Time to bother you all for advice again. After much reading, following is my plan:
1. With stand and tank in place, putting in the eco-complete, decorations, filling with water, adding prime and letting run for a day or two. Do a water test to see what our tap water is like.
2. Grab seed media from established tank (it'll have been in there for 3+ weeks). Squish it around in the tank then place media in bottom section of XP2. Dose ammonia (still trying to find some in the hardware stores). Water test. then continue the testing dosing till cycled.
3. Once cycled, 50% water change at which point I hope to plant. Not sure yet exactly what plants I'll end up with. I'd prefer to get the majority from one place rather than multiple places. About the only definite I would like is E. Triandra for the foreground. A few others I've found that plankgeek shows should be ok with my parameters (30g/65w/no CO2):
Barclaya Longigolia, Crinum Thaianum, Crypt Petchii, Egeria Najas, Hygrophila Difformis, Nymphoides Taiwan and Rotala Rotundifolia.
4. Once planted, let it sit a few days (dosing ammonia if needed) and test water to make sure it's fish ready.
5. As for fish, I'd like the center piece to be a school of 6-8 Tiger Barbs. Based on
7Enigma's first tank I was gonna have 2-4 Otos & 2-4 Corry Catfish. He has mentioned I could consider losing the Corrys (based on his early problems with the barbs aggression) and go with a BN Pleco. Which ever way we go I'll add the Barbs last so hopefully the others can grab some territory.
Are there any other fish compatable with Barbs I could consider?
Any other flaws in my plan?