I'm super new to aquarium plants. Got a 5 gallon with no fish in it, been cycling for a few weeks, a couple days ago I planted some dwarf hairgrass and, uhh... something else I don't remember. Looks like a tiny shrub? Google told me it was fairly new in the hobby before I tossed the package. That's absolutely no help and I'm sorry. :s

So, like... how can I tell if they're doing okay? How long will it take before I know whether they're dying/growing? Everything's all green and perky, but I know it probably hasn't been long enough to be able to tell.

I've also recently become aware that dwarf hairgrass is a fairly advanced species... what are the chances that I can keep it alive without super fancy substrate and co2 and special lighting? I really like the stuff.