I've done hob filters and currently have a canister. A lot of it is preference. With my current tank I just didn't want an hob filter. I wanted the filter tucked away out of sight. Its really about just making sure you have the right amount of filtration.
I would say to take into consideration what type of flow the fish you choose would like. Some fish do better with higher flow and others do better with lower flow. Two filters helps break up the flow- where as one filter can create a strong flow at the outlet. Also while the basic idea of maintenance is the same, its a little different process for each one. That may not matter to you, but something to think about.
Regarding plants...just keep in mind that just like fish, everyone has a slightly different experience. My tank has dirt under the gravel and I'm using the finnex planted plus 24/7, with no co2. I dont currently dose ferts. Some of my plants are doing great, and others that I thought would do better are struggling. I could increase to a higher tech setup (co2, ferts, etc) but I am more likely to remove the plants that don't work well in my set up, add more of the ones that do well, and try a couple new plants.
This can be as complicated or (relatively) simple as you want.
Btw I think its awesome you are doing all this planning. I'm way more impulsive.
A good way to figure out what you might want is to read through tank logs/journals. My current tank is based of another hobbyists tank that I really liked. I'm not trying to copy it, but it gave me a really good perspective of what it would take to have a tank like his.
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) and you want to shoot for more than 5x flow.
