New to Aquatic Planting! HELP!

[xxbenbenxx]

Alright I was recently inspired by a tank I saw that was really beautiful!

I was going to start off with a 10 Gallon Tank with plants then add my Goldfish later.

I read the dwarf hairgrass was pretty easy to maintain, no co2 or liquid fertilizers. Has anyone grown this? It they give off green algae into the tank that makes it look dirty? If it does will ghost shrimp eat algae? or would i have to get sails and such?

Would they be compatible with gravel base first?

 

[Mgamer20o0]

goldfish are known to eat plants. also they should be kept in a bigger then 10 gal tank.

 

[smyke]

gold fish are very messy too and grow very fast and will probably eat your ghost shrimp. I had a pair when first starting out and it was a pain trying to keep the tank somewhat clean. they outgrew my 10g in few months.

one thing for certain though, gold fish would give you lots and lots of nitrates to feed your plants.

 

[Notophthalmus]

Do you already have the goldfish? If not, I would consider getting a different type of fish. Goldies need a big tank, powerful filtration, and are not compatible with most plants or shrimp.

There are plenty of fish that will do well in a planted 10 gallon; a betta and some tetras would work well.

I haven't grown hairgrass, so I can't help you there, but most plants can be grown successfully without CO2 and with minimal fertilization; they just grow more slowly. Algae can spring up in any tank, but if your plants are doing well and you have a reasonable amount of light, your algae problems should be manageable. Ghost shrimp may eat some algae, but they will not be sufficient by themselves to keep your tank algae-free.

 

[Squawkbert]

Hairgrass requires more than a little light. If you have a good lighting fixture, you may be OK, else go w/ lowlight plants.

 

[xxbenbenxx]

Thanks for the responses! I'm completely new at the fishing thing!
So Tetra's would go well with the ghost shrimp along with plants?

Do they breed easy and stay small at the same time?

Do you guys know if there is an eco balance? Such as if there is enough plants I wouldn't have to worry about the build up of toxic in the water?

Note: Goldfish + Plants = Bad Especially for 10 Gs. I'll keep that in mind!