Given up on my Monte Carlo

[Tropical Tony]

Hi guys,

After a few months of struggling with Monte Carlo I’ve decided to uproot and get rid. It spread across the floor nicely but never really grew up and always had bits of algae growing on it. All my other plants seem to be doing well. Anyway I decided to replace the Monte Carlo with some brasiliensis (left side of tank) fingers crossed I can grow this one.

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Nice start!

 

[Wills]

Looks good I think Brassiliensis is easier to grow than MC - are you using Co2?

I think the scape could do with a big bit of hardscape to make it more dramatic, maybe some driftwood branches arcing to the right from your current wood?

Wills

 

[Tropical Tony]

Thanks guys. Yes I agree. I’m thinking of getting rid of the wood what’s in there and putting some branches in. The only thing is the shrimp love the wood in there now it’s a really good hideout for them. Decisions decisions.

 

[Tropical Tony]

And no there is no Co2

 

[PheonixKingZ]

Thanks guys. Yes I agree. I’m thinking of getting rid of the wood what’s in there and putting some branches in. The only thing is the shrimp love the wood in there now it’s a really good hideout for them. Decisions decisions.

I say keep the piece that is in there now and add some smaller branched in the back left corner/area.

 

[Wills]

And no there is no Co2

Impressive

I think get an other piece of bog wood like this but put it at quite a steep angle so it touches the top of the first stem plant on the right. If you can get it to balance safely but looking slightly precariously it will add a nice bit of drama to the scape, plant it out with moss and buce and it will look great. Maybe willow moss on the undersides so it grows down, or flame moss so it looks like it is wrapping around as it grows upwards?

Wills

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Looks great! I understand about the monte carlo. I do lowish-tech tanks (dirted substrate, no CO2, no ferts), and I usually start with a fairly insane number of plant species. Over the several years that I usually keep my tanks set up, certain plants come to dominate; others gradually diminish; some never get going in the first place; some grow like wildfire for a year or two then gradually die out. Sometimes I'll have a plant that does well in one tank, but dies out in another (with the same water and substrate). It's unpredictable and ever-changing, just like a natural system! That's all part of the fun, to me.