Bought A Fish Tank.

Sorry it's so blurry!

That's great, thanks Colin.
No I will avoid the ottos then, not into that at all!
I think all the fish profiles said well planted tank, or didn't specify. Which is what I'm after as I want plants.
So that's next, after the tank arrives.

I don't know Richard, I think someone on here who has one said that's what they use. Can't remember who!
I'll put them through again and change the filter.

It's an absolutely huge filter in a Cube40. Its got about the same amount of filtration sponge and 'noodles' as my 1200litre pond filter has - though it doesn't have the flow rate. I use 'oversized external' in my Community Creator and I'm just over 100% stocked with never a hint of ammonia and nitrite, and the sponge (after six months or so) built up enough nitrate eating bugglies to keep my nitrates at 10ppm, which was the same as in my water-change water.

If you are going to reduce numbers, then remove one type of fish entirely so the remaining fish stay in big enough groups.

There are a couple of other things to consider :
If the filter is that powerful, does it create a strong current in the tank and if so, will the chosen fish be happy with that?
There is more to overcrowding in a tank than just the chemistry. The fish will be in close contact with each other and so they have to get on OK to avoid stress. Cherry barbs each like to have their own little territory, for example. Planting the tank will help a lot as it gives fish the opportunity to escape from each other when they want a bit of "peace and quiet".
I would suggest putting in the cherry barbs first as they are pretty hardy fish, with maybe five band barbs next. The Otocinclus need some algal growth in the tank so should perhaps be left till last.

I still have tanks planted up 3 months ago but without fish yet as I like the plants to be well established and filling the tank first. It is a bit extreme, I know, but as a general principle being patient when you are establishing the tank will pay off in the long run.

I realise the above might make me sound quite clueless. But I'm finding it a lot more difficult to source / retain info re plants than I am about fish!

Aquatic plants are not a feature of the natural habitat of many of our fish, but they will still enjoy being in a planted tank. In nature, many take refuge among dead leaves, tree roots etc and so they still appreciate the cover provided by plants, which also look a lot nicer in your tank than recreating the "natural" look with lots of rotting leaves and wood............ . For Corydoras, just make sure you leave a good sized area of sand/gravel for them to grub around in.
The pots plants come in are usually very small and so you should plant them in the substrate, though you could use larger pots if you wanted to. Plant roots will spread through the substrate and help keep it aerated. Personally, I found potted plants grossly overpriced and so I bought mine loose off EBay and all grew away with no problems.

 
Seriously fish! Yes that's what I meant! Not super fish. That's a tank make right?!

Seriously fish! Yes that's what I meant! Not super fish. That's a tank make right?!

I thought it was odd that two different websites were quoting the exact same text.........

Ember tetras are lovely little fish - you won't get much smaller to be honest - IMO a shoal of these should be fine for your tank.

Yes, the CP Danios will be nothing like their full colour whilst in the shop - shop tanks can be quite stressful environments and this prevents many fish from displaying their full colouration. I got some CPD's at the weekend to add to my existing ones and the difference in colour is really noticeable - their colour will improve as they become settled in the tank. However, it is also the case that females aren't as deep coloured as the males and the picture shown on here is likely to have been taken in ideal conditions.

Its generally advisable to go with relatively natural (stone/sand) or dark substrates - avoid the 'day-glo' pinks, oranges, blues etc as these colours can detract from the fish colours. I have a green substrate as I wanted it to compliment the plant colours, but I've also mixed in some black so that it isn't like a solid green carpet (see pic - although it's actually a darker green than it appears in this pic!).

Not sure on the filter media - it's the bacteria in mature filter media which is important but these will generally die off when taken of the water for any prolonged length of time - how is the filter media stored in the shop?