Advice on stocking 30 gal FW tank

[Bigge_al]

I plan to do a fish-in cycle for my tank starting the week after Christmas. I will be using Prime and Stability to do this with twice daily checks. Reason for fish-in and not fishless is that I will not be able to deal with my kids wanting to add fish.
This following is the list of fish I plan to add over time and I need advice about what to add to get things started (ie the strongest fish to cycle with). Also the absolute no no as far as mixes of fish and what I have seen or been told.

Mickey Mouse Platies 3-5 mixed
Tetra 5-7 mixed (neon, black, Cardinal)
Angelfish 2-3 semi aggressive???
Mollies 5 mixed (3 dalmation and 2 black) (was told they like salty water)???
Plecostomus 1-2
Beta 1 from a tank that it has been in with other fish? I have always been told to not put with any other fish but have seen different.

My history that leads me to want the mollies, angel, and tetra mix is that I did not have a problem with the mix when I was a child.

Total 23 fish slightly over the 1 to 1 ratio. But I plan to stay close to it will cut a fish from groups to keep the limit.

Original plan is to start with 5 tetra then add 2-3 fish every other week once my tank cycles.
I will take my water to be tested before set up.
Set tank up Christmas eve Dec. 24 with Prime and stability run tank through Christmas Dec 25 with light off and maintain the Stability and prime directions test with API test kit.
Dec. 26 purchase the tetras and add them. From that point on test twice daily until cycle is complete and all fish added. I figure that addition of fish with be done in March.

When testing what should I watch for. I hope to get some established tank media (can I used media from a Goldfish establish tank). My big mistake was the tank I bought had rock and a plastic plant but I rinsed the gravel and washed the tank down. Since I will not be using the gravel for over a month I figure that the BB will die if not already dead:banghead

 

[jetajockey]

Yes you can use media from a goldfish tank, no problem.

 

[absolutangel04]

So, I see a couple of issues with your stocking. First off, only 1-2 angels unless you prepared to sell one. 3 angels will virtually never work. And in a tank that size, that just increases the chances of it not working.
Those tetras all would do better in a school of their own kind IMO. They are not the same species and may get stressed out without more of their own kind.
Also, do you know what kind of pleco you want? I assume you did not mean common plecos since they are wayyyy too big for a 30g. Even if you get a smaller pleco like a bnp, I would just suggest 1 due to their large bioload.
I suggest you cut the mollies out. You are looking at an aweful lot of stock there, so I think something should be cut from the plan. Maybe just a molly or 2, but not 5 IMO. Same thing with the platies. I suggest staying with more like 3 than with 5. At least platies are smaller than mollies, but they still have a big bioload.