After letting the filter run for a few days with some fish to help cycle the tank (guppies, neon tetras, and white clouds), I set up the CO2 factory. There are many places online where you can find directions to create your own CO2 factory, but I chose to order one instead for $17. Next I ordered my plants. I chose to order a couple plant assortments instead of choosing individual plants. Altogether, I spent approximately $55 on 35 plants of all different sizes and types and they seem to have filled the tank nicely for now. I have added pictures of all the stages of my tank up to this point in my section of the picture gallery on this site. The next stage in the evolution of my tank is to see which plants thrive under the lights and move things around according to how I want the tank to look.
I'll update the pictures once I get to this point.