New to the hobby, Looking for stocking suggestions.

[Bongwater420]

Hey all,
I'm new to the fishkeeping world and I'm looking for some advice on what to stock in my tank. My tank (90 gallon) is currently cycling using filter media from a friends well established arrowana tank and a few goldfish (9) in there (simply because I didnt like seeing the tank empty [emoji14] ).
So, while I'm waiting for the tank to cycle, I thought I'd research what I'd like to put in there to ensure compatibility (for both aggression and water parameters). The problem I've run into is there seems to be conflicting information on this subject. I'll read or watch one thing that say they're compatible, then 10 mins later I read or watch something that says they're not.
Thus, here I am asking you guys and your plethora knowledge to please give me some clarity.

Here is what I'm thinking of stocking;

Dwarf gourami × 2
Angelfish × 2
Crimson tetra ×10
Sailfin molly × 2
Galaxy Rasbora × 10
German blue ram × 4
Pleco ×1 (not sure which type doesn't exceed 6-8")

From what I gather these fish *should* get along.
I am also open to different stocking options, my goal is a colourful, peaceful community tank.

Please help!



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[fluttermoth]

Hi there, welcome to the forum

Your stocking list is not that great right now; I'll try and explain the main reason why.

In nature, there are two 'kinds' of water; hard water, which has a lot of minerals and salts dissolved in it, and soft water, which has very few or no minerals in it.

All fish have evolved to live in one kind of water or the other and, although some species are quite adaptable, most need to be kept in the 'right' (for them) sort of water.

On your list you have a mixture of hard water and soft water species; the angels, tetras and ram need soft water, whilst the mollies and galaxy rasbora (they're called celestial pearl danios now, btw; they turned out not to be related to rasboras at all, in the end!) need hard water to do well.

There are some issues with numbers too; for example, you can't just get two angels and expect them to get along; you have to let them choose their own mates, which means buying a group of six or seven youngsters and letting them pair up as the mature. The 'galaxy rasbora' are very, very shy fish, and a shoal of ten is not big enough; they're going to practically disappear in a big tank with other big fish to scare them (the angels and mollies would probably eat them too).

If you could tell us the pH and hardness of your water (if you don't know, you should be able to find out on your supplier's website; do take note of the any actual numbers, plus what scale they're using), plus the dimensions of your tank, we can help you come up with good list of species

(I would also recommend you rehome the goldfish to a pond, ASAP; and continue your cycle with ammonia. Goldfish might be cheap and tough, but no fish should have to suffer through a cycle.)