I still like the variety and colors you get with stem plants but I am also enjoying a break from the maintenance (trimming, daily ferts, CO2). My current setup contains no rooted plants; I can easily remove or rearrange the driftwood and plants as needed. The current focus is keeping a healthy setup for the fish. There are mosquito fish fry hiding in the guppy grass. If any of the Furcata rainbow eggs hatch, the fry may have a chance in there as well.
Currently I am putting locally gathered sycamore leaves, maple leaves from CoralBandit, and IAL from Brookster into the tank. Mini-IAL would look awesome in here scattered along to bottom. The way the current is situated the leaves get pushed toward the back of the open area. Enjoying the tannins.