dubharmonic

For about 10 years I've had live plants in my tanks, but they've never been all that spectacular. I'm tearing down a 50 gallon tank and building it back up from scratch, focusing only on the plants. There will be no fish in this aquarium at first. If I ever do add fish, it will probably be just a small colony of Endler's livebearers.

What I have:

Aquarium - 50 Gallons 36 7/8 x 19 x 19 5/8 inches
2 x Triple Tube Strip-Lights (81 watts each) - http://www.petsolutions.com/Triple-T...26480+C33.aspx
Substrate - EarthGro topsoil from Home Depot
Filtration - Aqueon QuietFlow Power Filter 55 (after reading the beginner's guide, I've realized that this is probably sucking out any CO2 that was in my water, so I was planning on getting rid of it)

What I'm planning on purchasing:

Paintball CO2 Regulator - http://greenleafaquariums.com/co2-re...regulator.html
CO2 Diffuser 5000 - http://greenleafaquariums.com/co2-di...user-5000.html
Freshwater Lab Master Test Kit - http://www.petsolutions.com/Freshwat...25100+C46.aspx

What's my best option for water circulation/filtration? I'd prefer something not too expensive.

Am I missing anything on this list? Making any stupid mistakes? Any help would be appreciated!