White cloud minnow being bullied

[Nmoverley]

I have a planted 72 gallon aquarium with 2 snails, 2 bristlenose Plecos and 13 white cloud minnows. I checked and all the pH, ammonia and nitrate levels and fine. The temperature is at 24oC. We have had the minnows for about 2 weeks and 12 of the have grew considerably and are looking strong and healthy. Today we noticed one of the minnows wasn't eating with the rest of them and started to look closer. This minnow is underweight and not even trying to eat. When we watched the tank for about 10 minutes we saw every couple of minutes one of the healthy minnows would dart at him and nip at his side. They aren't hurting his fins they are going right for the main body. Each time it is a different minnow attacking him. They are all hanging up on him. I know minnows are schooling fish and like groups of 6 or more but in the attempt to save him I isolated him by himself for the night with some food hoping he will eat something without being attacked. Has anyone experienced this before? Is there anything we can do to stop it? The poor little guy is dying? I was thinking if we could get him to eat over the next day we will get a separate 10 gallon tank and some new baby minnows his size that won't bully him?

[GHD97]

If he is still feeding and healthy, just separate him and feed well with good food for 1-2 weeks It will help get his strength up and try adding him back w the other 12minnows. A little time and patience is what most fish require to climb their social ladder^^

You could use those fish breeder traps so that he is kept in a aquarium with good water conditions than a new tank or container

[Nmoverley]

He isn't eating anything at all he's been separated and won't eat any food. His water conditions are still all good. Is there anything I can do to help him eat again?

[GHD97]

Try feeding him a variety of foods at least he has time to mooch around before deciding he's hungry^^ sometimes fish are attacked when they shave contracted diseases. It is the fishes natural way to preserve themselves: by driving away the sick fish so as not to infect the rest. Hence your fish may already be sick... Healthy fish should feed readily anyway. If your fish seems very skinny, he could have gotten fish tuberculosis which might cause wasting( IF I remember correctly) sometimes it just strikes unexpectedly. I would suggest you quarantine the fish as it might be infectious. No cure either. But some fish do recover on their own if they feed