You need some cheap dechlorinator. I use Wardley Watercare ChlorOut which I get from Tescos (cost £2.99 to treat 500 US gals). All it does is dechlorinate, nothing else. I used to use incredibly expensive stuff with aloe vera in it and goodness knows what else but IMHO it was a waste of money.
You put 15 drops of ChlorOut in a 10 litre bucket (that's an ordinary household bucket size). I do this every time I do a water change, before I chuck the new water into the tank. I also put a drop or so in the water I use to rinse stuff I'm going to put in the tank, like some Mopani wood I bought the other day.
There are other brands, but generally pet shops try and sell you the 8 quid a bottle stuff that only lasts a couple of weeks. Alternatively, you can leave some water to stand with an air-stone in it over-night. Since UK water companies don't use chloramines to sterilise water, that's fine because the chlorine will evapourate. I'm not that organised, however.
Equipment-wise you need:
* A brand-new, clean household bucket with a lip exclusively for use with your fish-tank.
* A siphon-type gravel cleaner (it's a tube with a little valve at one end to stop you sucking up half the gravel when you siphon water out of the tank. You suck the dirt out of the gravel every time you do a water change. Costs about £3 from most LFS's).
* A big bucket for dirty water. I use an old industrial paint bucket (20 UK gals).
* A green fishing net (fish mistake it for plants so it's easier to catch things in it).
* An algae cleaning pad (like a scratchy sponge - costs £1.20 from most pet shops).
* A box of aquarium tonic salt (especially if you have any mollies, guppies etc.)
* Some Melafix (a soluble tea-tree oil remedy good for mild infections. Largely available online and very expensive, but IMHO, essential to have on stand-by).
* A plastic kitchen jug for making-up fish medicines (exclusively for that use).
* Cheap plastic tank, bucket or ice-cream carton for emergency "tank".
* Packet of oxygenation tablets for dire emergencies (40p from most pet shops).
Don't buy medicines for fish in advance because they go out of date rather quickly and cost a fortune. I usually buy the Interpet remedies, available from most pet shops - if that doesn't work, it is practically impossible to find a fish vet, sadly.
