Looking for stocking ideas for 15 gal

[TCool]

Hey everyone. I have a 15 gallon that just has some ghost shrimp in it right now. I'm getting bored with those, so I'll probably toss them into the 55 gallon and watch them get hunted.

I really wanted to get a green spotted puffer, and I had read that a 15 gallon was big enough for them, but something is telling me it is probably a bad idea to put a green spotted puffer in a 15 gal. Someone here also mentioned the dwarf puffers, but can't seem to find them anywhere around here.

So, that being said, anyone got any ideas for some cool fish I can keep in the 15 gal? I was thinking of probably staying FW, but if there is some cool SW stuff you can do with such a small tank I'd be open to hearing that too.

 

[TCool]

No good ideas?

 

[BigJim]

I'd keep away from saltwater in a 15g if you haven't done it before. Small tanks need a lot more maintenance than big tanks and are more prone to wild parameter swings.

I've heard that GSPs need something in the 30g range. They're messy, aggressive fish that really need brackish water to do well.

Personally, I think I'd use a 15g as a shrimp tank. I have RCS right now and they're cool. I'd like to get the yellow or blue varieties, but they'll crossbreed with the reds.

 

[brimac41]

I tried Green spotted puffers in a 15 gallon before and it did not work our well . I don't care for small aquariums because , as BigJim stated , they are prone to major parameter swings and I am no beginner . I have a 30 that I am going to give puffers another go .

I have never fooled with shrimp neither and you have already said you are bored with them so that rules them out . The only thing I can think of is a beautiful betta or some guppies , but you are probably looking for something cooler .

I know some that like to put danios and neons in tanks that small but I don't like that since they like room to swim .

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

You can look into making the 15 gal a sorority tank with betta's or you can go planted with tetras which will bring out quite a bit of color.

 

[TCool]

Would this tank be too small to try to breed a small type of fish? I keep hearing about certain types of fish (guppies I think are one) that breed like crazy and people don't know what to do with all the fry.

Well, I was thinking that if it is easy to do and can be done in such a small tank, I could start up a supply of snacks for my 55 gallon tank. I love watching my fish hunt live food in my 55 gal, but I don't like buying a lot of live food for them because I'm afraid of introducing diseases. But, if I can plop a couple guppies or something in my 15 gal and they reproduce, then I should have a nice disease free source (assuming I make sure the ones I plopped in are disease free) of snacks.

So, this a bad idea?

 

[BigJim]

It would be very easy to turn a 15g into a feeder guppy tank. I have a 20L in which I breed blue metallics. I also have a dozen panda cories and a bunch of RCS in the same tank. You'd be best off starting with some cheap feeders. Try for one male for every two females.

 

[mike0513]

get an electric blue crayfish and a redtail shark. This worked out well for me in a 10 gallon tank till the crayfish died of old age.

 

[Greenmaster]

I like the breeder idea... I started with FW and breeding was a blast! It was awesome to watch my fish chase the fry around.

 

[BigJim]

A 15g isn't really big enough for either a redtail shark or a crayfish. It can work, but it's far from ideal.

 

[mike0513]

A 15g isn't really big enough for either a redtail shark or a crayfish. It can work, but it's far from ideal.

This worked completely fine for me. The crayfish only gets to be about 5" long, and the redtail shark helps keep the tanks clean of any small bits of left over food.

 

[brimac41]

Redtail sharks get up to 6" . They may survive in a 15gal. but not thrive .

 

[TCool]

I thought about doing a crayfish, but I determined I'd need a bigger tank than I have now. Plus, the one I have now isn't exactly set up to be able to keep a crayfish in (I've heard they like to climb up air hoses and such and escape).

I think what I'm gonna do is try the breeding of guppies after giving my ghost shrimp a little more time. Just noticed another one has eggs, so I'm gonna see if I can get some babies to survive.

 

[mike0513]

I thought about doing a crayfish, but I determined I'd need a bigger tank than I have now. Plus, the one I have now isn't exactly set up to be able to keep a crayfish in (I've heard they like to climb up air hoses and such and escape).

this is true lol. my current crayfish is almost always tryin to climb out. i had to rearrange my tank so he couldnt haha

 

[CA_BroncoFan]

this is true lol. my current crayfish is almost always tryin to climb out. i had to rearrange my tank so he couldnt haha

I always prefer the tall tanks for crayfish because they are very sneaky!!