Newby alert... advice needed

Originally Posted by Quantum

Oops, did it again, sorry Calmwaters you posted while I was typing so I've inadvertently repeated what you said regarding the goby

Originally Posted by Quantum

You may could do three tanks:

-neons/head and tail lights/rasboras/corys in the 30 gal - at least 6 of each

-barbs (odessa and tiger)/black skirts/kribs/rainbow sharks in at least a 50 gal, the bigger the better if you are going to keep the tigers in there. I've had them before and they can be aggressive fish, sometimes better just kept by themselves. The profile suggests that they can be in a community tank provided they are kept in large enough numbers, the tank is at least 50 gals and the tankmates are not to delicate. I'm sure others have kept them this way successfully, but that's not my experience with them and why I suggested a species only tank. Add more barbs and black skirts, but no more kribs or rainbow sharks

-mollys and goby in a 48" brackish tank - I have no real experience with these, my suggestion was based on reading the profiles and other sources. If what you have is Gobioides broussonnetii, from what I've read, brackish water is required, but no I wouldn't think that setting up a brackish tank and putting it in right away would be the way to go. I would think to start with a diluted mix (acclimate the fish slowly even when going from fresh to diluted brackish) and build it up over time. I'm really not sure if that would be the best way to go, but it seems logical. Maybe someone with experience with brackish fish will chime in.

This is assuming that the rasboras are harlequins and the mollys are all forms of Black Molly.

The black skirts might could manage in the 30 gal with the other tetras, but my experience with them is that they can be a bit rough with smaller fish. Provided that the Tiger Barb aggression in not too bad they should be fine in the larger tank.