Betta water chemistry prior to adding betta

Question
Okay so I've been reading around and all this stuff about water conditioners,pH balancers,and bacteria has got me all confused. I want know everything there is to possibly know about setting up water for a Betta, like what are the best brands to look for when getting water conditioner, and how do I know when my ammonia/nitrite/nitrate is balanced out or are at acceptable levels?How long should I let my tank cycle before adding the Betta?My tank uses LEDs for a light source,is that acceptable for most plants(if not which ones because I don't plan on letting my tank sit in the sun and get all algae-ed up.).Basically what I want to know is everything you would do prior to putting a Betta in his home,because I'm still waiting on getting one.also what are some books you would recommend for water chemistry for Bettas and I could get those at barnes and nobles because I can't buy stuff online.thanks(I know this really long, sorry about that)

Answer
Hi Alonso!

Well, almost ALL brands of water conditioners are good. Their formula is basically the same. If you wanna know the pH levels in your tank, you can either buy some test strips or bring a sample of your tank water to Petsmart and they'll test it for you at the free of charge. LEDs work with plants but they still need some sun-light. But I'm not saying to put them in DIRECT sun-light for 24/7, just the right amount. You can open some curtains/windows and have the sun-light shine in your house. If algae grows, get the API AlgaeFix. It should erase all the annoying algae. Or you can buy some/an aquatic snail(s) to eat the algae away. But if you are buying a snail, you'll still need to feed it some algae wafers. I recommend the Hikari Brand. You don't need to cycle your tank very long, 1-3 days are enough (if you are setting up an entirely new tank with gravel and sand/plants/etc). If you're only adding the chemicals you don't need to let it cycle unless you want to.

I don't know any good Betta books at Barnes and Nobles because the one I go to recently closed.
Sorry for the inconvience. :(

Hope this helps! :D
~Sam xD