Sticklebacks

Planning your tank out to that degree won't quite work. I'd suggest just grouping the plants into "Tangled", "Tall rooted", "Medium rooted", and "Short rooted", and then just assign those to areas instead of trying to plan out where every different species of plant will go. If you want to be able to see into the tank, you'll definitely want to put the tall plants and the plants that turn into a big tangle in the back. 

According to my Peterson Field Guide to Freshwater Fishes, there's no threespines in MN.  You have ninespine up in the NE corner of MN, and brook stickleback throughout the state.  "Foxtail" is a common name for several different plants, both aquatic and terrestrial.  In the aquatic realm it usually refers to Myriophyllum, but some people also use "foxtail" for Ceratophyllum (= Hornwort or Coontail).  Which "foxtail" are you referring to?

Hey there. I'm a fellow Minnesotan and native fish enthusiast, but I don't have any sticklebacks -- and I live far from Moorhead anyway. You might want to tap into the Minnesota Aquarium Society and minnfish.com for people who might have some sticklebacks or can direct you to good collection points. I recall finding the occasional stickleback with bait minnows, so that could be a last resort.

It's important to note that it's illegal in Minnesota to remove any plants of any kind from any waterway. (I don't know if you had planned to collect plants; I just wanted to put that information out there to be safe.)

Good luck on your set up. Sounds like a really cool plan, and your aquascape is already looking really nice.

okay, so i will get them from other places

wait.... im not supposed to collect plants locally!                 

Here's a link: http://www.dnr.state...egulations.html

Find a private body of water on someone's farm, home, etc.

thank gosh, its a private pond

Hey there, I'm Evan, a fellow Minnesotan NANFAn. If you decide to go with Brooks and can't find them locally, shoot me a PM.

If it has crayfish it won't remain planted.

Sticklebacks will be fine in that volume.