Aquascaping review

[David Marshburn <marshbur at cs_unc.edu>]

Hi folks,

I'd like to solicit any comments folks would like to make about my tank.

Pictures are at:
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~marshbur/2002-10-09-aquarium/

(no, I've not quite figured out the right color/exposure settings on the
camera. :)

I think the best picture (although a little underexposed) is
http://www.cs.unc.edu/~marshbur/2002-10-09-aquarium/aquarium%20002.jpg

On the left, we have Rotala macrandra with some small Anubias b. var. nana
at its feet.  Since I took the pictures, I've trimmed the Rotala back
some; it really snuck up on me how much it was dominating the tank (and
blocking the light to the front of the tank).  There is a piece of wood
going up and left at the right of the Rotala (serves to keep the Rotala
out of the filter intake and off the heater, which are (mostly) hidden
behing the Rotala).

At the far right back, we have some Hygrophila difformis (wysteria).  In
the mid-right back is some Cardimine lyrata that's badly in need of a
trimming, too.  

On the middle ledge (and some on the bottom) are dwarf sagittaria.
There's also a very large Anubias b. var. coffiefolia (thanks, Ghazanfar!) 
on the right.

This tank is fairly young, slightly less than two months old.  I have some
more dwarf sag and wysteria on order, to fill in those places.

The coffiefolia doesn't show up particularly well in any of the pictures,
unfortunately.  I'm thinking it will overly dominate the front part of
the tank where I have it now.  I was thinking of moving it to either the
center back or front left.  I think it also needs a little trimming of the
roots.

I've also thought of putting all the dwarf sag on the middle ledge and
getting some type of carpet plant for the base of the first terrace (I'd
originally thought the dwarf sag would be more 'dwarf').

The lighting is 72 W of PC flourescent, 6200K bulbs.  Been pondering
various ways of increasing this.

The inhabitants are 14 harlequin rasbora, 4 lemon tetras, 7 green cories,
1 Ancistrus and 5 Amano shrimp.  Some common pond snails seem to have
piggy-backed in.

This is my first tank, and my first experience with anything like
aquascaping.  I'd really appreciate any comments folks might have about
layout, composition or content, etc., and plant choices.

Oh, the tank size is 50 G (US).  36 x 18 x 18.  (in retrospect, I think I
would have rather had the extra 6 inches of height on the 65 G for the
same footprint).

Thanks!
-David