Ten gallon aquariums are some of the most common size of fish tank. These fish that we will be talking about in this article are more common fish that you should be able to find in just about any pet store that sells fish. None of these fish are exotic, and if you’re looking for exotic fish for a 10 gallon, please read our article. However, if you are looking for more common fish, continue reading.
Best fish for a 10 gallon tank
Guppies
Guppies are a very popular beginner fish, and for good reason. They are small (only getting about 2.5 inches at max), beautiful, and easy care for.
They can live in a pH anywhere from 5.5-8.5, but neutral is best for guppies. They can eat a number of different foods, but ideally their main food should be fed a high quality flake food if you can. Some say they can even live in a 5 gallon, however you can keep more guppies in a 10 gallon.
How many can I keep?
You should be about to keep about 8 guppies in your 10 gallon tank if they’re the only fish you will keep in the tank.
Neon Tetras
Neon Tetras are some of the most popular fish for a 10 gallon tank. These fish are small, colorful fish that can live with a number of other fish. They are often kept with Cardinal tetras, Black Neon Tetras, and Black Skirt Tetras. These fish have smaller mouths, so make sure that the fish you buy will fit in their mouth. You can feed these fish pellets (as long as they’re small), flake food (crush up the flakes so that they’re very small), brine shrimp & bloodworms.
Neon Tetras should be in water with a temperature of 70-82 Fahrenheit (or 21-27 Celcius) and should be in soft water. These fish enjoy blackwater, so consider adding driftwood. They also do best in a tank with plenty of vegetation, so also consider live plants.
How many can I keep?
You can keep about 10 neon tetras in a 10 gallon aquarium. You could also keep a snail or two along with the fish if you’d like.
Mollies
Mollies are medium-sized fish that can get up to 4.5 inches. These fish can live up to 5 years and come in a variety of colors. Some types of Mollies include Sailfin Mollies, Lyretail Mollies, and Black Mollies. The recommended water temperature for these fish in 75-80 Fahrenheit and the pH should be 7.5-8.5. These fish should be in a water with a hardness of 4-12 dGH.
How many can I keep?
You can keep up to 4 molles in a 10 gallon tank. Try not to add any other fish you that the tank doesn’t get over-stocked.
Platies
Platies get about 3 inches in length and live for 3-5 years. These fish need dense vegetation in their aquarium. These fish are peaceful, so they can be with tankmates. Tankmates for these fish include Gouramis, small peaceful barbs, Tetras & Characins. The types of platies include the Mickey Mouse Platy, the Red Wag Platy, the Sunburst Platy, the Green Lantern Platy, the Dalmation Platy, & the Blue Wag Platy. If you’d like to know more about Platies and how to care for them, feel free to check out this article
How many can I keep?
You can keep 4-5 platies in a 10 gallon tank. If you have the money, go ahead and get a large tank if you want any more.
Otocinclus
Otos are only about 1-2 inches in length, which means they should easily be able to live in a 10 gallon aquarium. They can live up to 5 years & actually aren’t prone to really any diseases, but they can get Ich. Otos can live with a variety of other fish such as Corydoras Catfish, Danios, Dwarf Gourami, Guppies, Angelfish, and Cherry Barbs. Types of Otos include the Common Otocinclus, the Golden Otocinclus, the Zebra Otocinclus and the Dwarf Otocinclus.
How many can I keep?
You can have a school of 6-7 otos for your 10 gallon. These fish are pretty small, so you can keep a small school of them.
So what do you think? There are actually many more fish that you can keep in a 10 gallon aquarium. You could also keep smaller types of fish such as Dwarf Rasboras or Neon Green Tetras. Don’t forget, you could always keep a betta if you’d like as well.
Other fish you can keep
You could also consider these fish as well.
- Kuhli Loaches
- White Cloud Mountain Minnows
- Apistogrammas
- Zebra Danios
- Pea Puffers
- Black Neon Tetras
So as you can see, there are many different types of fish you can keep. Most fish will be pretty small however, there will be some medium-sized fish you can keep.
How many fish can I have in a 10 gallon tank?
It honestly depends on what fish you’re going to keep. You can to keep up to 10 small schooling fish, or about 2 medium-sized fish. There aren’t any large fish that can live in a 10 gallon tank however.