15 gallon high

[Davethegrouch]

I was recently given an old 15 gallon tall fish tank that I have no idea what to do with. The previous owner had gold fish but tbh, they look a bit cramped to me. The lighting is stock and I can't afford to upgrade it anytime soon but I would like to have plants if possible. Would the lighting be too low for even low light plants? Does the light have to be over the water or can you shine it through the glass like with a lamp or something?

As for occupants, I'm thinking I'd like an oddball tank with an apple snail and 2 or 3 african dwarf frogs and maybe some small shrimp? My concern is the height of the tank, is it too high for the frogs?

Not really sure what else would be suitable for such an odd sized tank. Any suggestions?

 

[TheFighterFish]

I always thought a 15 gallon was the measurements of a 10 gallon plus some height.

You could go for the ADFs, but I wouldn't make them your centerpiece. For fish, I would recommend checking out some of the dwarf gouramis. These fish have simply stunning colors. Along with it, you could add in a few male guppies for even more color to the tank. Platies would do well as well. It's not very oddball, but it's not so common either.

A lot of the oddball fishes can't be kept in smaller tanks such as this 15. For example, the black knife fish grow too big. Similarly, the African butterfly fish require a longer tank. Many catfish too, need more room to swim.

Even with your stock lights, you can keep java moss. It's really easy to grow once you get past its beginning days. I haven't seen too many setups with lamps shining through a top canvas, but it can be done.

Good luck with everything.