Good luck look forward to seeing you build thread.Than you for the suggestions. I will try to incorporate the tips. My tank is only 16" wide, so not really much room to play with. The current scape as-is is about 12/13"" at the widest point. Any wider, i'll have too little clearance to the glass.
In hind sight, i should have gotten a wider tank. I think it will look much better. Anyhow, i am happy enough with this setup.
Thanks you all for the feedback. It was really helpful in refining the scape. I like the latest scape, and will start gluing the rock and then start the cycle in a tub. In ~1month, the tank should be here and i'll have an instant tank! Going with BB so no sand.