What Is The Best Fish For My 15 Gallon Column?

[Babzilla]

I am moving my Cichlid to a larger tank and I would like to put some new fish in my aqueon 15 gallon. I have a 30 gallon quiet filter on it since the one it came with was too small.

My tank is cycled. No ammonia or nitrites. 80 degrees, some marimo balls and several java ferns.

 

[fluttermoth]

How wide is the tank, across it's widest part? (Hope that makes sense!)
 
Do you know if your water is hard or soft?

 

[Babzilla]

I have soft water. 13.6 wide

 

[fluttermoth]

Is that the length of one side, or from point to point across the widest part? 

 

[Babzilla]

Length of one side. Not diagonally (like a tv measurement).

 

[fluttermoth]

Oh, if only I was better at geometry!
 
Could you measure, from point to point across the widest part, so we know how much swimming room, lengthwise, the fish would have please? Sorry for being such a pain 

 It is quite important though!

 

[Babzilla]

18"

 

[Byron]

Yes, good to know the length.  For columnar tanks i would suggest quieter fish, meaning not active swimmers so forget the barbs and danio (most of which would be too large anyway, but generally too).  With soft water you have good choices among the smaller rasbora cyprinids, or among the characins some of the pencilfish (Nannostomus marginatus, N. eques), or a dwarf tetra like the Ember (Hyphessobrycon amandae), or cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi) or false neon (Paracheirodon simulans).  Some of these have colour, some less so.  All would appreciate twigs/branches, and floating plants.  I would say only one species from these, as they are all shoaling fish requiring a group; but a substrate fish could be included such as the pygmy cory, Corydoras pygmaeus, a group of 7-9.
 
Byron.