I'm starting a pond outside and just did a bit of research on coldwater
plants. I ordered Cambomba carolinia, Vallisneria americana
(needs 67 degree water), and Egeria najas (a prettier form of
anacharis) to go out in the colder water. Myriophyllum aquaticum
(parrot's feather) and many of the native Sagittaria species also
prefer cooler water. For more ideas, try going to a pond store instead
of a tropical fish store.

IME Egeria needs a lot of light. More than a moderate amount. I'd strongly
recommend Ludwigia repens, common ludwigis, it loves cold (or warm,
doesn't seem to care) and grows well in moderate light.

shrimp sound entertaining. Are they:

a) small enough to get eaten by the goldfish

Yes.

b) big enough to eat minnows?

No.

You want Ammano shrimp. The other ones are more decorative than
usefull, they're just so small. A doezen ammanos will most
probably keep you algae free as long as you're not trying to use
them to clean up a tank; that is they'll keep a clean tank
clean but you can't expect a small number like that to clean
up an algae infested tank.


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