Corydoras Being Bullied, Not Eating

Hello! I am new here, and pretty new to the hobby. I could really use advice.
I have just 3 Corydoras in a 20 gallon tank for the time being. They are unfortunately all different species:
1 Pepper Cory
1 Panda Cory
1 false Julii

I’m going to add more, I hate that they don’t have a group of their species. Right now though I’m worried about the Panda.
Panda is smaller than the other two, and I don’t think he is eating enough, if anything. Today I watched the Julii repeatedly push and drive him away from the portion of a Hikari wafer I put in for them. Whenever the Panda would come back to eat, the Julii would stop eating, bulldoze the Panda away from the food, and then go back to eating.
My plan is to go out today and bring home 3 more Panda Corys. I know a group of 6 is the standard, but because I ended up with three different species, I think my plan is to end up with:
4 Pandas and 2 Peppers and 2 Juliis.
(maybe a third julii or pepper)

- Does anyone think that giving the Panda more of its species will encourage it to eat?

- Will that discourage the aggression from the false Julii?

- Or do I just need to give the Julii back to my LFS? My partner is very attached to the Julii so I’d rather not get rid of it but I want what is best for the fish.

- If my fish store has more juliis, should I get more to try to curb this one’s aggression? (My LFS only had the one Julii when I got him)

Thank you so much, I appreciate any advice!!!

 

Hello I'm also new so welcome I think you're doing the right thing by going out to get more pandas, definitely. They feel secure in groups and right now there isn't enough of them to disperse the aggression and your panda is the weakest link. Your Julii is probably just trying to defend himself, they're not normally aggresive.
If you take the Julii out, the pepper will probably take over in the bullying.
A bigger group is the answer, I would get groups of all of them - at least 6. Although 18 cory's in a 20g is pushing it IMO especially if you intend to get other fish. Plus they will grow. I would suggest taking one type back and keeping 12.

 

Break the wafers into several smaller pieces so everyone gets some.

 

Adding more pandas will certainly help, and corys like variety in their diet. Try some tiny sinking pellets, occasionally sprinkle a small amount of high quality flake food (that they can spend some time hunting for), and also break the wafer into a couple of pieces and drop it in different locations so everyone can eat at once.

 

Crumble the pellets so it is scattered over the bottom

 

Break the wafers into several smaller pieces so everyone gets some.

Thank you! I’ll start doing that

Adding more pandas will certainly help, and corys like variety in their diet. Try some tiny sinking pellets, occasionally sprinkle a small amount of high quality flake food (that they can spend some time hunting for), and also break the wafer into a couple of pieces and drop it in different locations so everyone can eat at once.

Ok, that sounds great!! Thank you!

Hello I'm also new so welcome I think you're doing the right thing by going out to get more pandas, definitely. They feel secure in groups and right now there isn't enough of them to disperse the aggression and your panda is the weakest link. Your Julii is probably just trying to defend himself, they're not normally aggresive.
If you take the Julii out, the pepper will probably take over in the bullying.
A bigger group is the answer, I would get groups of all of them - at least 6. Although 18 cory's in a 20g is pushing it IMO especially if you intend to get other fish. Plus they will grow. I would suggest taking one type back and keeping 12.

Thank you!! I definitely want them to be in large groups. I’ll start today by getting more pandas, and more of the pepper and julii very soon. In the near future I may be able to start a new tank, so I could move the group of peppers or juliis over to a different tank and give them all comfortable numbers of 6+. Thanks for the advice!

 

Thank you! I’ll start doing that

Ok, that sounds great!! Thank you!

Thank you!! I definitely want them to be in large groups. I’ll start today by getting more pandas, and more of the pepper and julii very soon. In the near future I may be able to start a new tank, so I could move the group of peppers or juliis over to a different tank and give them all comfortable numbers of 6+. Thanks for the advice!

Sounds like they will be very happy with you

 

Hello, so I had experience with Pandas and Kept them for years, until they got cooked due to an electric defect. But I dont think the Juli is fault. If you are talking about cories these 3 things are important: oxygen and heavy flow, which they really enjoy (also slightly cooler water), samd Substrate so they can find and access the food and ut doesng get stuck and they dont hurt their barbels, properly feeling them (I would feed Pellets that break down into tiny pieces so they can munch), which is very important because cories often starke, especially with tankmates. They must be fat and you must almost overfeed them so they dont starve. If they are competing for food (which isn't Aggression from fake Julii (I had it too) just give more food (an amount that gets eaten), maybe put it in different places so everycan access food. The Julii probably is just pushing him around without Aggression because they are simply vomoeting for food, so feed in 2 places.

 

I’ve had Cory cats for years, panda, juli, greenie, and fancy I don’t know the species! My favorite is the panda cause once they are in a school they are so playful! You are doing the right thing buying more, the more the better! I have a school of 12 or more I lost count cause I have a pair that are inseparable. The will go off on their own and scour the bottom. I put some veggie flakes just a tiny pinch, put whole meal worm and dry shrimp In pepper grinder and and few grinds, then a sinker pellets one or two depending on how much I already put in I have other fish too!