Monte Carlo
A small round-leaved carpeting plant, easier and more forgiving than dwarf baby tears.
Requirements
- Scientific name
- Micranthemum tweediei
- Family
- Linderniaceae
- Light
- Medium to high
- CO₂
- Strongly beneficial
- Nutrients
- moderate
- Growth rate
- Moderate
- Placement
- Foreground
- Feeding
- both
- Temperature
- 20–26 °C
- pH
- 6–7.5
- Hardness
- 2–15 °dGH
- Height
- 2–5 cm
Identity
- Common name
- Monte Carlo
- Scientific name
- Micranthemum tweediei
- Family
- Linderniaceae
- Also sold as
- Micranthemum tweedei
How to plant it
The commonest way to kill an aquarium plant is to install it wrongly. This is the first thing to get right.
Spread across the substrate surface
Nutrition reaches this plant mainly through both roots and leaves, so either route works.
Growing conditions
| Input | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Medium to high | Match plants to the light you have rather than raising light to suit the plant — that grows algae. |
| CO₂ | Strongly beneficial | Not a requirement, though growth is faster with it. |
| Nutrients | moderate | Dose a complete liquid fertiliser. |
| Temperature | 20–26 °C | |
| pH | 6–7.5 | |
| Hardness | 2–15 °dGH | |
| Growth rate | Moderate |
Propagation
Divide and replant portions of the mat.
Emersed growth and melting
Sold emersed in tissue culture or pots; converts reliably given light and CO₂.
Common problems
- carpet lifts off substrate
- melt in low light
Work from the observation: melting, yellow leaves, holes in leaves and poor growth.
Fish and invertebrate compatibility
- Resists grazing
- moderate
- Resists digging
- poor
Worth knowing
- Thick mats detach and float once the lower layer dies back. Trim regularly.
Evidence
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Micranthemum tweediei | Observed / measured | high confidence | Plants of the World Online |
| temperature | 20–26 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| light requirement | medium-to-high | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| co2 requirement | strongly-beneficial | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| growth rate | moderate | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| placement | foreground | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6–7.5 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 2–15 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| height | 2–5 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one. Light and CO2 categories are aquarium conventions rather than measurements, and are labelled as such — AquariumHQ has taken no PAR readings and does not publish figures it has not taken.
scientific nameSources disagreeWe do not have a basis for this and say so.1 citation, 1 independent origin
Authorities disagree. gbif accepts "Micranthemum tweedei"; the catalogue keeps "Micranthemum tweediei" and records the disagreement rather than taking a side.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted botanical name — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Authorities disagree: gbif accepts "Micranthemum tweedei" and the catalogue keeps "Micranthemum tweediei". Recorded rather than resolved.
What would improve this: Editorial resolution. More reading will not settle this on its own.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
light requirementAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
co2 requirementAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
growth rateAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
placementAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: how to grow the plant — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
heightAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.