Help me stock my tank!

[Caroline2000]

Hey!

I’ve got a heavily planted 15 gallon tank which currently has 4 guppies, 3 amano shrimp and two snails. What else should I put in there?

I’ve been looking at small schooling fish like chilli rasboras and maybe a female Betta?

Any ideas?

 

[Colin_T]

What are the tank dimensions (length x width x height)?

What is the GH (general hardness), KH (carbonate hardness) and pH of your water supply?
This information can usually be obtained from your water supply company's website (Water Analysis Report) or by telephoning them. If they can't help you, take a glass full of tap water to the local pet shop and get them to test it for you. Write the results down (in numbers) when they do the tests. And ask them what the results are in (eg: ppm, dGH, or something else).

Depending on what the GH of your water is, will determine what fish you should keep.

Angelfish, discus, most tetras, most barbs, Bettas, gouramis, rasbora, Corydoras and small species of suckermouth catfish all occur in soft water (GH below 150ppm) and a pH below 7.0.

Livebearers (guppies, platies, swordtails, mollies), rainbowfish and goldfish occur in medium hard water with a GH around 200-250ppm and a pH above 7.0.

If you have very hard water (GH above 300ppm) then look at African Rift Lake cichlids, or use distilled or reverse osmosis water to reduce the GH and keep fishes from softer water.

 

[Lcc86]

It really depends on your water parameters as Colin has mentioned, and your tank size. If you have a mixture of male and female guppies, then they will breed prolifically!

I personally wouldn't put a betta in a community tank, even a female one, especially with guppies as bettas can be stressed by guppies due to their long fins mimicking other bettas. You could try a couple of gourami instead but again it depends on tank size and parameters.