Fresh2o
Aquarium Advice Addict
That's actually pretty neat that you don't have to wash it. And I'm quite flexible on lighting cost, just nothing insane. Is say under $100 reasonable? Maybe that's high I'm not sure xD completely new with plants and lighting.
You don't have to wash EcoComplete but your tank will get cloudy at first until things settle out or get filtered out. I have purchased 6 bags of EcoComplete in the last 7 months and I have yet to see the plastic bag of water conditioner / clarifier. These were purchased at Petco locally for cheap ($9 each). Ugh.
As mentioned above, checkout what the LFS has to offer in terms of lighting. Then google the product and look for reviews. Or post them in this thread; I'm sure you'll get some feedback.
If you go to the stickies in the freshwater planted forum I believe there are some helpful links to maintaining planted tanks.
Yes, BBA (Black Beard Algae) is a type of algae you don't want to get in your tank.