Showcase fish for 15 gallon

[adamhaulena]

I have a 15 gallon tall (20l x 10w x 14h), heavily planted. I'm wondering what a showcase fish, or pair of fish, I could house in this? I would prefer a pair, but a single fish would be good if it was really something. I have 9 harlequin rasboras now, but I may get cherry shrimp.

I can forego the shrimp if I must.

Anything that will not require a new aquarium and can live happily and peacefully with the current occupants.

Adam

[seastar0328]

How about the smaller rainbows? They don't get as big as the normal ones but they are just as beautiful. A pair of a. cacs would be my choice but I'm biased! Peacock gobies are really neat but will stay on the bottom naturally. My 15 tall has 6 half banded rasboras, 3 panda corys, and one of my a. cac males and the colors all seem to compliment each other well. A pair of any apistos would look great like the cacs, agasizzi's, or mcmasteri's. They max out at around 3 inches and though they tend toward the bottom, mine like to swim around the middle of the tank too. A pair or rams would look nice as well. If you like to grow-out angels, a juvenile angel will do well and grow out in a 15 tall pretty well but I wouldn't make it an angel's permanent home. I used my 15 to grow out juvie angels until they were big enough to contend with my bigger boys.

[LoJack]

A colorful pair of Killi's would fair nicely in a setup like yours

[observant_imp]

With the rasboras filling the upper part of the tank, I'd go for something to fill the bottom.

Apistos or rams would be good choices. I'm one of those who has a hard time seeing a tank as complete without some type of cichlid, so it's hard for me to think of other fish that would work. I wouldn't put shrimp with cichlids (YMMV). There are lots of choices that would add life to your tank, but they aren't in the "showcase" category. A trio of cories scuttling around can be appealing.

[adamhaulena]

What about dwarf puffers? I've heard of great success in keeping them in smaller aquariums.

I was thinking of getting cories, probably 5-6. What are the smallest species of cories? I've had bronze, pandas, and numberous others, but all of htme grew to about 2".

This would be including the 9 rasboras, and a single (or pair) of the main fish.

What would fit in there for algae control? Otocinclus? What do you think of this? I have a few albino Ancistrus sp-144 in one of my other aquariums, but I fear he would get too large (approx 2" now). How many, if any otocinclus would fit?

Thanks.

Adam

[TankCleaner]

hmm... puffers and anything else...
not really a good idea. Puffers tend to eat anything smaller and nip at everything else. A couple of angels would look nice, but if you get them too large they may eat the rasboras...

[TAF CAF]

I would go for a bushy nosed plec. The females only get to 3-4 inches and would be perfect. Also, they seem a bit better at controling hard types of algae.

[mrbelvedere]

I'm thinking of about 4-6 nice cories. I like Corydoras adolfoi and sterbai, but its a personal choice. There's so many that would work well.

[kotoeloncat]

Apistogramma pairs make good showcase fishies

other suggestions:

-betta
-blue ram pair
-bolivian ram pair
-Discrosus Filamentosa (not easy fish but cute)
-Nanancara Aunomala
- a gold fish (just kidding, do not put one in your tank)

[adamhaulena]

Do you mean Dicrossus filamentosa?

I am not partial to goldfish whatsoever.

What is wrong with puffers? Will they really nip my other fish?

Adam

[seastar0328]

Originally Posted by adamhaulena

What is wrong with puffers? Will they really nip my other fish?
Adam

Yes, despite their cute appearance they most def will nip your other fish.
I learned this the hard way.