FISH TANK ARTICLES

The Best 10-Gallon Fish Stocking Ideas (With Photos, Behavior Notes & Alternatives)
A 10-gallon aquarium is one of the most popular beginner tank sizes, but choosing the right fish—and the right combinations—is essential for long-term success. Overstocking, mixing incompatible species, and adding too many mid-dwellers are common mistakes that lead to aggression, disease, and water-quality issues. This guide gives you proven 10-gallon stocking ideas, with photos, behavior notes, and safe alternatives so you can build a peaceful, thriving freshwater aquarium.

1. Single Betta + Peaceful Tankmates (Beginner Friendly)

Betta splendens remain one of the top choices for 10-gallon tanks. A single betta thrives with gentle tankmates that won’t nip fins or compete heavily for food.

Stocking Plan

  • 1 Male Betta
  • 8–10 Ember Tetras or Chili Rasboras
  • 3–5 Amano Shrimp (optional)

Behavior Notes

  • Keep only one male betta per tank.
  • Avoid fin-nippers like Serpae tetras and tiger barbs.
  • Betta prefers calm surface areas with floating plants.

Best Alternatives

  • Female betta (often calmer)
  • Endler trio instead of schooling fish

Enhance this setup by adding floating plants. See our substrate-free plant guide for ideas.

2. Nano Schooling Community (Active & Colorful)

If you want movement and color, a nano schooling community is perfect for a 10-gallon tank.

Stocking Plan

  • 10–12 Ember Tetras or 12–15 Chili Rasboras
  • 6–8 Pygmy Corydoras

Behavior Notes

  • Schooling fish need groups of 8+ for confidence.
  • Pygmy corys prefer sand and peaceful tankmates.
  • A well-planted tank reduces stress and boosts color.

Alternatives

  • Lambchop Rasboras
  • Green Neon Tetras

3. Pea Puffer Species-Only Tank (Oddball Favorite)

Pea puffers are tiny predators with big personalities—but they are not community fish.

Stocking Plan

  • 3 Pea Puffers (1 male, 2 females)

Behavior Notes

  • Require heavy planting and line-of-sight breaks.
  • Eat snails and worms—won’t thrive on flakes.
  • May nip tankmates, even small fast ones.

Alternatives

  • Single puffer in a 5 gallon + shrimp in the 10-gallon instead

For more puffer care details, see our pea puffer compatibility guide.

4. Shrimp + Nano Fish Combo (Low Maintenance)

Shrimp tanks are booming in popularity, and a 10-gallon aquarium offers plenty of space...

12 Aquarium Plants That Don’t Need Substrate (Perfect for Beginners)
If you want easy, hardy aquarium plants that thrive without soil, gravel, or specialized substrate, you’re in luck. Many of the best beginner aquatic plants grow directly on wood, rocks, or even floating freely. These plants are perfect for bare-bottom tanks, shrimp tanks, low-tech setups, betta aquariums, and aquascapes where you want simple maintenance without complicated planting. In this guide, we highlight 12 beautiful, beginner-friendly aquarium plants that do not require substrate—and explain exactly how to use them.

Why Choose Plants That Don’t Need Substrate?

Substrate-free plants are ideal for beginners and low-maintenance tanks because they:

  • Grow easily in a variety of setups
  • Attach naturally to rocks and driftwood
  • Survive in bare-bottom aquariums
  • Thrive in low or medium light
  • Offer hiding places for shrimp and fry
  • Absorb nutrients directly from the water column

They are also excellent for hospital tanks, quarantine tanks, and tanks where you want easy cleaning.

How to Use Non-Substrate Plants

Most of these plants attach themselves to hard surfaces. You can use:

  • Super glue gel (aquarium-safe)
  • Fishing line or cotton thread
  • Plant weights

Never bury the rhizomes of plants like Anubias or Java fern—they will rot if covered by substrate.

12 Aquarium Plants That Don’t Need Substrate

1. Anubias (All Varieties)

  • Light: Low to medium
  • Growth Rate: Slow
  • Placement: Midground or attached to hardscape

Anubias is one of the easiest aquarium plants in the hobby. Its thick rhizome attaches easily to rocks or driftwood, and it tolerates low light and beginner mistakes. Popular varieties include Anubias Nana, Petite, Barteri, and Coffeefolia.

2. Java Fern (Microsorum pteropus)

  • Light: Low to medium
  • Growth Rate: Medium
  • Placement: Midground

A classic non-substrate plant. Java Fern grows best when attached to wood or rocks. It produces new plantlets on its leaves, which can be relocated easily.

3. Java Moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri)

  • Light: Low
  • Growth Rate: Fast
  • Placement: Anywhere

One of the best plants for shrimp tanks and fry tanks. Java moss grows on any surface and forms thick mats that provide shelter and biofilm for invertebrates.

4. Bucephalandra (All...

Setting Up a Hospital Tank: Step-by-Step 14-Day Treatment Plan
Every aquarist should have a hospital tank—also called a quarantine or treatment tank. This simple setup prevents disease outbreaks, protects your display tank from medication damage, and dramatically increases survival rates when fish get sick. In this guide, you’ll learn exactly how to set up an effective hospital tank and follow a proven 14-day treatment plan for fin rot, ich, fungal infections, parasites, and bacterial issues. Whether you’re treating a betta or a full community fish, this plan offers safe, beginner-friendly steps.

Why Every Aquarist Needs a Hospital Tank

A hospital tank allows you to isolate sick or injured fish in a controlled environment. This prevents disease from spreading and makes treatment far more effective.

Benefits of a Hospital Tank

  • Protects your main tank from harsh medications
  • Reduces stress by giving the fish a calm, simple space
  • Allows accurate dosing of medications
  • Prevents disease outbreaks in your display tank
  • Saves money by using much less medication

Many new fishkeepers attempt to medicate the entire aquarium—but this often kills beneficial bacteria, harms invertebrates, and risks plants. A hospital tank is safer and cheaper.

Hospital Tank Setup (Beginner-Friendly)

You do not need a complex setup to build an effective hospital tank. Keep it simple, clean, and easy to monitor.

Recommended Tank Size

  • 5 gallons — Betta, guppies, small tetras
  • 10–20 gallons — Medium fish, multiple small fish

Essential Equipment

  • Sponge filter (gentle flow, safe for medications)
  • Heater (for tropical fish)
  • Lid (sick fish jump more often)
  • Air pump (increases oxygen during medication)

Substrate & Decorations

Hospital tanks should be bare-bottom to make cleaning easy.

  • No gravel or sand
  • No plants (most medications harm them)
  • Use only 1–2 hiding spots such as PVC pipes or ceramic caves

Water Parameters

Use water that matches your main tank to reduce stress:

  • pH: Match display tank
  • GH/KH: Same as display tank
  • Temperature: Match or slightly warmer

For help understanding your parameters, see our full freshwater chemistry guide.

When to Use a Hospital Tank

Move fish into a hospital...

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The Best 10-Gallon Fish Stocking Ideas (With Photos, Behavior Notes & Alternatives)
THE BEST 10-GALLON FISH STOCKING IDEAS (WITH PHOTOS, BEHAVIOR NOTES & ALTERNATIVES)
A 10-gallon aquarium is one of the most popular beginner tank sizes, but choosing the right fish—and the right combinations—is essential for long-term success.
12 Aquarium Plants That Don’t Need Substrate (Perfect for Beginners)
12 AQUARIUM PLANTS THAT DON’T NEED SUBSTRATE (PERFECT FOR BEGINNERS)
If you want easy, hardy aquarium plants that thrive without soil, gravel, or specialized substrate, you’re in luck.
Setting Up a Hospital Tank: Step-by-Step 14-Day Treatment Plan
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Every aquarist should have a hospital tank—also called a quarantine or treatment tank.

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