questions about tank set up and fish

Question
I am trying to cycle my 29 gallon tank. I bought the tank off craigslist. It had fish in it at one time but was dry when I picked it up.I have it all set up with an aqua tech 20-40 filter (came with the tank), a stealth heater, one large plant, one small plant (came with the tank), one tall thingy with lots of holes, one small with two holes, and a log with plants on it. I also put in a new bag of rocks. I put a piece of fish in there four days ago to start the cycle. So I was wondering when I start testing the water? I bought test strips that test nitrate, nitrite, alkalinity, ph level, and a separate one that test ammonia. Also do I do water changes during the cycle or no? I live in the country so I have a well. Do I need to put something in my water?

These are the fish I want to put in it:
6 cardinal tetras
3 red fire guppies
3 blue platys
3 emerald green cory cats
3 oto

Is this overstocking for this size tank? Is it a good set-up? Also will the cory cats and oto be happy? I read somewhere that they should be in groups of 6+ but then somewhere else said 3+ was ok? Or should I replace the oto with a bristle nose pleco?

Sorry there are so many questions. I bought the tank and was going to just fill it with fish but then was told about cycling and overstocking. I have been doing a lot of research and trying to figure out what fish to get, how many, what I need, etc. Every time I think I am close more questions pop up. Thank you so much for all your help.

Answer
Hi Jaime

Here is a link to help you cycle your new tank. When you say you put a "piece" of a fish in the tank, I hope that means you put a small live fish in there. And yes, small frequent water changes are very necessary when cycling the tank. 10-15% every few days.

http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php

As far as your well water, it is fine but you need to treat it with a quality water conditioner like StressCoat or Aquasafe. You'll also need to acclimate your fish properly to the well water, especially if they are purchased in the city or online. Here is a link to help you acclimate your fish to the new water....

http://www.fishlore.com/acclimating-tropicalfish.htm

The floating bag method works well in most cases. Just make sure you don't allow any of the bag water to get into your tank.

Your setup is fine but that is putting your tank at it's capacity. The Cardinals are schoolers, so 6 is a good number for them. The Oto and Corys will be fine together. Just make sure they have caves and hiding spots. Make sure you don't add all the fish at once. Let the tank cycle for a few weeks with a few small fish, then add one group of fish per week.

Hope this helps, good luck!