a day and it seemed ok again, breathing slowed, dorsal fin back up etc. But a short while after being back in the main tank it started all over again.

I'm at a complete loss for what's going on. Nothing I can find on any forums seems to explain the behavior. Can anyone shed any ideas at all? I'm really afraid that I'm going to loose the little one. HELP!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Anonymous]

Is he/she a little bigger then the others? If yes it might be a female with eggs and those dudes are doing what they are supposed to do . If not I don't know .. maybe a pic could help.

Mike

 

[hartle]

No, that's the odd thing. It's actually a smaller one. Not a lot but definately smaller than the two that are hassling it. I did a water change and dropped the temp just by a few degrees just in case it is a female in need of spawning.