I'm lovin the moss wall idea! I may have to do that in my tank! The cycling is something I haven't had to go through. When I got my original tank it was already over a year old. When I upgraded, by some miracle the tank never back stepped into a min-cycle.
I have read others cycling "nightmares". From their experiences all I can say is try to be patient and let it roll out. Once it's over, you will be on your way and the cycle will be nothing more than a memory
Your tank looks great!