Starting Over...Need recommendations and help

[Starfish]

LOL very true that danios can be hard to catch. You could cycle with something else, just keep up on your water changes. The only other bottom feeders I would suggest for a 10 gal. are yo-yo loaches, corys would be better though as you could fit more in without over stocking. Tetras are middle swimmers as well as the dwarf neon rainbows (I love those) that have already been suggested, and the dwarf gourami. Personaly I say to leave bettas out of community tanks, although it can be done, you have to be very careful about what other fish you put in there, no nippy fish or your bettas fins will be gone.

EDIT: ottos would also work in your tank if your after some algae eaters

 

[Alien Anna]

So its either the dward gourami or the betta hmm? I've cycled with danios before. They're tough little buggers to catch if you want to get them out of the tank, which is why i asked if i could cycle with something else, since i dont want to keep danios. Is there anything else i could substitute for the cory, so as I could have maybe one bottom feeder and more active middle/upper tank dwellers? I think the betta would be a good spotlight fish, though i have never seen a dwarf gourami in person. What about cycling with a betta?

Which is why Fishless Cycling is so good - you don't need to get danios to cycle and you can add the fish you want right from the start. If you aren't familiar with the technique follow the links in my article which is in my sig.

Bottom feeders of any kind won't cope well with cycling (that's corys or loaches). Bettas can get fin-rot in poor water quality. Most tetras are not very hardy although a few are reasonably so. No fish can be guaranteed to survive cycling, however.

Also dwarf rainbows are notorious fin nippers, I'm lead to believe. Might not be the best with a betta.

 

[BigChiefSmokem]

LOL very true that danios can be hard to catch.  You could cycle with something else, just keep up on your water changes.  The only other bottom feeders I would suggest for a 10 gal. are yo-yo loaches, corys would be better though as you could fit more in without over stocking.  Tetras are middle swimmers as well as the dwarf neon rainbows (I love those) that have already been suggested, and the dwarf gourami.  Personaly I say to leave bettas out of community tanks, although it can be done, you have to be very careful about what other fish you put in there, no nippy fish or your bettas fins will be gone.

EDIT: ottos would also work in your tank if your after some algae eaters

I was worried about other fish nipping at the bettas long fins. I need to pick up some fish to cycle with, i think i will do that tommorow. Also, i was told not to do water changes while cycling. How often do you suggest changing the water, and how much? I may pick up some danios and keep them in there cause i DID like them when i cycled with them before. They were fun to watch swim around. They're just not very colorful.

What about:

4 various danios (to cycle, keep in tank)
4 tetras (or dwarf neon rainbows)
dwarf gourami or african cichlid
3 corys

 

[Starfish]

Id keep the chiclid out and go for the gourami, 3 corys is great Personally I think your tank would look best if you had just one larger school (5 or 6) of either tetras or danios, although you could do both. If you go with that option be sure to keep up on the water changes. It is good to do water changes during cycling