To get right to the point, I have two male bettas and I plan on upgrading them from their 1 gallon and 3 gallon bowls to a divided 10 gallon. This will be my first real tank ever so I'm quite new to all of it.

I already have the tank, heater, an air pump, and filter for it. I also plan on turning it into a planted tank (still need to get the substrate and some proper lighting). (If anyone has tips on how to get started, I'd love to hear it!)

I was just wondering if there would be any suitable tank mates for my boys. Initially I wanted to get some cory cats, but since they're schooling fish I figure it wouldn't really work out.

Best bet would be either a small school of white cloud tetras or harliquin rasboras...or some other small schooling fish thats not known for being nippy. Larger tetras are not always a good idea because the bettas fins are attractive to them. Id stay away from any type of fish with pretty fins or too brightly colored. Bettas can be very vain and dont like having other 'pretty' fish in the tank with them.

For a 10g you will be over stocked if your putting multipul fish on each side. I would stick to a small bottom feeder like and few little otos for each side.

I would just put some shrimp since most compatable fish with a betta are schooling fish.

You are more of an expert than I am Whisper but it seems like adding a school of otos to each side would be too much. That just my opinion though...

Two otos on each side would work fine. Also I have one otos in a tank with Bettas and he doesn't seen to know that he should be in a school.

From info I have recently received Otos don't need to be in a school. I have two tanks at the moment that only have one oto and they are doing great.

three zebra danios or glo-fish on each side would work as well. As long as they are in groups of three they do well.