my gf insisted on florite ($20 for a 15lb bag x 5 bags) for our 55.... it looks nice but the plants in the hospital tank thats near a window look a lot better, grow a lot faster and it has some "red fishtank gravel" that was like $6 for a 20lb bag...
so... no... you dont need fancy gravel (i can feel people on the planted tank forum punching their computers and screaming "LIAR")... as long as they are aquatic plants they will grow... bamboo is not a true aquatic plant.. it looks nice but you have to do some work to keep it alive so i would not suggest it
most lfs sell plants in lil plastic pots... if they are solid pots cut the bottoms off.. if they are the slotted pots just plant the whole thing pot and all.. this will help anchor it and protect some of the roots from your cichlids if they decide they want to beat on them..
if you were setting up a quiet planted tank i would tell you to take the pots and media off but in your case i suggest leaving them on.. with time if yer fish leave the plants alone i would go ahead and pull the pots off but once they have been in there that long that might take some work since the roots will grow through the slots... so forget all that and dont worry about it
