New 55 gallon tank setup species help

[Byron]

I'm going to st my tank up thai weekend and then cycle it for about a week and test the water before I get any fish.

It will take longer than a week to cycle this tank. However, as plants are mandatory, getting the floating plants growing will solve the cycling. There are articles on cycle in the "Cycle your tank" section of TFF.

Do the shoaling fish have to be the same species or can you mix them up?

Shoaling or schooling species must have a group of their own species. Depending upon the species, and given the tank size here, some may be fine in groups of 15, others 20-25, or whatever. Provided they are compatible, you can have different species but each species must be in a suitably-sized group to avoid stress.

Cardinal tetras should b fine with Pearls.

 

[sharkweek178]

I'm going to st my tank up thai weekend and then cycle it for about a week and test the water before I get any fish.

Do the shoaling fish have to be the same species or can you mix them up? I'm leaning towards the cardinal tetras are these good with the pearl Gouramis.

Late on I will get a catfish any recommendations for other bottom dwellers

A fishless cycle takes longer than a week. You can do a silent cycle with fast growing plants. But even then, you should make sure the plants are growing before you add fish.
Here's some information about cycling your tank. https://www.fishforums.net/threads/cycle-your-tank-a-complete-guide-for-beginners.475055/

I had a similar issue. I have a honey gourami and wanted to get some cory catfish. Gouramis don't like a lot of water flow but most corys like some current. I looked into it and found three kinds of cory that are good in low flow tanks that are suitable for gouramis; Pygmy Cory (Corydoras pygmaeus), Salt and Pepper or Dainty Cory (Corydoras habrosus), or Sterbai cory (Cordoras sterbai).

 

[seangee]

I'm going to st my tank up thai weekend and then cycle it for about a week and test the water before I get any fish.

Do the shoaling fish have to be the same species or can you mix them up? I'm leaning towards the cardinal tetras are these good with the pearl Gouramis.

Late on I will get a catfish any recommendations for other bottom dwellers

It is always a temptation to go for variety and or have a flashy centrepiece. The tank in my signature pic is a similar size to yours and currently has around 40 cardinal tetra and 30 pepper corys (corydoras paleatus). Almost nothing else and no centrepieces. I can and do spend hours watching the tank. In the wild these fish are found in groups of 100s or even 1000s - so more of one kind is always better for them, and more interesting to watch. Cardinals will be fine with pearl gourami btw.

Before you add fish please read this very useful link. Adding fish after a week of "cycling" is almost guaranteed to cause problems and result in dead fish. My tank is mature so it will be many weeks or months before you can even think of those levels of stocking. Also have a look at the plants in my signature - these are all live and growing, and imo essential to create a good environment for the fish you mention. By all means set it up and plant it out, but patience is strongly advised.