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Tetras and the like really are your only options in a 15 gallon tank. Both angels and most plecos grow to big for a 15 gallon. Even the smaller plecos get somewhat large and will take up alot of room.

Seahorses are saltwater, require more than 20 gallons, and are very hard fish to keep.

Some larger fish I suggest are bolivian rams and dwarf gouramis.

As for smaller, danios, barbs, and cories make neat alternatives to tetras.

You can not have all of these together, in fact, I would only suggest 1-3 species.

Basically, any schooling fish should be 2 inches or less.
Any large fish should be 4 inches tops.

Personally, I have a 20 gallon long (despite only being 5 gallons bigger, it's alot wider). It's stocked with a bolivian ram and serpae tetras. I personally thing serpaes are awsome fish. They are, being tetras, colorful. However, they are very, very bada$$. They constantly chase each other around the tank nipping at their neighbor's fins. No harm comes out of it, but it's cool to wach.

A really nice betta, a few female guppies, some corys, and an interesting shrip (bamboo, vampire, etc) or just a few ghost shrimp

My 10g happily hosts 5 harlequin rasboras, and 2 otos. It will soon have 5 or 6 pandas and 1 betta, although if the current is too much for him I will get a bolivian ram and see how that goes. The tank is planted and has a good filter on it (aquaclear mini). With regular water changes it should be fine. Not rushing the fish into the tank helps. Also not exploding the bag helps. Lost one harlie that way!
The harlies surf in the filter return, they are very active beautiful fish, though they tend to look washed out in the store, once they were in the tank they brightened up alot!
The otos are a treat to watch as well.

Good Luck!

Last edited by luvmykrib at 20-Dec-2005 15:08

"If you're afraid you'll make a mistake, you won't make anything."
-Family Circus

A beginner, imho, should get at least a 20 gal or so to start. Here's why. The greater amount of water the more stable the water parameters will remain. I had a pair of blue dwarf gouramis in a 10 gal tank and they did well, if you don't count the dropsy, the fin rot and the other maladies that resulted from poor water quality.(My bad)! Once they were in the 29' they started to flourish. The nitrates can just spike too quickly in a smaller tank and many fish, such as gouramis, tetras and others mentioned here just need a water with stable, pristine conditions. If she's set on a large-ish fish, then I wholeheartedly agree with Keithg.. get a bigger tank... It'll be easier to maintain. All that being said, I wouldn't mind a 15gal set up with some nice plants and: a dwarf pleco or mayhaps a pair of ottos; a nice school of cards and perhaps a male betta. Naw, scratch the plec, just a few ottos, or mebbe a few cories...

Last edited by divertran at 20-Dec-2005 11:38

Last edited by divertran at 20-Dec-2005 11:38

Maybe rams? Its cutting it fine though.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Like Keith said, if she is looking at larger fish, she should think about a larger tank. There are not many options, as far as large fish go, for a 15g tank.
She should look into a 55g or similar if she wants larger fish. If she can't get a tank that large then she should start out with the 15g, with tetras or other smaller fish and then learn, save up and get the big tank. Being a beginner, she needs to start somewhere, with easy to keep fish.
Make sure she researches enough before purchasing any fish. Good luck!:%)

*Kristin*

Now, electric yellows are a different story. They are much larger than the shellies and can be a little territorial (they are peaceful for Mawali chichlids, but still...) You really can't have electric yellows in a 15 gallon.

WHAT ABOUT ELETRIC YELLOWS?

SHE LIKES THEM BUT WANTS OTHER COLOURS, I THINK WERE RUNNING SHORT OF OPTIONS!

I dont think the black tetras would work, I think they're the nippy kind.

If you want something that is easy to take care of try this:

3x Plattys
5x Panda Corys
3x Black Tetras (small fins- I forget the scientific name)




Inky

Shellies would be a great choice. I have multies, and they are very easy to keep. I've only had one die on me, and that was because it tried living in the filter.

I don't know how expensive they are in your area, so I can't really comment on price. I got my original 6 for $2 each, I believe, since I bought them from a local breeder. You would only need 6 or so to begin with. Mine are now breeding all over the place, and I need to give some away.

They'll need lots of shells in different sizes, and will probably prefer sand to gravel, since they like playing around with it.

Good luck!

---

They shade the glow of it with their mossy-misty costumes,
They wear masks of silk, porcelain, brass, and silver,
So as not to mislead with their own, ordinary faces.

Sounds like too much of a wish list. If she wants larger fish she better start thinking about a bigger tank. I think a good Xmas present for her would be a good book for beginers.

Have a look in [link=My Profile]http://
www.fishprofiles.com/interactive/forums/profile.asp?userid=6741" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link] for my tank info

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

I don't know anything about shellies, except that they seem very interesting. I am not sure how hard they are to keep. I would look into that since she is a beginner.
If you could find them they would be perfect for a 15g.
Like the others said, tetras, barbs or a single centerpiece fish is about all you could fit in a 15g. Or the shellies. There is not much to choose from because of the small space.
Out of the 6 pet stores near me (only one is a true fish store), none of them have ever stocked shellies.

*Kristin*

Ok, shellies are PERFECT for a 15 gallon, however
A. they are hard to find (at least by me)
Out of 10+ stores by my house including 3 completely fish stores, only 1 stocked shellies and even then, there were very few of a given species and they were not labeled.

B. The shellies you do find are very expensive. By me, at least, the smallest of shellies go for $18 and more for larger ones. $18 might not be "that" bad, but shelldwellers are only one inch long. In a 15, you'd be wanting a good 15-25 fish for a colony, an astronomically expensive venture for a 15 gallon tank.

If you do happen to find cheap shellies, neo. multi. is the best species for you. Neo. brevis is commonly used in small tanks, but they're antisocial. Multis stick in nice colonies and really give you the whole shell-effect. You would be looking at only 1 species of fish, or perhaps a rockdweller such as a dwarf juli as well. Julis are much more common than shellies, but again, can be pricy. Two of my local stores sell them and they go between $18 - $30 a fish.

in all honestly really, in a small tank like that, u know u can't house large fish, and often large fish aren't that colorful. they may be colorful when small, but often that color fades, for natural survial reasons.

with small things like teras/barbs that would be the best for color, but if u are looking into that, try swords or other livebearers. a wide color source.

Hum.... 15 gal. Let me see.

1 Beta splendens
6 cory pandas
3 - 5 head and tail light tetras.
Lots of plants !

Make this a Tropical Paradise !

The Beta is very colourful, the pandas will take care of the bottom and the head and tail will provide "neon light" in the tank. Should be just fine. Make sure she gets at least a 150 Aqua-Clear filter... if not a 200 just to be safe on the filtration. Pandas are a bit sensitive to "bad" water conditions.

If you go with pandas, make sure you get rounded gravel, no sharp hedges... that would damage their barbels. They are worth the extra TLC.

This combo is bullet proof and tested by lil' ol' me. Works great.

Happy Finns and Gills !

Sponge

CALLA its glass standard 2.5'x1'x1'

everybody else. like i said shes not real keen on tetras, what bout shell dwellers?

A giant betta maybe? they are pricey though, but it'd look awesome

the Sydney Seahorses (whitei) would fit in that size tank, but they are not breeding atm so all stock is wild caught, and in summer you'd need A/C to keep them alive, so probably a miss.

Is it just a standard glass tank or an all-in-one?

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

15 gallon? differant colors? large fish? hrm...a single thick lipped gourami or such for a large "centerpiece" fish, nothing that gets tall or over 3"...no plecos. not even the small ones....plus, their care is too intesive for a noob...anything that requires specially prepared food like veggies and such is a bad beginner fish IMO. plus there will be no room for even a BN pleco, heck i dont have enough room in my crowded 29 gallon for a BN pleco, so i must say goodbye to her very soon, she is closing on 3" lenth.

having to part with a fish sucks, so get something she can keep even when its full grown.

so, i am thinking for a 15 gallon, maybe others can correct me, but, maybe 3 pencil fish, or 2 cherry barbs, or some non nippy little fish that is around 2" and doesnt get huge or need tons of their own kind for a school.

a single gourami that gets 3.5" will be good, it will have its room, and yet wont have anything to bicker with.

and for bottom feeders, how bout a school of 6 panda or salt and peppers corys or another form of midget corydoras...small, cute, active, and fun.

if she gets cherry barbs make sure she puts lots of plants in there, fake or otherwise, they need cover. and one cave for the corys. thats it. care? hakiri algae wafers and sinking carnivore pellets, and a good high protien community food for the small fish and gourami. she can always get shrimp pellets for the corys and blood worms and such as a treat. best part is care and water changes are kept simple, no aggro, and all the fish are fairly hardy.

No angels in a 15g. They get too tall and need atleast a 29g tall tank. Atleast.
Tetras are good. They are smaller though. She could have a large school of tetras, there are many choices depending on what colors she likes. I think a big school of cardinal tetras would be great for a 15g. She could easily fit 12 in there.
Another choice is a male Betta and some neons (or cardinals). Or a dwarf gourami and some neons or cardinals.
I am not sure, but I think maybe she could have some smaller cories for the bottom. Maybe a small school (6) of panda cories. Someone else will have to verify if they are ok in that size tank.
Get her to look through the profiles on this site, if she wants tetras, and see which one she likes. Narrowing it down will help us give advice on what she can have. There are many options I am sure.
My suggestion for a beginner is a school of tetras, some smaller cories for the bottom, and a few ottos for algae.


*Kristin*