I’ve had a fish tank for just about five years. I started with a 10-gallon fish tank. And, I went through three of them. Today, I want to share with you what I believe are the best 10-gallon fish tanks available based on my experience, and based on my research.
In this blog, you will learn what I consider to be the best 10-gallon fish tanks and why I think they are the best.
Let’s dive right in. Oh, and sorry for the bad pun. It’s just a habit of mine.
The Best 10-Gallon Fish Tanks of 2021
Many times, people can be inclined to just select any ol’ fish tank “to get started with.” I get it. Not everyone just wants to go drop hundreds of dollars into an aquarium, supplies, and fish, unless you are me, of course.
With this in mind, you have to determine a) what are your plans for the fish tank and b) what types of fish will you keep in the fish tank?
As for the future plans of your fish and fish tank, you don’t always know. For me, I knew from day one that I would be keeping a pet crayfish. Being a novice though, I assumed I could keep two crayfish in a 10-gallon fish tank. Well, that didn’t turn out too well as my white crayfish ended up eating my very first blue crayfish. It was a sad day. Chomp! Chomp!
In short, one of the lessons I learned was that if you are going to keep a crayfish in a 10-gallon tank, only keep one. And while we are on the subject of crayfish and fish tanks, also remember that crayfish are aggressive and will try to eat your other fish. However, there are certain fish that pet crayfish will do well with. You can read about them more in this blog on the best crayfish tank mates. Talk about learning the hard way! Wow. I sure did.
Once you have determined what types of fish you might be keeping, then you can select your fish tank. Usually, if you will just be keeping pretty common freshwater fish like the ones listed below, a 10-gallon tank will work just fine.
Common 10-Gallon Fish
- Tetra
- Mollies
- Tiger Barbs
- Betta Fish
- Rainbowfish
- Zebra Danios
- Platies
At this point, if you are going to be keeping a crayfish, I’d suggest reading up on the best 20-gallon fish tanks. Otherwise, continue with my list of the best 10-gallon fish tank kits. Honestly, 10-gallon fish tanks are a great starting point to learn about keeping fish as pets. They are affordable, don’t take up too much space, but still provide enough room to keep many varieties of fish.
On to the list.
1. Aqueon 100527256 Fish Tank Aquarium LED Kit, 10 Gallon
This Aqueon 10-gallon fish tank was the first aquarium that I ever owned. It was a great starter fish tank because it came with everything I needed to get started, except for my actual fish and crayfish, of course.
Also, I had to buy fish tank plants, ornaments, and gravel. But other than that, the tank came with the following:
- LED lighting
- Low-profile hood
- QuietFlow 10 LED PRO power filter
- A preset heater that will keep your tank at the correct temperature
- Setup guide
- Fish food
- Water conditioner
- Fishnet skimmer
In simple terms, this tank is just easy to use. It’s easy to clean, easy to change the filters, and the mini door on top of the cover makes it easy to feed your fish. Just open and drop in sinking pellets or fish flakes. One thing you’ll also notice about this tank is that it’s very quiet.
2. Hygger Horizon 8 Gallon LED Glass Aquarium Kit
Look at this tank! Wow! It’s not quite 10 gallons, but it’s close enough and made it to this list because it looks amazing, among other things.
First, I love the wide view curved front of the tank. Also, the decorative 3D rockery mountainous background really sets the tank off. It provides some nice little crevices for fish to hide.
Another cool feature is the LED light that allows you to set lighting times for the day and evening. The tank also has three levels of brightness with light modes of white, blue white and red, and red and blue.
The water pump fits within the rockery mountain, and again, it too runs very quietly.
This is another great starter kit that allows for a great first-time fish tank experience while at the same time being the perfect size to fit comfortably in your home. It’s not too big, and it’s not too small.
And one more great thing about this tank, the shipper guarantees all shipments. In other words, if the glass is broken when you get it, just take a picture, and ship it back. They’ll take care of it.
- 7W 110GPH internal power filter pump that is powerful yet quiet. It also features a two-stage filtration system.
- Colored LED aquarium light.
- 8-gallon glass tank with a decorative 3D rockery mountain background.
- Muti-mode LED Light. It’s DC12V/18W, with extendable brackets and an external digital controller.
- The LED offers adjustable lighting times for brightness from 100% to 10%.
- Varied colored options for LEDs.
3. Aqua Culture 10 Gallon Aquarium Starter Kit with LED
Okay, so this wouldn’t exactly be my personal favorite. However, it’s on this list of the best 10-gallon fish tanks because of its high ratings on Amazon. It’s a very basic tank, comes with everything you need to get started, and is very affordable. So, with that in mind, it’s worth taking a look at.
As always, remember you’ll need to buy your own plants, ornaments, and gravel as mentioned above. Oh yeah, and those fish. You are going to need those, too.
But think about it, for just forty bucks, you can have a fish tank. That’s a good deal.
- Low-profile hood
- Energy-efficient LED lighting
- Tetra internal filter
- Easy filter cartridge changes and feeding without removing the hood
- Food samples
- Water conditioner
4. Hagen 15004HG Fluval Flex Aquarium 34L, 9gal, White
This is another one of the best 10-gallon fish tanks, and it’s just beautiful. It’s another top seller on Amazon and for good reason.
Although it’s a nine-gallon tank, it’s designed for illumination and has a multi-stage filtration system.
It features 36 white and 3 RGB fully adjustable lux LEDs that will shine over your tank and make it come alive with vivid colors. The 7500K LED lamp also helps to promote healthy plant growth, if you decide to go that route.
Additionally, there are a number of color options and special effects that can be controlled from a flex pad remote control.
For water quality, you can rely on the infrared remote sensor that is worked into the canopy. Just let it do its thing.
And for that superior water quality, the FLEX has a powerful three-stage filtration design. Without getting too technical, let’s just say this water system is a top performer. The system is out of sight in a rear compartment where it does its work.
This is another great beginner fish tank for the home or the office. Actually, I think I might want this tank myself.
- Brilliant illumination will make the tank come alive with vivid colors.
- Multistage filtration for ultimate water care.
- 36 White and 3 RGB fully adjustable 1900 lux LED.
- 7500K LED lamp.
- Multiple selections of color blends and special effects options. Options can be controlled from a flex pad remote control.
- An infrared remote sensor neatly integrated and easy to access from the canopy.
- Powerful 3-stage filtration.
- Multi-directional 61 GPH dual outputs for customized water flow.
- Curved glass front.
5.Tetra PLAYMOBIL Explore Your Aquarium 10 Gallon Kit
This tank has 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon. That means it’s pretty outstanding in the eyes of customers. I’ve personally owned a couple of Tetra tanks and they worked great for me.
This 10-gallon fish tank kit is great for any beginner.
It comes with energy-efficient LED lights that have a low voltage option. It too has a three-stage filtration system. The Tetra whisper power filter provides the perfect mix of mechanics, chemicals, and biological filtration to ensure clean water for your fish.
And the best part is, the tank is just simple. It’s an all in one unit. You will, of course, like other tanks, need to find your tank ornaments, plants, and gravel.
And, did you see the bonus? Yes, kids will love the free Playmobil toy.
Tetra aquarium products are dedicated to helping seasoned hobbyists and beginners alike enjoy a successful, life-long aquatic experience. Tetra products build fish-, reptile- and pond-keeping confidence, one innovation at a time. Our complete line of Tetra nutrition, water care, filtration, and aquarium products helps make fishkeeping accessible to hobbyists, so they can benefit from its rewards. The Tetra Playmobil 10 gallon explore your aquarium kit features a
- 10-gallon, crystal-clear glass tank.
- LED hood and high-quality lighting system.
- Tetra whisper power filter. Includes a medium filter cartridge to help you and your kids create a thriving environment for your fish.
- An easy-to-clean tank that is also scratch-resistant.
- Bright white LEDs that mimic the underwater effect of sunlight.
- Energy-efficient LEDs contain no mercury and are better for the environment than the use of fluorescent lights.
- Tetra whisper power filter allows for an effective combination of mechanical, chemical, and biological filtration for clean water and healthy fish, while the ultra-activated carbon removes bad odors and water discoloration from waste.
- The tank is easy to set up and clean.
- 50-Watt Tetra HT submersible heater.
- Tetra AquaSafe plus water conditioner that makes tap water safe for any of your freshwater fish.
- Reversible aquarium backgrounds, an activity book, and an aquarium setup and care guide that details valuable information for fish keeping.
- A free toy, Tom the aquatic scientist, comes with every purchase. Warning: choking hazard. Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
6. Build Your Own 10-Gallon Fish Tank
Like with any other size fish tank, building your own is an option as well.
Although it may be more time-consuming, you do have more control over your tank, and you may be able to save quite a bit of money with this option.
With this option, you could find a 10-gallon fish tank at a yard sale, on Craigslist for free, or at a second-hand store. Then you could build it from the ground up.
You would, of course, still need to buy a water pump, heater, gravel, and a few ornaments. However, if you are looking to save, you can make your own fish tank ornaments as well using PVC pipe, etc.
Personally, I think just buying a new fish tank kit is easier and guarantees that you get a good product from the start.
Important: After You Get Your 10-Gallon Fish Tank
After you find that perfect 10-gallon fish tank. You’ll want to be sure you do a few critical things before you just put some water in the tank and throw your fish in there. Going this route can lead to some dead fish and unhappy kids if you have them.
So, follow the steps below.
Make sure you do these things before you add the first fish to your new fish tank!
- Set up your new fish tank, add gravel, ornaments, and plants.
- Next, you will want to add water to your fish tank. However, you can’t just take water straight from the sink and put it into your tank. You’ll need to add a “water conditioner” first to neutralize the chlorine that is in tap water. Most fish tank kits will come with a water conditioner. If not, the water conditioner can be ordered online or picked up at any local pet store.
- For the next step, you are going to want to cycle the tank. This step can take a few weeks, but it’s critical in order to set up a healthy tank and healthy biofilter. This is the process that creates an environment that helps eliminate toxins in your tank from fish waste. I suggest you read this article on how to cycle your tank. Just scroll down to step five on that article and read carefully.
- After your tank water is cycled, then you can add your fish.
Remember, after adding your fish, you will need to get on a regular water-changing schedule. This will vary based on how often you feed your fish, the number of fish you have in your tank, and the type of fish you have.
Since I have a crayfish, which puts out a lot of waste, along with a red tail shark, I change about 25% of my fish tank water every two weeks.
Recap on the Best 10-Gallon Fish Tanks Around
As a recap, remember that a 10-gallon fish tank is a great starter tank for anyone looking to enjoy the fish keeping hobby. Having said that, you’ll want to make sure that the best 10-gallon fish tank is right for the type of fish you will be keeping. Because if you are keeping something like a pet crayfish, getting a bigger tank might not be a bad idea.
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