Haha so after my bedroom 2 foot Singapore biotope scape. I like it. #patriotism.

So now onto my next project. I have a 3 foot tank sitting pretty (more canvas!) and empty in my living room.
After HOURS of research (no joke here.) I have kinda got an idea that I'd want to do an Orinoco biotope.
SO. Since all I have now is a tank, and play sand left over from my Singapore (PATRIOTISM) scape. I figured out that it kinda works for me right now since I don't need more substrate.
I currently have a Dolphin C-1000 cannister but the inlet pipe might be a tad too long, so I figured I might as well as switch to a HMF filter since space is a bit of an issue for me.

Anyway I was looking online for ideas, and saw this video:

I could probably use some overturned branchy driftwood to that effect.
Most of the things I would be getting like lighting would be second hand from the AQ marketplace to keep costs down.

Idea for fauna: Cardinal Tetras, German Ram Cichlid, and Corydoras Haborus/other Cories or Otocinclus.
I was thinking that if I had a lot of leaf litter on the substrate, would the cories do well.
For flora, does anyone know what plants were in that video? I read that plants like hornwort, riccia, vallisneria, salvinia, Amazon swords, hairgrass etc also work. I probably wouldn't have a carpet, so hairgrass may be out of the question. Are there any other good plants for this?

Also I was wondering if C328 had bags of Cardinal Tetras like they have their neon tetras.
Anyway, any advice would be highly appreciated. Thanks.