Newbie Questions

Hi All

I bought my first tropical fish tank setup yesterday....we are currently in
the process of staining and lacquering the stand.

The tank itself is a 20 gallon (???)....measuring 30inches long, 35cm wide
and 45cm high (I think). It came with an undergravel filter, a heater.
fluoro light, gravel, pH test kit....ummm....I think thats all.

Questions......

1. How long does the tank have to be setup for before I add fish? The guy at
the shop said 3-4 days, some internet sites say a week, some sites say 3
weeks.

2. What are some ideal first fish to get? i.e. ones that are hard to kill

3. Following the above, are there any fish that are totally "incompatible"
with other fish? What make good combinations?

4. How strict is the rule of "1 inch of fish per gallon"?

5. I have a pH test kit but the guy mentioned nothing about a nitrate test
kit (plus another type I read about on the net).....do I need one?

6. A friend mentioned adding white spot remedy stuff to the water....which
will make it blue. Should I add this before the fish go in or when then get
the white spot?

I think thats it...for now...

Thanks in Advance

Angela