So I went to many LFS around Minnesota and many had great advice!
I have been happy with my 37 gallon tank for years now but I felt that it needed a huge makeover. I wanted to change my gravel to crush coal for a long time now. I tested it to see if it would change the hardness and PH. My water is already very hard and I did not want to make it even harder. It seems to not have changed. Instead of adding the coral throughout the tank, I added some brown sand to give it a different feel.
I would love to add in real plants. I have tried. The plants that can deal with brackish waters like Java fern, moss and Anubias didn't seem to enjoy it. So I ended up getting fake ones that look pretty realistic. I also added rocks for my boy to use to trim down his beak. I still love the look of driftwood in tanks. I looked up brackish waters and they have Mangrove roots in brackish water. I have had so many people say that the wood will not rot in brackish waters and then some that it will. I took a chance and added manzanita wood in the tank. This wood is a lot stronger than the normal driftwood people use for fresh waters. IF I do end up seeing rot in the wood I will remove the wood, but for now the BB's and my Puffer is enjoying the new look.
this is the before and after of my tank: