semi-educated noob looking for feedback

Well let me just say I have been constantly researching everything I can about my new hobby. I have acquired a 30 Gal long tank with oak stand as of a few weeks ago for cheap from a goodwill and have been learning before purchasing equipment and supplies. Well here's my setup as of yesterday:

30 Gal long
ML penguin 350
rena heater
35-40# black gravel
7 fake plants

I added water 2 days ago and threw in some seachem stability (I know I've heard all the negative comments but I'm considering it an experiment and also hoping it takes a little shock out of the cycling for my danios

I'm testing with a master API kit and added the 3 zebra danios to cycle the tank. (glofish to be exact... I love science so these are another experiment, and they are an amazing feat of genetic engineering as well as harmless to the fish so don't hate on them!)

So some things I am looking for some guidance on some water tests and stocking:

1.) I'm reading around 1 for ammonia, 0 nitrites and 12 nitrates...now I believe that the seachem stability bacterial spores are behind the nitrate readings but is that possible and ok that I'm reading that?
I know it'll take a few weeks to cycle and not the 5-7 seachem claims but just wanted some assurance on my readings. Should I do a small water change? I've read that the seachem de-chlorinator I am using (prime I think) can be the reason for a false ammonia positive reading so I've held off on water change so far.

I plan to slowly add these fish over the course of a few months:

3 additional danios (long-fin leopard)
6 female lyretail mollies (3 orange creamcicle and 3 silver)
3 dwarf gouramis 2Fem 1Male (neon blue, powder blue, and flame)
3 kuhli loaches (I may make a section of sand for them to burrow in or change the gravel to all tahitian black sand)
3 otos or upside-down cats
2 bamboo shrimp

I may try my hand at some live plants down the road and I really like opaline gouramis so:

2.) would 1 gourami be too aggressive for the tank, or would he or she be a nice centerpiece? If the gourami is added last and as a youngin will it still grow up thinking the smaller tankmates are food?

3.) Is my tank sounding alright so far? Will the dwarf gouramis be aggressive to the mollies cuz of their tails?

I realize I'm pushing the max capacity but the bio-load is low on the loaches and I will stay proactive on water changes and tests along with the powerful penguin it should be reasonably achievable.

Great site I've probably read over a thousand posts from here! Thanks in advance for any insight and advice!

But what's weird is the ammonia has read 1 ever since I put the water plus prime in...so I was waiting for any change so it wasn't just registering a false positive cuz there wasn't anything in there besides tap which the prime was supposed to neutralize in the first place... I don't know that's why I'm semi-educated! haha I'll do a 40-50% water change tomorrow morning and see what's up then. I'll have to add more seachem prime should I just try out a new product like aquasafe from tetra?

thanks about the advice on otos and the gouramis! And everything else!

Rbishop said:

I disagree with the "false" positive. It is reading what it detects, though Prime would have it locked up to a non-toxic form but still available for your bacteria to consume.

What is the ammonia reading on your tap water?

Click to expand...

Ammonia on tap is exact same as tank...so possibly the prime just converted that same amount to the non-toxic ammonium but is still registering 1.0 levels because the tests don't discriminate whether it's ammonia or ammonium?

The "false" positive isn't really false but rather a "non-toxic" positive... haha ... I don't think they are stressed cuz of that but still should I jump into a water change?

levels as of now are 1 ammonia 0 nitrite and 12 nitrate I wasn't planning on a wc until nitrate > 20 or ammonia (ammonium) got any higher

any thoughts on the future inhabitants I have listed? the otos will only be added if algae is a problem since my tank is near a window but a back window that doesn't get any sunlight so I'll have to see what's up with that. but any comments or suggestions?