my goal is to set up a bunch of live plants in this tank. maybe one or two
fix, maybe some other critters. i need something with minimal maintenance,
cheap and simple.


You should probably find another home for your goldfish first. Goldfish love
to eat plants. An Eclipse 6 is too small for a goldfish anyway. Goldfish need
20-30 gallons each, and are happier in groups.

what plants, fish, or other critters do you recommend ? what tecniques as
far as plant density, and water management (water changes, additives, etc).

looking forward to any help you can provide (or web links).

Here's a brief overview to start you off:

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/.../881/setup.htm

With an Eclipse, the easiest thing to do is to keep it low-light. It's not
easy to upgrade the lighting on an Eclipse. Also, the low-light plants are the
ones least likely to be eaten by goldfish, if you decide to keep the fish you
have.


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/