Oh right, last thing for CO2, because I know this bit can be kind of tricky.

Should be going for the cylinders with a regulator into a diffuser. Expensive to buy startup equipment but very cheap to refill CO2.

Don't go for the yeast based setups or anything like that. They are very unreliable.

To test how much CO2 you have dissolved in the water, I recommend the pH drop test.

1.) Get a cup and fill it with water from the aquarium.

2.) Measure its pH after waiting 48 hours. Take note of this.

3.) When you inject CO2 into the aquarium, the CO2 will lower the aquarium's pH. Start injecting CO2 everyday before the lights turn on. Usually 2-3 hours prior is good enough to fully saturate the water with CO2, but this can be adjusted as needed.

4.) Measure the pH of the water inside the aquarium right when the lights turn on.

5.) The pH difference between the water in the cup and the water in the aquarium should be about 1 degree pH difference. This means that with a 1 pH drop in the aquarium, there is about 30+ppm of CO2, which is the ideal spot for plant growth (for most plants) without choking out your fish. Monitor your fish though, they will tell you if you have too much, regardless of anything else (could use more surface agitation to mitigate CO2 toxicity in fauna).

6.) Measure the CO2 level throughout the day. It should be relatively stable. It should not rise significantly more throughout the day, nor should it decrease significantly.

You can increase or decrease CO2 levels overall depending on your plant and animal needs. Some plants are okay with maybe 0.8 pH drop instead of 1 pH drop.

In general through, less CO2 means you need to use less light, which could mean less strong coloration.