Stocking question for 15 gallon fluval flex tank
I have a 15 gallon fluval flex tank with aquasoil/sand substrate and live plants. I set up this tank for a betta, but after losing 3 in the past 1.5 years due to poor genetics, I’m feeling too heartbroken to replace with another betta.
In researching other fish, I discovered honey gouramis (T. Chuna specifically) and think they’d be a good fit. But I’m having trouble getting a consensus on how many would be ok for my tank.
If it’s relevant, I have sponge in one of the back sections and rocks in the other. I’ve never had an issue with nitrates between 1 fish and all the plants, but my new plan would obviously have a larger bioload.
Ideally I was imagining a trio (1 male, 2 females) with maybe 6-7 Pygmy corydoras. Since I’m used to stocking my tank with literally 1 betta, I’m not familiar with how many fish can comfortably be in a tank this size.
Would I be better off just getting 1 honey gourami? I’ve read that males are ok on their own, but I’ve also read that they are shy and prefer to have a couple companions to feel fully comfortable and happy.
A note on the photo: the plants are more dense than when I took this picture, but this is the best photo I have to give an idea of my setup.
Any advice about honey gouramis in general would be greatly appreciated! I miss my bettas so much and I just want to be a good caretaker for whatever my new fish end up being.