I have this tank right next to my desk. I run a canister filter and a sponge on mine. Canister because as long as it’s full it’s almost silent while giving some current, and sponge because I pretty much feel every tank should have one for backup and/or having a seeded sponge in case it’s needed. Regardless, filtration is filtration IMHO, it’s about finding the mix that works for you. I would watch your water parameters and see if it is really overstocked for your current.
on lighting, bowfront are typically pretty deep. So you’ll need a moderately powerful light. LED aren’t a requirement, but I like them so I don’t have to change out bulbs. But there are specific plant bulbs you would need to run. I choose LED because it’s simple and easy.
as far as plants, it depends. You have a variety of fish and some are plant eaters. You’ll need to research and see. But. There are some heartier plants like Anubis that have a heavier, more waxy leaf that most fish leave alone. So that’s an option you can look at as well. 2“ of gravel should be ok for stem plants, or you can do what I do…pot them in small terra cotta pots and bury them in the substrate. I fill the bottom half with crushed coral to add some buffer to the tank and a plant substrate to top it off and adding root tabs. As a side note I found some awesome 3“ players at Home Depot that don’t even have the drain hole. It lets me pull them out when I need to catch fish and for an under gravel filter, doesn’t let the roots get tangled in the filter itself.
a few notes. Mystery snails only eat dead plant material. I keep them in most tanks simply because I have a huge affinity for them.
so my advise. Take pictures of each fish and try to identify them. Then figure out where to go from there