Emergency tank advice needed!!!

[Kageshi17]

Ok! So I have my 20g fish tank. I have no hood on it and I've had it for a while with fake plants and some gravel with a small 50 watt heater and 40g filter with a small bubbler. I have it populated with:

4 large spotted corycatfish
3 ottos
4 mystery snails (none too big yet)
6 neon tetra
1 male betta

So I have been planning for a while now to adopt a 30g aquarium with a hood and start my own live plant collection. I am totally clueless on this endeavor. I am going to inherit the tank in a few days. I REALLY need some emergency advice seeing as my fish are pretty unhappy in their environment now. And I dont know why. So PLEASE go crazy and write as much as you can, please your opinions matter, and tell me everything under the sun including specifically:

1. How to keep the water at a good level for ultimate fish happiness and health. I have test strips but no additives. Please go insane on this one, I know if I could get the water quality right they would be sooooo much happier.

2. Live plants and how to take care of them, what kind of lighting they need, what else to do with them? Hahah I have no idea how to keep them alive. I also NEED to have at least 1/3 of my tank filled with floating plants for my betta.

3. How much more fish can I add in a 30g from a 20g? I really would like my corycatfish and neon tetra to have more friends, more of a school. I think they would love it.

4. How often does the water need to be changed? Should I just do partial water changes every other day and never actually empty the tank? Or what?

5. What would be the most stress free way to transfer my fish to a new tank and to introduce the new fish. I really need this one helped with.

6. I am going to inherit a 250 watt heater and a 60g filter with some new fake plants and ornaments for Christmas. So they should help keep the tank happy. But how often should I clean out the filter? And is that heater too strong for this tank?

7. Before I add the fish to a new tank should I let the water sit in it? What chemicals should I add and how much? How do I start the live plants? Generally, how do I make the water safe for my fishes so that none become sick or too stressed out.

I thank you all for your advice and I cant wait to know everything I possibly could know going into this. I want to do it right this time. No casualties and no fish left behind! Thanks!

[mayastarocker]

I would get some Stress Zyme and Stress Coat when you are transfering the fish and when you get done cleaning it. A regular hood should be fine for the real plants. You should clean the filter once a week. I don't think that the heater should not be too strong. Neon tetras do like to be in schools of 5+ or more. And I wouldn't put too many fish in it because it sounds like you have enough to go for a while.