Having fish as pets is a great, long-term decision as they live up to about 20 years. We know how fun and exciting setting up an aquarium can be. It’s a nice decor piece and gives you the pleasure of having a pet without the mess!

However, it can be extremely challenging to figure out how many fish can be kept in a tank, especially if you’re going for smaller ones, such as a 10-gallon tank. In this blog, we will discuss the sizes of gallon tanks of aquariums and various fishes.

10-Gallon Tank

There is no doubt that a 10-Gallon tank is tiny for an aquarium. It provides little room for the fish to swim in. Even if the fish does get room to swim, it might need help to float freely. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of the size of the tank you buy.

Do your research to find out what’s the smallest and biggest fish you can keep in a 10-gallon tank to buy the fish accordingly. It would be too bad to have a smaller tank and a larger fish, and vice versa.

Moreover, keeping too many fishes in the tank can cause innumerable problems. For instance, overstocking. It can cause much pollution, creating various concerns for all the fish in the aquarium. There are many stock calculators online that can help you in deciding your goal. It allows you to calculate the number of fish of different species stocked in your desired gallon tank size.

How Many Fishes Should Be Stocked?

There are a lot of factors to consider before we answer this question.

Before we hand out just one answer, it is essential for you to understand a few things. A heavily-planted tank or a large filter could take away a lot of swimming space from the aquarium. If this happens, the tank or filter automatically takes up a lot of room for the fish.

Hence, they will have lesser space for the fish to swim. Multiple issues can occur for fish inside the aquarium. Poor water quality can ruin the health of a fish in the same way it can destroy the health of a human being.

One Inch Per Gallon: Myth or Reality?

There’s a rule followed all over the globe which is made by aquarists. They use the law of “1 inch of fish per 1 gallon of water” when stocking their fish inside the aquarium. This rule was created to stop amateurs from overstocking their tanks.

However, this concept is just a guideline. It should never be considered a rule. Other factors must be selected while putting fish in the tank.

However, the one-inch per gallon rule is handy for schooling fish such as neon tetras and guppies. You can evenly store these fish in the aquarium by following this rule.

Fish Shape

All fishes have different body shapes regardless of what type of fish they are. For example, Discus fish are tall and long. Somewhere around 8 inches spread in each way. Therefore, they need a 55-gallon tank since the bodies of these fish are sensitive.

Plecos are another type of fish. They have a high bio load, so they even need a lot of space for living in an aquarium. Sometimes, even the smallest fish species might also need a vast tank. Before figuring out how many fish you can keep inside your 10-gallon tank, ensure you understand your fish’s individual requirements. If you plan to get different types of fish, you’ll need to do more and more research about each fish’s unique needs.

Space Requirement

As mentioned above, the space requirement is essential while setting up an aquarium.

You need to know how much fish is enough. You should be mindful of where you have to draw the line. And you may be able to fit in more fish in the aquarium as expected. However, being cognizant of the fish in the aquarium is vital.

Fish You Can Keep in a 10-Gallon Tank.

We know you want to find out what fish can be kept in a 10-gallon tank. Here are a few fish types you can easily keep in a 10-gallon tank.

You can store the fish inside the 1-gallon tank aquarium if you need access to a giant aquarium.

Celestial Pearl Danio

We are starting off the list with this beautiful fish, Celestial Pearl Danio. It is a cute and small fish that is present only in Burma. Yes, the fish has yet to be spotted anywhere else as of right now.

The fish grows to a maximum size of one inch, which is suitable for a small tank. The specie is considered to be a schooling specie. It is recommended that the fish is taken in a pair of five fish. It is recommended to improve the well-being of the fish so that the fish’s lifespan may increase.

Goldfish

This list is incomplete with the Goldfish! Goldfish are peaceful freshwater aquarium fishes that can grow a maximum size of 6 inches. They are one of the most popular aquarium fishes. It is safe to say they are the only small aquarium fish everyone recognizes.

In a 10-gallon tank, you can easily store one or two Goldfishes. It is recommended to avoid placing common goldfish and fancy Goldfish in the same tank.

Golden Dwarf Barbs

The name of this fish itself suggests that they are small in size. However, we must remember that this fish is ideal for a set containing a 10-gallon water tank. The fish grows at a maximum length of 1.5 inches. Golden Dwarf Barbs are not famous; everyone does not know them. The fish is mainly found in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is usually only found in these countries. They have a golden-yellow color with black markings on them.

Neon Teras

Neon Tetras are one of the most well-known animals in freshwater aquariums. They have neon-like iridescent blue bodies. They also have a bright red stripe on their body. The strip is around the middle of the fish. Neon Teras fish loves to hide in plants!

Therefore, they prefer an environment with a plant-like surface to swim in. they are habitual of living in South America, where they can find the perfect environment for their desired conditions. The fish grows around 1.25 inches, so they are small in size. However, Ten of these fishes can fit into a 10-gallon tank easily.

Pygmy Corydoras

Pygmy Corydoras are peaceful in terms of petting. You should place them in the form of a group of ten fish. They also have an iridescent body with a black line that runs from their snout to their tail.

Pygmy Corydoras need densely planted tanks and plenty of hiding spots. You can create hiding spots if you want to keep these fish in the tank. They also need a sandy substrate to protect themselves. They require water changes on a weekly level as they are sensitive to nitrate levels present inside the water of the tank.

The average growing length of Pygmy Corydoras is around 3 centimeters making it sufficient for small tanks.

Guppies

Guppies are one of the most friendly fishes out there. They are easy to take care of. They can even breed without having to put in extra assistance. So, you should either put female guppies only or male ones only.

If they are put together, then there is a probability that they might start breeding. You can place 5-10 guppies in a 10-gallon tank of water. There are guppies available in a lot of colors. Male guppies are found in more colors as compared to female ones.

Betta Fish

Betta Fish are popular aquarium fish. They come in a variety of vibrant colors. They are easy to take care of as they don’t require you to put in too much effort. These fishes are usually supposed to be put alone. They do not go along well with fish of other species!

People typically keep them in a fish bowl. Hence, only one betta fish will be stocked for a 10-gallon tank. So, if you want to put in a lot of fish, there might be a better one for you! But if you only want to add one fish, you can consider Betta fish.

Dwarf Gourami

Dwarf Gourami is a peaceful fish with a moderate level of care needs. As the name suggests itself, the fish is small in nature. People with previous fish petting experience find Dwarf Gourami an ideal fish.

Dwarf Gourami fish get scared by loud noises. Therefore, they need to be kept in silent places. They need plants to flow better in the water. Their colors also glow better on such surfaces and water.

Swordtail

Swordtails look thinner than most fish. They come in a range of varieties. The name comes from the long sword present in the tale of the male of this specie. They can be a great addition to your tank. It can add some variations to your prized aquarium. They only need a little effort from their owners. Hence, you can put them on your list!

Ghost Shrimp

Not technically a fish, but ghost shrimps are a great addition to a 10-gallon aquarium. They grow around 1 to 1.5 inches. As you can analyze from their name, they are entirely transparent.

They can be given a home in a tanked aquarium, but heavier fish species can eat them. However, they should only be kept with small-sized fish. Since this is a small gallon tank, the risk is lower.

Tips for Maintaining a 10-Gallon Tank

Here are some tips for maintaining a 10-gallon tank. These tips are handy if you need clarification about what to do and how to manage the tank.

Change Water

Make sure you change the water in the tank every week. If it is not convenient for you to change the entire water, change at least 30 percent of the water in the tank weekly. There should be a filtration system in the fish tank.

This system will help eliminate all the leftovers from the water. The filtration system will also help keep an optimum oxygen level in the tank. Resultantly, the environment of the fish will become healthier.

Avoid Overcrowding

Overcrowding the fish tank can create a lot of problems. If you are not overcrowding the tank at any time, you can decrease the chemical levels of the tank. For example, keep checking the ammonia and nitrate levels of the tank. Uncontrolled levels of ammonia and nitrate can hurt the growth of the fish. In worst cases, the fish may also expire.

Conclusion

It is crucial to be careful when planning what fish to keep in a 10-gallon tank and how many. Select fish according to your budget and convenience while keeping in mind the size of the fish.

Overstocking is never a good option, so stock wisely. You can use the 1-inch rule if it is convenient for you and matches your situation. If you feel it is inconvenient for your case, you can ignore it. You should always do your research before you select the fish! The fishes mentioned are ideal for putting down in a tank of 10 gallons. Any of them can make your aquarium colorful and vibrant.

However, you must figure it out yourself to narrow down amongst these fishes. There can be multiple other factors that you might consider before making a decision compatible with your budget, requirements, and tank size.

How Many Fish to Keep in a 10 Gallon Tank?