# 15 gallon stocking ideas, advice please :)



## dorabaker (Jul 3, 2010)

My 15 gallon tank is looking rather dull at the moment. I had to take out all the elodea because it wasn't thriving in the low light, and I'm waiting for the Java fern to grow sufficiently to make the tank look nice again (at the moment the planting is looking a bit sparse, so you can see all the ugly brown algae on the back wall of the tank!) Having decided not to try a betta sorority, I've been considering other options to liven up the tank a bit.

at the moment the inhabitants are:
5 glowlight tetra (which can be quite nippy)
3 cherry barb (which are very sweet and peaceful, maybe because the tetras keep them in their place)

I'd like to increase the number of cherry barbs, and maybe add a shoal of Harlequin Rasbora as well if possible. I'm not sure how many shoaling fish can comfortably live in a 15 gallon tank, though. I'm aware it's quite a small tank for such active fish, and I know from experience that overcrowded shoaling fish tend to start attacking each other. 
mostly I'm worried that the glowlight tetras might attack any new fish I add to the tank, as they are quite territorial and need to establish a hierarchy among themselves. to the best of my knowledge cherry barbs and harlequin rasboras are peaceful fish, though.

Thoughts, anyone?


----------



## skipperdee (Mar 1, 2012)

i love Cherry Barbs!
have you thought of adding a catfish or pleco? i have the neatest Sailfin Pleco..!


----------



## dorabaker (Jul 3, 2010)

skipperdee said:


> i love Cherry Barbs!
> have you thought of adding a catfish or pleco? i have the neatest Sailfin Pleco..!


I've had several catastrophes trying to add Cory catfish to this tank in the past - I just can't seem to keep them alive, and I have no idea why. It's a pity, because they're one of my favorite fish, and the first tropical fish I ever kept. (Had no trouble with them back then!)
I also love plecos, but I'm pretty sure a sailfin would be way too big for a 15 gallon. even a Bristlenose would be pushing it...thanks for the suggestion though!
I love cherry barbs too, started off with more of them but lost a few along the way (they weren't very strong in the first place.) I'd really like to get some more.


----------



## Byron (Mar 7, 2009)

I wouldnot add any other upper fish, other than perhaps adding to the two existing species. A substrate fish could work, perhaps a Whiptail Catfish or the Red Lizard Whiptail.


----------



## dorabaker (Jul 3, 2010)

Byron said:


> I wouldnot add any other upper fish, other than perhaps adding to the two existing species. A substrate fish could work, perhaps a Whiptail Catfish or the Red Lizard Whiptail.


Thanks Byron. I like the sound of the whiptail, but I don't know if my LFS would have them - I don't recall ever having seen one. Might have to go to a bigger aquarium store


----------

