# 40 gallon betta tankmates?



## FrightyDog (Apr 16, 2013)

I am looking for a nice fish to "fill out" the tank like a schooling fish. Currently IU have 1 betta, 4 ADF, 3 female platy, 1 bristlenose pleco and 7 silver tip tetra which i plan on booting out. I want to change the tetra for something betta friendly, but I am not sure what. Possibly harlequin rasboras. I just want to hear suggestions or something unique. and Yes I want my betta in a 40 I spot feed my ADF's and him so the faster fish dont eat all the food.


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## paulthepleco (Mar 24, 2016)

for bottom schooling fish try coreydoras keep them in a group of 6 of more theyre very active and friendly and if you want a regular schooling fish try out neon tetras or cardinal tetras ive heard they can be with bettas with mixed succes


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## Rennie Sky (Feb 27, 2016)

I'm no expert. Some of this is from experience with bettaless community tanks and lots from the tons of research I've been doing. Russel, in particular has been helpful.

Huge cory fan here! They may look boring in the store, but there's nothing cuter than a cory conga line. Peppered or Albino are some of my favorites. I love Panda as well, but they don't school as much in my experience. Nice bottom addition, even if you weren't thinking along those lines. They do prefer sand, but I was unaware originally and mine did fine for years on small natural rock. 

But I know you're wanting higher level fish. Harlequin Rasbora are fun fish and if you want something a little more unusual, you could look for Espei Rasbora.

Celestial Pearl Danio are an option. They're gorgeous, but can be a little shy.

A school of some sort of tetra would be nice as well. I've been told most tetra usually work: ember, chili, neon, cardinal, etc. Just no tall bodied tetra like skirts and phantoms as they tend to nip. But you can never be sure as your silver tip have shown. Apparently larger schools are less likely to nip at other fish. Again, this is just what I've been told researching my own 20, but by experienced keepers. I've had a lot of community fish, but am just seeing up my first community with a Betta.

It sounds like, if you're well filtered and removing the silver tips, you could add at least two neww, nice sized schools, though I didn't do the math and I'm not sure how ADF factor in.


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## MadtownD (Aug 29, 2014)

I just wrote this in another post, but for small schoolers, microdevario kubotai are great. Less shy and chas-y than my celestial pearl danios, calm, pretty, non-nippy. Many tetra species (eg neons) can be nippy under certain conditions.


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## Rennie Sky (Feb 27, 2016)

Oh, those are also on my list for my own tank, MadtownD! I looked them up and realized that's the technical term for neon green rasbora. I haven't gotten all the scientific names down yet. They are very pretty fish. Great to hear they are less shy and less nippy!


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## trahana (Dec 28, 2015)

I had my female betta in a 40 before she started attacking, her tank mates were glow light tetras, pygmy corys, and the I'm-not-recommending-them Black skirt tetras(mine didn't nip, but mine are seniors and the younger ones do). 
I currently also have rummy nose tetras which were recommended by another member here. They form a nice school of fish and I haven't seen them nip, but they moved in after the betta was moved out so I can't say for certain.


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## aussieJJDude (Jun 9, 2012)

I recommend micro rasboras or ember tetras! Maybe include some oto's some pygmy cories (I personally prefer C.habrosus, but you might prefer C.pygmaeus or C.hastatus)... 
I imagine that 20 micro rasboras or ember tetras with 10-16 pygmy cories would look amazing. Maybe a few otos too?
Shrimp?

Look at all the micro fish, they are amazing! Endlers, kuhli loaches, rummynose tetra also come to mind.


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