Excellent ideas guys.
So far I think I can incorporate all of them.
I thinking now(from your ideas) a LOAD of vals in the back in several groups......Some crypts in the middle front, and microswords carpeting the terraced area at the front (and wherever else they decide to take over)
I am thinking also some more rotala bunches to get that thin leaf texture in about three groups throughout.
To answer your question it is a terrace, or rather two terraces. A smaller one on the left, larger on the right, it's almost a 60/40 split with a valley of pfs in between.
After an exhausting search for the right material I ended up making them out of acrylic. I wanted a sandy beach area in the front to give a free swimming space and also a place for the discus to pick food off of the sand which they love to do.
I was also hoping the terrace would keep the eco-complete from mixing too much with the sand, but the first time I moved one of those swords I had a bunch of little rocks mucking it up.
In retrospect I probably would have just made the terrace out of driftwood and rocks and just used pfs for substrate since it would have given me a more natural look.
I do like the way most of the tank debris settles in the valley so I can easily clean it out even between PWC. It makes it easy to keep it clean for the discus.
and the LED lights in the bottom of the terrace are pretty neat at night. It lights up the whole terrace wall.