Wow!
I think you have done more work than I did on the 1600 gallon tank!
Good thought process and changes.
You can see my avartar and what I used for my system.
Not really a bog, rather, I used cork 1/2" tiles and added lots of epiphyte pl;ants to that, they grew out about 4-6" and I added Pennywort on the top to shade them from the MH's.
This works really well, you cannot see any equipment, and all you see are weeds.
Think about what it is that you want to see when you peer into the tank.
What overall concept are you after?
What are your goals?
It's okay to redefine them as you progress.
I did not want tom see what Amano sees with some of the tanks I've done, that's not my goal, yet folks compare. It's comparing apples and oranges.
Likewise, your vision will be different as well.
Do not place barriers up in your way.
Try, see what works etc.
Regards,
Tom Barr