Help with 7 gallon stocking

[Fishboy0304]

Hey everyone, I have a 28 litre freshwater aquarium (about 7.5 gallons I think) and I need help stocking itso excited
I want something that is interesting but not a betta (I've had heaps of them)
This plant may or may not be planted depending on what fish I put in it. It's not cycled and I haven't set it up yet. It has a hang-on-the-back filter.
Any cool suggestions?

 

[Goggy]

lol i just watched this video:

But it is for 10 gallons, so i found one for 5 gallons:

 

[Essjay]

I would take that video with a huge pinch of salt - and I've seen him in other videos talking about different fish for 5 gallons.

This video's selection:

Pea puffer - fine if you have hard water. Read up on its dietary requirements. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/carinotetraodon-travancoricus/
Rosy loach - needs a tank with a minimum footprint of 60 x 30 cm (24 x 12 inch). Not suitable for 7 gallons. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/yunnanilus-sp-rosy/
Green neon tetras - needs a 45 x 30 cm (18 x 12 inch) tank and soft water. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/paracheirodon-simulans/
White clouds - needs a tank at least 60 x 30 cm (24 x 12 inches). Not suitable for a 7 gallon tank.http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/tanichthys-albonubes/
Scarlet badis - a pair needs a 45 x 30 cm (18 x 12 inch) tank. Has specific dietary needs, and I've never seen a shop that stocks females. http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/dario-dario/

 

[Fishboy0304]

Hey guys, thanks for the advice. Can I put an Kuhli loaches in the tank. If yes, how many and what tankmates?
Another question, can I put shell dwellers (multifasciatus brevis or multifasciatus similus) in the tank??
The surface area in the tank is 30cm by 30 cm

 

[Essjay]

We really need to know how hard your tap water is before recommending fish. For example, kuhlis are soft was fish while shell dwellers are hard water fish. You should be able to find your hardness somewhere on your water supplier's website - we need a number and the unit as they could use any one of half a dozen different units.

I'm afraid kuhlis need a 30 x 60 cm tank http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/pangio-semicincta/

Shell dwellers need 45 x 30 cm for a pair with a colony needing a bigger tank http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/neolamprologus-multifasciatus/

 

[Fishboy0304]

My local tap water ph is about 7

 

[Essjay]

We need the hardness not the pH. Look on your water provider's website.

Fish have evolved to live in water of a certain hardness. If you keep hard water fish in soft water they will become sick easily. Similarly if you keep soft water fish in hard water, they will suffer as well. We need to match our tap water hardness to the range needed by any particular fish.

 

[Goggy]

You could also look into apistogramma species if you are interested in cichlids of similar behavior. Try Apistogramma Borelli for a small species that can stay as a pair in your 7 gallon.

Also, fish that are born and raised in captivity, given that they are raised in different water qualities, can live in hardness levels that are not the same with their native environments.
(But you should still figure out your tap's hardness)