Hi all I've got some stocking questions for my 15g planted tank

i recently lost one of my 5 neons due to suicide and i have added 3 serpae tetras to the tank so 4 neons and 3 serpaes.

what fish would you guys recommend  and also something that will eat dead or drying plant matter.

i looked into 

Kuhlie loaches but one side of my tank is dirt with no gravel and the other side is completly corse sand I think they might dig up dirt?

simese algae eater too big for tank?

bristlenose pleco too big?

Cory cats there too expensive like $8-$13 and they aren't solitary as well as they are bottom dwellers like the exisiting tetras.

tiger barbs aggressive?

And you can't get freshwater shrimps in NZ right?

thanks:)

15g is the size of a big bucket so not large. I don't know of any fish that eat dead or drying (I assume that's a typo and you mean dying?) plant matter. If you have dead or dying plant matter, remove it by hand, or net it out. If it is drying, you need more water 

Kuhlis love to dig. They will dig into whichever of your substrates is smoothest and easiest to dig.

Siamese algae eaters and Ancistrus (bristlenose) will get too big.

There are dwarf corys out there, 3 panda corys would be a suitable size but are more expensive than the larger ones, but I am confused by your comment " they are bottom dwellers like the existing tetras". Neons and serpaes are not bottom dwellers. As you were considering algae eaters, ancistrus and corys I thought you were looking for bottom feeders.

Tiger barbs will be very aggressive in such a small tank.

No, you can't get freshwater shrimps here (not tropical ones anyway)

Kuhlis and panda corys are the only bottom dwellers I can think of suitable for a small aquarium.

 

Actually isn't 15 gallons more like 55 - 56 litres? That sounds like a really, really BIG bucket ! (about 5 regular buckets?).

Ramshorn Snails do eat detritus & algae, maybe they would help?

Quite correct Colour_genes. I read it wrong 

 I'll just get 3 of the smaller verities of cories. I didn't want a bottom dweller because my neons and serpaes hang around the middle to bottom of the tank, but oh well.

also will cories jump out of an open top tank? I've read that they dart at the surface

thanks for your guys help really appericiate it

They shouldn't dart out - but yes they do like to go up and down on the odd occasion and also swim in the bubbles if you have a bubbler running.  Never say never though as if they misjudge then the odd one may go over the top   Bristlenose and others will also do it.