Ideas For A 40 Gallon Long And Stocking

Hey, so today I got a 40 gallon long tank and while I have some idea as to how I want it, I'm looking for other ideas as well. I definitely want a sand bottom or at least a small natural looking stone bottom but leaning more towards sand. Then I was thinking to the center of having a piece of good driftwood and I was thinking about adding some pieces of rock to have hiding places. Of course making sure there are no sharp edges but my bettas fins are not huge so it won't be much of a problem. Also I definitely want to get the nomore natural lighting instead of the bright white light one I have now. I'm thinking about plants too that don't require any special care or at least are easier than others to care for. I want to keep it very natural looking regardless of what the setup actually ends up being. My betta will be going in that tank along with probably a school of corydoras or some sort of bottom feeder and maybe some shrimp and possibly one more fish. Right now T's in a ten gallon. I'm looking to stock the new tank but only very lightly and since I'll have enough floorspace, I could get corydoras or some other type of bottom feeder and probably some shrimp and maybe another fish. The only thing I worry about is the bio load and since it's going to have two filters that will overfilter the water, I know it won't be a issue but I'd rather just keep the bio load small so that's why I want to keep it lightly stocked with preferably light bio load fish and inverts and also my betta is not generally the friendliest when I've tried to put him in with companions but I'm hoping that with more space and hiding spaces, he will ease up. I think if I were to only put him and shrimp in that tank which would seem stupid for one betta to some but I'd denfinitley try to plant it heavy to make up for lack of fish . What are your setup ideas and stocking suggestions?
This isn't happening for a while because I still need to get the two heaters and two 40 gallon filters with adjustable flow rates, substrate, possibly the plants and plant soil, driftwood and whatever else so probably within in two months I should have most if not all of the equipment. If you want to see a picture too I'll post once it's all finished.

 

I’m assuming your betta is a male?

 

I’m assuming your betta is a male?

That's sorta the thing, he has an egg spot that sticks out but probably is a male which I know are less friendlier but I'm hoping the more space will make him less agressive

 

If he is a male, do you have a certain theme or region in mind? Do you have a look/ vibe your going for?

That's sorta the thing, he has an egg spot that sticks out but probably is a male which I know are less friendlier but I'm hoping the more space will make him less agressive

If he weren’t a male, I thought a mega sorority might be cool. However, since he’s male, you’ve really limited your stocking options. Is there a way to keep T in the ten, or do you feel he should be moved.
Ps. Some betas are just aggressive. More space might not help that. This means you put all of your additions at serious risk.

 

If he is a male, do you have a certain theme or region in mind? Do you have a look/ vibe your going for?

Not a vibe I just want a natural hopefully heavily planted tank with driftwood and sand. Nothing neon bright haha

 

Ok. Is there any way T can stay? If he has to go to the 45 gallon, you can’t have lots of different fish.

 

Ok. Is there any way T can stay? If he has to go to the 45 gallon, you can’t have lots of different fish.

Definitely could but rather have him in the 40 tank. I could just get corydoras instead of any other companions and they should be fine as they are normally dull colored and don't swim on the same level as a betta.

 

A ten gallon is paradise for a beta. I’d keep him where he is. If you feel like you want to upgrade his tank, add some plants for him to swim around with. In the 10, you could probably add 6 salt and pepper cories.
As for the 40, I’d recommend a britlenoss plecostomus for the clean up crew. I’d also add a fire mouth chichillid or two. If you wanted a school, you could add rummy nose tetras. Lastly, someTemperature should be around 78 degrees. I’d totally go nuts with the driftwood. Then, you might want to add some plants. I’ve got suggestions if you want them.
Ps. You couldn’t have driftwood with a Betta unless you sanded every inch of it so it didn’t rip fins. Every. Inch.