First of all, you are definitely in the RIGHT forum.
Second, I have to say how nicely Jamie has come along with the knowledge and advice he/she has given.
I would refer you to Jamie's post as an excellent reference point.
I would not stop the flow of CO2, but if it works for someone, I would say go for it.
I always tell people that there are great advantages to loading a newly set up tank with plants, especially the nutrient hogs, and letting them do the 'cycling' for you. In actuality, there is no cycle when you start with many plants and a few fish. Everything happens naturally.
The tricky part is when to start fertilizing. Some people say to start fertilizing right away. Some people like to give them some time to settle in, and considering that many plants come from growers that feed the plants to get maximum growth, they are loaded with stored nutrients in most cases when you plant them. Therefore, I suggest waiting a week or even two before feeding. Then watch them and start slowly with the fertilization process.
Remember to try and find and keep the balance of light/fish and nutrients and you should be ok.
Any mulm, substrate, filter media etc., from a healthy tank that can be added to the startup process can do nothing but good.
Clean and boil your bogwood thoroughly to remove as many tannins as possible unless you like tea colored water.
Fe is a necessary fert, but unless you are growing Iron loving plants that will uptake it from the water column it does not need to be dosed in the initial stages. Later, you may or may not see Iron deficiencies and then might consider it however.
Len
