Best Carpeting Plants Without CO2?

[Thibault Drake]

I have a 55 gallon that’s been setup for a month now. I have some dwarf sag as a carpeting plant, but it is not growing very well. I would like to maybe have another carpeting plant that will form a more dense carpet. I like the look of Monte Carlo, but I’ve heard that it is very difficult to grow without co2. What plants would you recommend to use to make a carpet like Monte Carlo, just without co2?

 

[VeiltailKing]

Monte Carlo!! I have a thick (probably too thick) carpet of it in my 5g. All you need is good light, root tabs, and of course if you have other plants as well dosing ferts never hurts. When you start out planting them, plant close together. Don’t be afraid to make them look a bit crowded because that will give you an even better carpet.

You can actually see the growth and get an idea of how long it took me here

 

[Thibault Drake]

Monte Carlo!! I have a thick (probably too thick) carpet of it in my 5g. All you need is good light, root tabs, and of course if you have other plants as well dosing ferts never hurts. When you start out planting them, plant close together. Don’t be afraid to make them look a bit crowded because that will give you an even better carpet.

Thanks! What is the best place to buy Monte Carlo online? I love your tank btw.

 

[VeiltailKing]

Thanks! What is the best place to buy Monte Carlo online? I love your tank btw.

I believe I got mine from Aquatic Arts when I ordered some shrimp, but they’re extremely expensive with shipping. So if you can I’d recommend looking around on a few sites to find a cheaper option before going with them. Also, if you have any trusty local fish stores, you can check to see if they sell pots of Monte Carlo.

 

[thefishn00b]

you guys got any recommendations for floating low light plants for my betta?

 

[VeiltailKing]

you guys got any recommendations for floating low light plants for my betta?

I have dwarf water lettuce in all of my tanks. Great for an addition to your filter to keep the water clean and fish love to hang out in them. You just have to be careful that they don’t take over and cut off light to your other plants. Make sure to take some out if there gets to be too many.

 

[thefishn00b]

is duckweed good? i heard once you put it in your tank you cant get it out.

 

[VeiltailKing]

is duckweed good? i heard once you put it in your tank you cant get it out.

I’ve never had duckweed so I can’t speak on that. I personally prefer the look of dwarf water lettuce.

 

[wishuponafish]

is duckweed good? i heard once you put it in your tank you cant get it out.

If I were you, I'd never go near that stuff unless you really like the pond-y aesthetic. I had 1 leaf of it hitchhike in on a plant and ever since, the surface of my tank will be completely covered every few days after I just scoop out most of it...
I'm suspecting it steals all the nutrients from my other plants because they started getting deficiencies after the duckweed took over and upping the fert dosage only makes the duckweed multiply faster. On top of that it didn't even lower my nitrate levels.

It can be controlled a bit by increasing current at the surface but my gouramis don't like that so I've accepted I'll have to deal with it forever.

 

[thefishn00b]

oh okay i will go with water lettuce then. the only plant in my tank is a moss ball so far do you know any good places to buy water lettuce?

 

[Danny002]

Thanks! What is the best place to buy Monte Carlo online? I love your tank btw.

Buceplant has monte carlo tissue cultures for $10 a pot, and standard shipping is about $9, so I'd get it there.

 

[-Mak-]

I agree about the monte carlo, I've found it to be a reliable grower as long as it has a soil substrate, medium light, and good fertilizer dosing. It will be slower in low tech though.
Other options include marsilea and maybe dwarf hairgrass if given the same conditions as monte carlo