We live in Florida and have 3 tanks on the patio- a 55 that we just got, a 20 high, and a 20 low-- all from garage sales or craigslist (up to 300 listings/day, due to the economy tanking like it has)- Walmart has submersible heaters if water temp. is an issue. The LPS's seem to have a better variety at about the same price, however.
As far as plants, members of the echinodorus (sword) family are supposed to
prosper from submerged to terrestrial plantings- even to flower under optimum conditions, but the flowers aren't that showy or big- suggest dwarf water lilies from Loew's or Home Depot. They cut down on the direct light and thereby the algae problem- if you can afford it I suggest you get a diatom filter (Vortex is a major manufacturer)- it will even clear green water in minutes! If you get a diatom, go for the smallest/cheapest one- you don't have enough water volume for the larger ones..