1. Betta Splendens
You may have seen these fish in unkempt cups at Walmart and felt some sort of pity in your heart, in fact, you may already have picked one up in addition to your new 10 gallon. A single betta fish is an excellent choice for a 10 gallon aquarium. They accept a wide range of temperatures ranging from (76 to 81 degrees Fahrenheit) and they are a very hardy fish in general. While not recommended, many have even kept these fish through their cycling period. These bettas also come in many different varieties. Some of these varieties include: veil tail, crown tail, half moon, dumbo ear, and koi. An important rule to keeping these bettas is to only purchase 1 for your tank. Getting multiple males is likely to result in death of all the bettas. Females may be kept together but a 20 gallon or higher is recommended for this as their temperaments vary.
tl;dr
Pros: Hardy, interesting personality, lots of varieties
Cons: Territorial, susceptible to diseases when purchased from pet stores, can only keep one
2. Ember Tetras
While maybe difficult to find, ember tetras are the perfect tetra for a 10 gallon aquarium. Boasting a bright red color, these fish also accept a wide range of temperature ranging from (73-84). As a schooling fish, this colorful tetra needs to be kept in schools of about 6. This requirement is easily achievable however because of its small size only reaching up to 2cm.
tl;dr
Pros: Attractive coloring, schooling fish, small size
Cons: Committed to a school of 6
3. Shrimp (Caridinia/Neocaridina)
Depending on where you live and your water source, you might have soft water (ph >7) or harder water (ph <7). Softer water appeals to caridina species like crystal shrimp or blue bolts. These shrimp are very beautiful but also a very expensive entry point for shrimp. Harder water appeals to neocaridina species like cherry shrimp. Both types of shrimp prefer a temperature of 72 Fahrenheit. The most attractive feature of keeping shrimp is seeing them form a colony.
tl;dr
Pros: Low bio load, Chance for large colony, attractive coloring
Cons: Can be difficult to get correct water parameters, vulnerable to copper medications and other fish
4. Pygmy Cories
Regular cories size and rambunctious nature can make them a difficult school to fit into a 10 gallon. However, pygmy cories share their water puppy cousins playful-ness with the benefits of being small and compact. Because of this, they are the perfect companions for shrimp tanks. This species prefer to be kept in groups and will appreciate a sand substrate. Pygmy cories do trend towards the lower range of the temperature spectrum sitting comfortable at a 72-79 degrees Fahrenheit. They also prefer a varied diet.
tl;dr
Pros: Active bottom feeder, Small size, Generally peaceful and shrimp safe
Cons: Rather picky eaters
5. Snails
There are a few snails that would be perfect for 10 gallons:
Nerite
Mystery Snail
Malaysian Trumpet Snails
Its important to only keep 1 of these snails as they still produce a decent amount of waste. Nerites are specifically known to be algae eaters, but they also have the potential to lay small white eggs on every surface in your aquarium. These eggs will not hatch however because the water is not brackish enough.
tl;dr
Pros: Small, adds color and interest in a tank
Cons: Still produces waste, some species multiply quickly
6. Endlers Livebearer
Endlers are small, colorful and unique. Like Guppies, endlers are live bearers and can give birth to babies of their own. They only grow up to 1.5cm and are a very peaceful community fish. Their water temperature should be kept around 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Endlers are also recommended to be kept with 2 females to 1 male at the very minimum. Avoid putting endlers with fish like bettas or other fin nippers.
tl;dr
Pros: Colorful, Small
Cons: Population might grow out of control with the endlers' mating cycle.
7. Sparkling Gourami
Sparkling gouramis are very similar to bettas. They both are air breathers and prefer warming temperatures (76-82F). However this gourami is different from bettas and other gouramis in the fact that it can be kept in groups. They should be kept out away from quick or overly active tank mates as sparkling gouramis are rather shy and could become stressed under these conditions. Male gouramis are also known to create bubble nests!
tl;dr Pros: Colorful, potential babies
Cons: Preferably kept as a species only tank
8. Celestial Pearl Danio
Also known as the galaxy rasbora, this danio prefers heavily planted tanks. Its less colorful and noticeable from a distance due to its small size (.5-1 inch). These danios are much more active than tetras and do not hold the same schooling requirements as them. They do not hold a shoaling form but do still prefer to be kept in groups of 6 or more. If you find yourself keeping celestial pearl danios, make sure you keep them with tank mates similar in size so that the celestials don't have to compete for food. Also these celestials prefer cooler temperatures (72-79 degrees Fahrenheit).
tl;dr
Pros: active playful species, small
Cons: Territorial, susceptible to diseases when purchased from petstores, can only keep ones
9. Mosquito Rasbora
Speaking of rasboras, these mosquito rasboras are great for an aquascaper looking to create a more natural aquascape. They were known in the wild to eat a variety of insects and crustaceans. Mosquito rasboras stay quite small (less than an inch) and prefer temperatures range of 77-82F. They are timid but peaceful species and prefer dimmer tanks as well. Keep these in a group of about 6-10 to keep them from feeling stressed.
tl;dr
Pros: Colorful alternative to ember tetras,
Cons: Timid, not a great community fish
10. White Cloud Mountain Minnows
If you need a schooling fish that prefers cooler temps around 65-72F, then white clouds are the one for you. As a side note, white clouds can handle 78F (a standard middle ground temp for many community tanks), but their life span might be shorter and you will not receive spawn. These fish are active, sporty, and inexpensive fish. Perfect for a 10 gallon aquarium.
tl;dr
Pros: Attractive coloring, Long-fin variety, hardy, inexpensive
Cons: Largest schooling fish on the list, cool water can limit tank mates
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