New to CO2--

I have just read the thread by stuckintexas. But I don't want to be rude to tag my uncertainties on, so here it is, yet another thread about C02.

Right now I am doing all the research I can, on setting up my first planted tank later this fall or early winter. I am very comfortable with the minimalist approach to fish keeping, and extremely comfortable in working with habitats and mini ecosystems out in nature.

Since this is my first planted tank attempt, I am a little unsure about CO2 setup - not exactly comprehending what parts I need and what’s reasonable.

The tank I am contemplating is going to be between 15 and 30 gallons. I am going to focus on plants in the beginning. Down the road I might put in some small shrimps and schooling fish to complete the look and habitat.

What are my options in terms of CO2? At the moment I am unnerved by the idea of a big set up with regulator and reactor, etc. What are the realistic considerations I should expect? DIY involving yeast and sugar sounds easy enough. But I am also looking at some interesting systems such as Hydor. Any thoughts?

For a small tank, do I need all the gadgets, gauges, valves...?

I expect that I will manually turn off the CO2 supply at night, but is hooking up to a timer a possibility?

Does the reactor have to be submerged?

Thanks!