ok... co2 is not necessary if you pick you're plants right and keep the lights below a certain point.
carpet grass is hard without it, but there's other options.
those lights (70 watts) would put you on the brink of co2 (not necessarily over depending on your tank)
unregulated, diy, no timers... co2 can lead to massive disappointments/failures.
do not spend all this money on a bunch of things and not do it right.
if you up your lighting too much or want co2 do yourself the favor and go all out the first time. if you are going to keep with it it will save you money cause you'll eventually upgrade anyway. maybe after a fish or plant meltdown while you're on vaca. for ferts rex grigg. you'll need something for roots too... making your own is actually easy and works much better. get enoug plants up front so they'll fill in quickly.
if you want easy or cheap keep the lighting lower wattage. or raise it to an acceptable height for your setup if it's too bright. still do root tabs. keep ferts to a minimum. don't even think of co2... maybe an air stone for a little kick. choose low light plants.
substrate and root ferts are a must either way.
my opinion: everyone needs a vacation feeder and a battery powered air stone, but that's just opinion
carpet grass is hard without it, but there's other options.
those lights (70 watts) would put you on the brink of co2 (not necessarily over depending on your tank)
unregulated, diy, no timers... co2 can lead to massive disappointments/failures.
do not spend all this money on a bunch of things and not do it right.
if you up your lighting too much or want co2 do yourself the favor and go all out the first time. if you are going to keep with it it will save you money cause you'll eventually upgrade anyway. maybe after a fish or plant meltdown while you're on vaca. for ferts rex grigg. you'll need something for roots too... making your own is actually easy and works much better. get enoug plants up front so they'll fill in quickly.
if you want easy or cheap keep the lighting lower wattage. or raise it to an acceptable height for your setup if it's too bright. still do root tabs. keep ferts to a minimum. don't even think of co2... maybe an air stone for a little kick. choose low light plants.
substrate and root ferts are a must either way.
my opinion: everyone needs a vacation feeder and a battery powered air stone, but that's just opinion
