New 48 gal; Need Ideas

So I've got a new tank sitting empty in my living room. The price was right, but the dimensions are slightly frustrating. It's 48x13x18.

The idea here is that I want to give it some sort of feeling of depth rather than looking like a bad mural. At 13 inches width, it's not a lot of room to let larger stem plants grow out to full size without coming quite far forwards.

While I've sworn never to do a pure iwagumi tank, I could see doing this one as a hybrid with finer species added in.

Anyhow, ideas are wide open here. Plants are going to be ordered in, there's no planned hardscape yet. ADA AAS2 looks like the substrate of choice. I'll be trying for about 2wpg of light, spectrum is wide open to complement the layout, as is the background. Fauna will involve shrimp, but that's undecided as well. Filtration I was thinking on a canister rated for the tanks size, aided by a couple submersible pumps on needle wheel for compressed CO2. Maybe an in-line heater.

-Philosophos

*edit*

As an extension of the whole thing, I'm already wondering what happens with KH fluctuations and ADA AAS. The tap water here has a KH around 6-7. 50% water change seems like it'd make something around a 3-4dKH fluctuation. I'm guessing sensitive apistos wouldn't appreciate this. Anyone with experience willing to comment? Discus would be a good approximation.

 

What's the reasoning behind your brand preference? It's one I've never heard of before.

Staurogyne with triandra might make a nice pair; slight height and size difference, similar texture. Same way glosso gets paired with HC repeatedly.

Where's a reliable place to buy both?

Seriously? Even with a pH of 8.3 and KH of 8 at the worst times of the year? I thought it'd fog horribly?

Ya, shrimp really are up in the air. There's some consideration for blue and yellow Neocaridina spp. as well. What ever type we're keeping, we'll probably breed as well.

Sounds good... fairly much the way we're headed. Loc-line is gaining more appeal by the day for me as well.

Thanks for the suggestion, Tom. The species you've recommended are going high up on my list.

-Philosophos