Micranthemum ‘Monte Carlo’ is the ultimate aquatic carpeting plant to give your aquarium that lush, velvety rolling-hill look you’ve been dreaming of. With its tiny, round leaves and bright green color, it pops beautifully against neutral substrates. If you’ve ever struggled to grow notoriously finicky Dwarf Baby Tears (HC), Monte Carlo is the friendlier, more forgiving alternative you’ve been looking for. It spreads out into a thick, uniform mat, giving you maximum aquascaping rewards without the heartbreak.
Tissue Culture cups ensure your aquascape gets a super clean starting point. Lab‑grown and fully sterile, it arrives without pests, snails, duckweed, or any unwanted algae. It’s the go‑to option for anyone who wants peace of mind when adding fresh greenery to a carefully maintained setup.
Listed information should be treated as general guidelines only. Team Buce Plant encourages you to do thorough research to ensure healthy growth!
| Attribute | Specification |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Micranthemum tweediei 'Monte Carlo' |
| Common Name(s) | Monte Carlo |
| Family | Phrymaceae |
| Plant Type / Taxonomy | Stem / Carpeting Foreground |
| Care Difficulty | Easy to Medium |
| Light Requirement | Medium to High |
| CO2 Requirement | Recommended (Required for tight lawn growth) |
| Placement / Usage | Foreground Carpet |
| Height / Size | 1-2 inches |
| Growth Rate | Moderate to Fast |
| Water Parameters | pH 6.0 – 7.5 | Temperature 68°F – 80°F (20°C – 27°C) |
| Propagation Method | Cut runners and replant |
| Origin | Argentina |
1. How do I plant Monte Carlo tissue culture?
Use fine-tip tweezers to bury each portion about halfway into nutrient-dense aquarium soil. Spacing them 1 inch apart helps them connect quickly via runners.
2. Does Monte Carlo need CO2 to form a carpet?
While Monte Carlo can technically grow in low-tech setups without CO2, adding pressurized CO2 and medium-to-high lighting is strongly recommended to force it to grow horizontally into a tight, plush carpet instead of growing tall or straggly.
3. Why is my newly planted Monte Carlo floating up?
Because tissue culture portions have delicate root systems, fish or water currents can easily dislodge them. Planting small clumps deeply into fine soil or letting the tank grow emersed using the Dry Start Method will anchor the roots securely before flooding.
Overall rating: 4.639498 / 5 from 319 reviews.
Micranthemum 'Monte Carlo' UNS Tissue Culture is a low-growing aquatic plant from New Zealand, known for its bright green foliage and ability to form a thick carpet. Customers appreciate its fast shipping, great quality, and ease of growth. High lighting and CO2 injection are recommended to maintain its low growth. Regular trimming is necessary for optimal growth.
Review topics: [size, color, shipping, issues, light, quality, looks, service, value, condition, customer service, works, deal, results, water, price, packaged, plants, order, cup, portion, monte carlo, tissue culture, growing, experience, amount, carpet, roots, start, ordering].
"Ordered for my first try at a planted aquarium. Delivery was fast and everything arrived in good shape and great packaging. About half of the pot I received completely melted within about 2 weeks of having it in my tank and to be honest I had given up on it. Soon after the remaining stems started to bounce back and I currently have a nice start to a carpet about 6" x 6". Very glad I made this purchase as it looks great, I attribute the melting to first time plant keepers user error."
"Got the 10 pack and 9 out of ten came in great. One tub was kind of a mess so I didn’t get a lot of plantable clumps from it. All the rest of them were great and I didn’t a dry start with them and flooded them yesterday. First pic is after I planted and then second is about 6 weeks later, 3rd is after flooding. I’m going to buy some more to fill in the gaps."
"The 5-pack of Monte Carlo tissue cultures arrived in pristine condition, with all five portions looking incredibly healthy, robust, and vibrant green. As you can see anchored across the right side of my dry start tank layout in image_2. png, the portions are generous and completely outclass the poor, unhealthy stock sitting in my local shops, making the modest shipping fee a bargain for this level of quality. My only minor hurdle was during the planting process; because tissue culture portions have very small, delicate roots, anchoring them can be frustrating if the substrate is overly wet. I highly recommend keeping your soil completely dry or just barely damp while plugging the individual stems to save yourself a headache, misting only after they are securely in place. Aside from that small planting learning curve, this bundle offers exceptional value and freshness, and I will absolutely buy from this vendor again."
"My experience was not the best, I received a Monte Carlo well package but looks like the plant was not fresh, it was yellow already. I can expect to receive some yellowish color in it but not the whole bunch which was the case here. I was not able to use it and that was unfortunate because it is expensive. This has not been my experience with other plants I have bought from Bruce Plant. I did order another pack of Monte Carlo to see if I get best look next time."
"Great experience with Buceplant! Healthy, beautiful plants, excellent packaging, and fast shipping"
"Super healthy upon arrival. Roots in great shape. Very generous amount. Looking forward to see how it does."
"I bought 5 Monte Carlo tissue cultures while it was on sale and thought I was getting a great deal. Unfortunately, when it arrived, it was mostly yellow. I assumed it was just shipping stress, so I followed all of the recommended care instructions I could find online, including proper lighting, CO₂, and water parameters, and gave it plenty of time to recover. Instead of improving, it continued to decline. I also emailed customer support several times asking for advice or assistance and never received a single response. I’m writing this review in the hope that someone from the company will finally respond, since my emails have gone unanswered. At this point, I can’t help but wonder if the plants I received were from an older batch that the seller was trying to clear out during the sale. I can’t say for certain, but that’s how it felt based on the condition they arrived in. Shipping stress can happen, but the complete lack of customer support was the most disappointing part of the experience. I would have appreciated at least a response."
"Fast and save. I am very happy."
"Perfect cup of Monte Carlo. There was a pretty large portion of plants in the cup and they were in great condition overall."
"Great"
