Don't Laugh, I'm still learning (IMG HEAVY)

Careful with LFS, they may have been in Business for a while but just like car salesmen and insurance salesmen, They have your best interest in mind, I mean your money!!!!

I try to take everything with a pinch of salt these days but he was very adamant about not selling me any fish until I'd run a fishless tank cycle for at least a week.

That kind of good salesmanship brings in long term customers and until he's proven wrong or shown to be a huxter I'll keep listening to his advice, after all he did tell me to start my fishy cycle with the danios as they are very hardy and a good starter fish for any new tank.
 
Very nice start!
 
a very nice start indeed. much nicer than mine....

with that being said I agree with iceH2O about the gravel. also almost all loaches need schools and he may be better off back at the store with his friends unless you plan on getting a tank of about 55 gallons soon. hitchhiker snals are actually good for the tank and there's no real reason to get rid of them. if you you still think they're ugly or something, just stick some lettuce in a bottle. the snails will collect in the bottle over time, and you can remove the snails in that way. apple snails and amano shrimps will eat the snails egg cases IME as well.

BTW common plecos can easily top 2 feet in length. i'd reccomend a tank of no smaller than 6'x2'x2' or 180 gallons for an adult.
 
Nice :)

How can anyone laugh about it for I at one time I had something just like it back in the mid to late 40`s, only I not had as much stone gravel as you have. And if those are real plants that you have there, I would run a air (stone) pump.

Buddy
 
Saw you over at Pleco Fanatics this morning getting a positive ID for that lovely pleco of yours!
Nice set up!
When you get your larger tank up and running snag some more loaches of the same species as they like to be kept in schools of about 6, and the species you have will grow to about 4 inches. www.loaches.com
The white gravel will not harm the fish, the fish just fade out their natural colors to try and blend with it. So you are not getting to enjoy their full natural darker colors. But whatever gravel you choose is up to you.
As far as plants go, if those are real, I would check out this forum here
http://www.plantedtank.net/
Good Luck and a lovely tank to start!
 
AquariaCentral.com