15 gallon stocking options

[Rye_]

Hi, I just recently got into fishkeeping, and was thinking to start a 15 gallon aquarium. So far, the stocking choices I’ve come up with are some kind of Corydora, green neon or ember tetras, and some kind of Apisto or ram for a centerpiece fish. My ph is 7.5 to 8, and my water is moderately hard. I’m hoping I can get fish with personalities that look nice. The questions I have are:

1: Are rams and apistos carnivorous or can I feed them an omnivorous diet?

2: Could I have a pair of rams or apistos in this tank or should I just stick with one?

3: Are there any kinds of rams or apistos that I could choose that do better in a community tank/ do better in higher ph and water hardness?

4: What experiences have people had with these two types of cichlids? I have heard that because they’re cichlids, they have a lot more personality than other fish.

5: Should I choose green neon or ember tetras?

6: What type of Corydora would be best?

And 7: Is there anything that these fish need to make them do better? (floating plants, sand, tannins, etc)


I would appreciate any feedback people can give.

Edited November 12, 2023 by Rye_

[ange]

South American cichlids in general benefit from a varied diet that is based on small invertebrates. I have personally kept a pair of German blue rams in a cube without any other species present, but they were a pair that got along. If you want to have two, I'd suggest having a backup plan available.

Personally I don't chase parameters too hard and find that having a hardness or pH parameter too low is far more punishing than too high. Excessively low pH increases the toxicity of ammonia and all living things in your aquarium need the minerals present in the water to survive. I live in an area with quite high GH, KH, and pH and in the long term I don't believe that those impacted my fish significantly. The Bolivian rams that I had were incredibly hardy and I feel like they could have survived nearly anything before the stress began to impact them. If you are incredibly concerned with hardness and pH and want to modify them, you can use distilled water to dilute the mineral content of your water. Having a lower KH tends to result in a gradual decline of pH and that will follow.

Rams are incredibly fun to watch and some of my favorites! The reason that I don't have any right now is because I don't want to finish a major project (or two) before committing to them since they're some of my favorites to breed. I like having a small amount of sand available to them so that I can watch their sand sifting behavior, but it's by no means necessary. I don't personally enjoy apistos and can't speak for them.

In a 15 gallon I would probably recommend pygmy or habrosus cories. Your choice in tetra is ultimately up to preference and with that said I would say ember tetras! 😂 I have green tetras that my family member picked out and ultimately I don't love them the way that I wish I did.

A lot of the things that are recommended to beginner aren't exactly required even if they are good ideas. Tannins can be amazing for creating a more natural-looking environment but the fish that we keep have generally been outside of nature for quite awhile and are adapted to captivity, with a few exceptions. Plants (especially those that feed from the water column) are great because they can reduce the nitrogen compounds present, but there are many other ways to attend to that concern. When you're starting out it can be helpful to reduce the number of variables in play so that it's easier to evaluate problems that show up over time. Enjoy your new fish!

[Kit Craft]

My tanks that have botanicals have a lot and I have tanks that have none. So, I have a one gallon with a whole small cholla wood, a whole catapa leaf cut up into smaller peices, three alder cones, and a piece of driftwood 1/3 the size of the jar. I'd say that is a fair bit of botanicals for something so small and my PH is 7.6. For reference, the tank without botanicals is 7.8 PH(10 gallon). Not a huge difference. But my 3 gallon jar is 7.5...lol. My tap water comes out at 8 and settles at 7.8. IDK if that helps but I figured I'd share. 

Fwiw my white clouds love plants, floating or otherwise. I'd guess lots of nano fish would too.

I have never kept apistos so I can't comment.

My vote is for embers too. They are cute, small and easily obtainable. 

Also, I like habrosus too but to be fair they are the only cory cats I have ever kept. 

 

 

[Rye_]

Thanks for the advice! Ange, I was wondering what rams you’ve enjoyed the most. I’ve been looking into Bolivians because I’ve heard they’re good community fish and have lots of personality. Is all this true? Also, what is it about ember tetras that makes them nice for you guys? Thank you for both of your responses!

[Rye_]

Also, ange, why didn’t you enjoy green neons? And kit craft, what do you like about habrosus Cory’s? Thanks

[ange]

Of the rams that I've cohabbed, Bolivians are definitely my favorites. GBRs that I have kept really needed the elevated temps to thrive and it wasn't the kindest to planted tanks (or other species, for that matter). Their tank got some really bad crypt melt due to the temps. I had a same sex pair of Bolivians in my 50 hex for almost 3 years (the tank has approximately the same footprint as a 20 high if you want to visualize the amount of territory available). They would occasionally get spicy with each other but they were ultimately great fish and I would love to keep them again someday. Since they do get larger than GBRs I would personally limit it to one specimen in a 15 gallon aquarium if you are planning to heavily plant it in the long run.

I don't enjoy the green neons because generally speaking I'm not a neon tetra (or even really a tetra) person. Tetra behavior isn't something that I find the most fascinating (genuinely I think that the best part of owning tetras is when a non-schooling fish tries to school with them!). I take care of my mom and she has always had "her" aquarium where she chooses what fish live there as long as it's appropriate for the tank and its inhabitants. Green neon tetras are (to me) neon tetras without the red stripe and there's not much to interest me. In comparison, ember tetras pop against the plants due to their coloration and that's what gives them the advantage.

It's hard to go wrong with any cory species, I have an impulse to collect them all (which I am currently not acting on) and I think habrosus are adorable. They're a similar size to pygmy corydoras (probably my favoritie species) but a lot of people don't find their pattern particularly appealing, so I suggested habrosus instead.

[Lennie]

On 11/12/2023 at 5:03 AM, Rye_ said:

Hi, I just recently got into fishkeeping, and was thinking to start a 15 gallon aquarium. So far, the stocking choices I’ve come up with are some kind of Corydora, green neon or ember tetras, and some kind of Apisto or ram for a centerpiece fish. My ph is 7.5 to 8, and my water is moderately hard. I’m hoping I can get fish with personalities that look nice. The questions I have are:

1: Are rams and apistos carnivorous or can I feed them an omnivorous diet?
I feed mine with high quality pellet food and spirulina flakes. Also feed them live bbs, frozen daphnia and spirulina brine shrimp.
2: Could I have a pair of rams or apistos in this tank or should I just stick with one?
If you are not someone willing to breed and have backup plans in case anything goes wrong, keeping one as centerpiece fish is a better idea in general. Breeding usually comes with aggression. Many apistos are harem breeders so they usually dont form an exact pair but come together for breeding purposes, in case it happens. My black rams form a pair however I observe some aggression between them sometimes so it also makes me question if they actually form a "pair". They raise babies together tho.
3: Are there any kinds of rams or apistos that I could choose that do better in a community tank/ do better in higher ph and water hardness?
Ive kept my german blue rams between 5.5 ph to 8.2 ph. From very softwater to harder water. No issues observed, but they never breed in high ph hard water. Ive never tried my apistos in that type of high ph hard water tank. That being said, based on the specific apisto, their care and tank requirements change. But some apistos are more flexible for such parameters if I am not mistaken, like cacatuoides and trifasciata 
4: What experiences have people had with these two types of cichlids? I have heard that because they’re cichlids, they have a lot more personality than other fish.
I enjoy my rams much more than my apistos. They are never shy, and like a water puppy. Fun to watch and feed. I would prefer rams over apistos if I gotta be honest. But their temp need will be limiting for choosing tankmates.
5: Should I choose green neon or ember tetras?
Green neons can go much higher temps it seems but they are usually wildcaught so soft low ph water may be important to have this regard. Which is also usually good for rams in my experience. 
6: What type of Corydora would be best?
Sterbais can go higher temps but they are big. Im also not sure if I would keep a bottom dweller with a cichlid that stays on the bottom side. Def none if you decide on a male and female.
And 7: Is there anything that these fish need to make them do better? (floating plants, sand, tannins, etc)

Depends on the species. Some apistos are black water, some are not. Overall I find tannins beneficial for the tank. I use plants and floating plants in all my tanks. Rams interact with sand. So I would highly suggest fine sand. They create a hole when they have babies. They also sometimes take it in their mouth. Like geophagus. They are called mikrogeophagus for a reason I think
I would appreciate any feedback people can give.

 

[Kit Craft]

On 11/12/2023 at 1:22 AM, Rye_ said:

Also, ange, why didn’t you enjoy green neons? And kit craft, what do you like about habrosus Cory’s? Thanks

I just liked looking at them. They way they look, move, pick through the substrate. But I think any cory would do that. Behavior and looks is what I tend to like about any fish. Sometimes behavior goes a long way. I like the way my ramshorns snails look but they are really boring to watch. Though my shrimp are not the most interesting to watch either, but they are just so freaking adorable it doesn't matter. 

I make choices on fish simply for superficial reasons, lol. 

[Rye_]

Thanks for all the replies, I think I’m gonna go with a school of Pygmy or habrosus corys, a school of ember or green neon tetras, and either a Bolivian ram or some kind of Apisto, probably Cacatuoides, Borelli Opal, or Hongsloi. Just wondering, are there any kinds of apistos that do better than others in community tanks/  could I do a pair of any of these types in the tank?

Edited November 12, 2023 by Rye_