15g Stocking Ideas

[LisaLQ]

Currently using my 15g/60l, 2 x 1 x 1ft tank as a quarantine for the plecs, but in a week or two they'll be moving out, so was wondering what I could stock it with. I'm only used to big tanks, this is a whole new ball game for me.

I like catfish (I'm a plec-head really but nothing's small enough for in there), loaches (but wary of them after losing our big clowns to persistant white spot), cories, but am after something really special for in there - although not special aka super-pricey.

Doesn't have to be fish, could be shrimps or snails too - I keep land snails so aquatics would be nice, but again - no fixed plans so anything goes. Would have to be able to live around 80f as none of my tanks go below this for some reason, in soft water (probably rules snails out - we have a very low KH - doesn't even register on the scale - so ph always stays around 6.6-6.8 ).

Obviously the temp might rule out most cories too, and I cant get about much so choice is limited to standard LFS stock or Trimar stock list. Here's their link for a rough idea of what they get in:
http/www.tropicalfish.org.uk/tropical_stock_list.htm

Wont be stocking it straight away so will probably bung the filter in one of my other tanks until I've got the cash to get fish (next payday is already earmarked for £50 plec!), I just like to plan well in advance - so any ideas appreciated.

Waffling on, aren't I? Concise version - 15g, 80f, low ph, low kh, something really simple and beautiful, preferably understocking slightly.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

the low ph would be perfect for rasbora's. if you can get to QSS in bradford they tend to have a good selection of rarer livebearers and small community fish, so you can normally get something just that little bit different and really nice

they also have a lovely selection of cories normally, i'd go with a little group of cories then 2 small shoals of nice little rasbora type things

 

[LisaLQ]

Are there any cories that will cope with the high temp though?

I like the idea of rasboras - never even thought of them. Ooooh galaxies....not only beautiful but named after a chocolate, fantastic...

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Are there any cories that will cope with the high temp though?

I like the idea of rasboras - never even thought of them. Ooooh galaxies....not only beautiful but named after a chocolate, fantastic...

ha ha ha ha ha


lisa your not allowed galaxies..... i really really want some but i'm not allowed another tank

**miss wiggle sulks and stamps her feet**

80f.... thats 26-28oC right?? i think they prefer it slightly colder but i don't think they'd be terribly affected by it at that temp.

 

[Miss Wiggle]

or even better had a fantastic idea.... have 2 opaline gourami's in it he he he



it aint a big enough tank for them though sadly! lol

 

[LisaLQ]

Fabuloso I really want some seussi but they're pricey, or something pretty cory wise - got all the commoner ones (well, peppered, albino, bronze, metae, sterbai, melanotaenia). I love harlequin rasbora too - cheap, yet so pretty

Thing is, I look at the tank and think - it's tiny - and whereas normally I can picture how many fish to get for my bigger tanks, with this - I'm scared of overstocking it. How many actual fish could I put in it? 5 rasbora and three cories? And some nice plants? Less? More? Useless, me. I would prefer only a couple of types of fish, I'm not after several species so that it's a mish mash of different types - one set of cories, and one set of upper/middle level, maybe two at most - that'll do me

Edited to add - ROFLMAO @ gouramis! Nope, this tank is tiny!

 

[Breeze7050]

Dang Miss Wiggle - every post of your I see is talking nabout those galaxies - I finally had to look 'em up on aquabid. Cool little fish!
Back to the question at hand! How about a trio of dwarf puffers and maybe some ottos - you could try glass shrimp or the like, but they may get eaten! Of course you should also probably put a common plec in there!
Just my 2 cents, I like the little puffers. You could make it a mostly planted tank, add some cool rocks, live plants even!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

that's cos i reeeeeealy want some today!! is it odd i get cravings to own a certain fish??? lol

lisa the " per gallon rule works really well for tanks this size.... so 15 1" fish, maybe 10 if they're a little bigger than 1"

if you can get one of the smaller species of cories you cna have 5, then 2 shoals of tetra/rasbora type things, 5 of each

 

[Breeze7050]

No.... what's really odd is you just want them today!! Nah, just giving you a hard time! I do the same thing.
Dwarf puffers!!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

No.... what's really odd is you just want them today!! Nah, just giving you a hard time! I do the same thing.
Dwarf puffers!!

i want them everyday, but especially today for some reason.... i even did this face at Ian when he got home to convince him to let me have another tank.... no joy though

 

[Breeze7050]

LOL. I do that face too. Im always finding deals on ebay and craigslist. Ive been promised 1 for Valentine's Day, maybe you could give that a try??

 

[Miss Wiggle]

LOL. I do that face too. Im always finding deals on ebay and craigslist. Ive been promised 1 for Valentine's Day, maybe you could give that a try??

nah not really celebrating valentines as it's 5 days before our anniversary and a week and a bit before ian's birthday, we just can't afford to celebrate them all properly!!

and i already know what i'm getting for our anniversary so no tank

 

[Breeze7050]

we are totally hijacking this thread -- sorry Lisa!!
I know what you mean about holidays being all mashed together though - same with us. birthday, birthday, xmas, valentines - its never ending! Im sure one day soon you will get your fish though!!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

we are totally hijacking this thread -- sorry Lisa!!
I know what you mean about holidays being all mashed together though - same with us. birthday, birthday, xmas, valentines - its never ending! Im sure one day soon you will get your fish though!!

ha ha yeah sorry lisa

we've also got 3 other birthdays in jan and 2 in feb pricey time of year, especially just after xmas!

 

[LisaLQ]

LOL dont worry about it!

So what do you think of:

5 x harlequins
5 x dwarf rasbora
5 x small cories
+ plenty of plants + sand substrate

When you say small cories - do you mean the dwarf ones (like pygmaeus and habrosus) or the in betweenies (like pandas and metaes)?