15 g planted

[reecers]

hi im working on a 15 g planted, right now i have a suitable heater and a 30 gallon power filter, lighting will be sufficient, i just havent bought it yet as my tank just started the fishless cycle so i have some time, i also have a DIY Co2, i got mislead with the LFS here in oklahoma so i have more than what i need, i was wondering if anyone had some good suggestions for this tank as in fish, its going to be a strong current tank and i have some rocks for shelters for fish to literally sit in, i dont like any of the fish types that are very common like in petsmart and what not but am open i just dont know that many fish speicies and what they are capable of, im looking for dwarf cichlids, and some inverts that are compatible and nibble on the plants but dont destroy them, thanks for any suggestions, will have pics updated tommorrow

[SpeedEuphoria]

I hear Kuhli loaches like stronger currents(believe they are found in rivers), not sure if they would work with dwarf cichlids?

[reecers]

yea but i hear kuhli loaches get kinda big i dont kno if they would fair well in small tank

[JustOneMore20]

Kuhli loaches get about 4" so they would be ok in a 15g. They tend to hide a good bit, from what I've read, so don't be surprised if you go days without seeing them. They are pretty cute though.

Since you don't like common fish, that rules out tetras and rasboras? If you want Dwarf Cichlids, you would only have room for a pair and really, a 15g is a tad small IMO for most Dwarf Cichlids. A pair of Blue Rams might be ok, if you have a fair amount of plants. Any Dwarf Cichlid would eat shrimp. Along with some Rams, you could get a school of something or just get some Otocinclus. Harlequin rasboras are nice looking schooling fish that would be fine in your tank.

[dskidmore]

Otocats (Otocinclus catfish) stay small and like high current and rocky substrates. Not sure about compatibility with dwarf cichlids. Most Cichlids I've ever met were mean...

[SpeedEuphoria]

Just a note on the Kuhli's, they do get ~4" long but are thin compared to most 4" fish so they are OK for smaller tanks where other 4" fish are not.

Was just a mention, I wish you luck in finding your perfect fish as it can be tedious finding some that you want and will work good together.

[Purrbox]

Shellies would be really nice for that size aquarium.

[reecers]

shellies? and yea im gonna have it fairly planted, i was looking into apistogramma cacatuoides (cockatoo cichlid) but im having a hard time figuring out a clean up crew to help me keep the plants down and not get eaten or multiply a thousand times or get really big, i was lookin into shrimp but i hear they multiply a lot

[JustOneMore20]

Apistos would eat shrimp for sure.

You don't really need a clean up crew. Plenty of people keep tanks without a designated clean up crew. Otos would eat algae and would be fine with Apistos.

The tank is a tad small for Apistos IMO, but it may work. Some have bad attitudes, while others are pretty well behaved.

Instead of a clean up crew, I'd do a pair of Rams or maybe a trio of Apistos and then a small school of tetras or rasboras for the top.

Dwarf Cichlids occupy the bottom, as would your clean up crew (except Otos would be on the glass and plants alot).

[Purrbox]

Shellies are Shell Dwelling Cichlids. Very cool little fish, although it would take some extra planning to keep plants with them. Possibly sticking to plants that can be attached to driftwood and rocks, or even planting in pots. The Shellies won't tear apart the plants but enjoy bulldozing the sand and rearranging their shells.