I like medium tech tanks myself. A lot of people have them. See the "moderate
light" option on my page:

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/.../881/setup.htm

standard gravel mixed half half with fluorite or laterite (can't remember
the difference) to cut down cost

Flourite is worth the cost, IME, especially for someone who's new to planted
tanks. With Flourite, you'll be able to rearrange your tank all you want. And
it lasts forever, unlike laterite.

undergravel heating (I can get these cheap)

I wouldn't bother with this. Not worth it, even if you can get them cheap.

good lighting (this I can build myself so lots of light is not a problem)
no CO2 injection

For a "medium tech" tank, be careful to keep your lighting around 2 watts per
gallon. Definitely under 3 wpg. If you go over 3 wpg, you have to inject CO2.
Otherwise, your tank will suffer pH swings so severe they can actually kill
your fish.

preferably not
tons of filtration (this I can also do myself so I can add as much
filtration as is necassary)

You probably won't need as much filtration with a planted tank. The plants
serve as supplemental filtration.

A moderate-light tank is, IMO, the perfect tank for a beginner. It's
inexpensive and easy. Much less work than a high-tech tank. The plants grow
more slowly, but you will be able to grow all but the most demanding. And
slower growth means less pruning!


Leigh

http://www.fortunecity.com/lavender/halloween/881/