How to Outsmart Your Aquatic Plants: Monte Carlo (Micranthemum tweediei)

The first thing I will discuss is lighting. Monte Carlo requires bright lighting. If you want it to maintain compact and lush growth like a carpet, you need to provide this plant with some serious light! When not enough light is provided, Monte Carlo tends to grow upwards, reaching for the light, instead of growing out horizontally and spreading like a carpet. Another issue I’ve had with lack of lighting is that the bottom of the plant doesn’t get enough light, so it tends to die off. When this happens, the “carpet” detaches from the soil, and you’ll end up starting all over again.

The second reason most people don’t do well with Monte Carlo is the lack of CO2 or other nutrients. Yes, it is possible to grow this plant without CO2 being added to the tank, but it will significantly enhance the growth speed, color, and overall health of this plant if you use it. I personally have NEVER had luck carpeting with Monte Carlo without CO2. It always had smaller leaves, was a duller color, and barely spread, if at all, when not supplementing with CO2 — even with intense lighting. So, if you want that carpet, you need CO2.

The final reason most people tend to struggle with Monte Carlo is excessive algae growth. Like most thin-leaved plants, it is prone to algae growth, especially in cases of fluctuating water chemistry and nutrients. This can also happen when the plant is not pruned often enough, causing it to block light to the bottom of the plant and thus “pulling up the carpet” again as discussed under lighting. The growth under CO2 is very quick, so this plant needs bi-weekly trimmings, if not every week.

So, if you want to outsmart Monte Carlo: use some serious lighting, use CO2, and make sure to not only maintain your water chemistry but keep the plant trimmed as well. A weekly or bi-weekly “landscaping” of this carpet will definitely be required with the addition of CO2.