Filtration

[NickAu]

How about this?
Heavily planted tank, With sand for substrate.
Lace Gourami say 1 male maybe 1 or 2 females'.
I now have 1 of each Cool fish look really nice with the right lighting.
Some Rasboras, The smaller the better, get a small school about 10 or so.  Trigonostigma hengeli or Glowlight rasbora, Lovely peacefull fish, Dont bother the Gourami at all.
And some shrimp.
The above seems to work ok for me with only a few baby shrimp eaten along the way.
 
 Corydorus. I would prefer Kuhli loach or 3.

 

[Byron]

All it says for the bulb is that it is Glo Sun-Glo Aquarium bulb T-8 20W. The bulb came with the tank when we bought the tank. If you go onto www.wilko.com and type in Glo bulb you will be able to see which one it is if this helps. As for intended fish, we did want to keep guppies and dwarf gouramis but been advised they cannot be together due to water parameters. Until we find out tomorrow what exactly our water is then not sure which fish yet. The tank is being cycled at the moment ☺

 
I know this tube, so you are fine with the plants you now have.  Also knowing it is T8 is helpful, as I can suggest something even better, and that is the Life-Glo in the same series (they make Life-Glo, Power-Glo, Aqua-Glo, Sun-Glo, maybe another).  You need to replace this tube every 12 months or so as it weakens in intensity as it burns, and long before it actually burns out it will be much too weak for the plants and algae will have a field day.  When you replace it, consider the Life-Glo.  Or get this sooner, and expand your plant options.  Some that would be ideal are any of the green swords, but given your smaller tank the chain swords would be ideal.  The pygmy chain sword and there is a slightly larger one, either.  For floating plants, Water Sprite, Frogbit, or the stem plant Pennywort.
 
The issue with the gourami and guppies is more than just water, as I said somewhere this combo does not always work.  Plus the gourami has the serious health issue.  And these days, guppies are having problems too, thanks to generations of inbreeding that has seriously weakened this fish physiologically.  I personally would avoid both.
 
Other members have given good ideas; with your water you have an incredible range to select from, just look around.  Ask here (the forum) about any you find, to avoid acquiring fish that will cause you grief.
 
Byron.