[Jeff Kropp]

At under 30 gallons brewing your own CO2 on site is still practical. Certainly if you haven't tried CO2, it is a neat low tech introduction to an interesting method in this hobby. Buying the Hagen kit would make this very easy although I think you can find better brew recipes. I hear Tara Nyberg's recipe works well. Her recipe was published in the April-June 2004 TAG, vol. 17, #2. http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/tag.html

Some people like the "quick filters" with a power head for planted tanks. These are both inexpensive and effective internal filters which are appropriately sized for a 30 gal. tank.
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Jeff

 

[Jeff Kropp]

For compact fluorescent lighting you might consider AH supply. They make a nice enclosure http://www.ahsupply.com/finished_enclosures.htm and you can install a light kit tailored to fit your needs. Target 2-3 wpg at first, you can always add more lights as you develop your skills.

If you are slightly more handy I saw a very nice DIY example in these forums. It used a CD rack from Ikea as the basis of its enclosure. Unfortunatly I couldn't find the link in a quick search; perhaps anouther reader knows where it is?

Personally I prefer normal fluorescent lighting but that is slightly harder to put together. All-glass makes a decent 3 tube fixture that gives about 2 wpg on most tanks. http://www.all-glass.com/products/hoods/index.html
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Jeff

 

[Jeff Kropp]

I know the AH supply ballast are interchangeable (65W and 55W).

The AH supply ballasts that I have are interchangable with 36w or 55w lamps.

What is important here is choosing the right amount of light for a particular tank. More is not always better. Your choice of lighting will affect everything else you do. One needs to first ask, "what aquaristic goals do I have?" and then, build a mechanism to fit those goals. Perhaps a plant list and fish list is a better starting point?
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Jeff

 

[Jeff Kropp]

should I turn on only half of of my lights?

You could start out with a shorter day, perhaps 9 hours, and then ramp it up as you develop momentum.

Start CO2 on your first day, then supplement nutrients as needed depending on the health of your plants. If your plant stock comes same-day from a very healthy tank you may be able to start at full tilt. If your plant stock is weakened from transport and several days in a baggy, or has been languishing in a LFS tank, then you may start out hobbled. What does the manufacturer of Yamato Green recommend?
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Jeff