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Stalled monte-carlo

Sammy Islam

Member
Joined
12 Mar 2019
Messages
692
Location
Hertfordshire
Hey peeps hope all is well!

It's got to the point where i need some help/advice please as my monte-carlo barely grows. Tanks been running like 4 months and i barely have a carpet, so little that i can't trim it as it's still mainly at substrate level - it's confusing.

I have replanted some new MC on the left hand side of my scape as the rams and gouramis decided to pull it out. The right hand side has stayed in place and in the photo it looks like a carpet but its not as the MC has been pushed down the front of the glass during maintenance. Even though it has covered 90% of the substrate it hasn't grown into a bushy carpet, you can still see a tiny bit of aquasoil. The HC has grown a lot better and is becoming thick in comparison.

The MC get's decent flow and co2, it gets plenty of light even though my hardscape slightly shadows it. There is some new growth with bigger leaves but it just barely grows in general.

1. AS900 - rated 186L (~150L).
2. Oase biomaster 600 + small powerhead.
3. Twinstar 900SA - @100% 7 hours total.
4. Tropica soil.
5. Co2 - uncountable bps - 0.9PH drop - large neo diffuser - yellow drop checker.
6. EI
20ppm NO3
4ppm PO4
30 ppm K
10-12ppm MG
0.6ppm FE (total from DTPA &
EDDHA)
APF trace mix
7. Water change 70-80% weekly.
8. Mainly crypts, rotala, h.pinnatafida, MC, HC, P.helferi, anubias, buce, s.repens, trident java fern.
9. Asian rummy nose tetra
Ember tetra
German blue rams
Honey gourami
Cherry shrimp
Amano shrimp
IMG_20200420_180036__01.jpg
 
I would move the light right to the front for a couple of weeks see if that helps I think it's the shading from the hardscape it's a high light plant so even a little shading can make it very slow and even melt
 
Hi,

Agreed, seems to be starving for more light. Best would be to buy another 90cm twinstar. A friend of mine is running one SA and one E over the same tank as you, growth rate is much better. ;)
 
I would move the light right to the front for a couple of weeks see if that helps I think it's the shading from the hardscape it's a high light plant so even a little shading can make it very slow and even melt

I'll move the light an inch or so forward and see if that helps. Was worried the hardscape and having the inlet/outlet above it would mean less light. But the right side does get more and isn't shadowed as much as the left side.

Hi,

Agreed, seems to be starving for more light. Best would be to buy another 90cm twinstar. A friend of mine is running one SA and one E over the same tank as you, growth rate is much better. ;)

You're probably right, if i need a better light because of my hardscape arrangement then i'd probably be better off selling the 900SA and getting something like the chihiros RGB vivid 2 which is cheaper and like double the power?
 
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Another option would be to suspend the light if it was a little higher might get a better spread across the tank could always suspend it a little more towards the front and it is easy to do especially with the SA
 
Another option would be to suspend the light if it was a little higher might get a better spread across the tank could always suspend it a little more towards the front and it is easy to do especially with the SA

I have moved it forward an inch so will see how it goes. The light is at the maximum bracket height about 14-15cm above the water surface, if things don't improve i may have to get a chihiros and sell the twinstar if i have to buy a hanging kit anyways.
 
I have seen the vids before but would rather get a fixed bracket for the stand as:
1) i'm not sure if my tank is actually flat to the wall its probably at a small angle.
2) i can't be bothered to drill holes in the ceiling and don't trust my dad to do it either :lol:

Will see how it goes in the next couple weeks with the light moved forwards and make a decision from there i guess :thumbup:
 
Hi

I have a twinstar ea less powerfull than yours and the monte carlo grew lush, so it cant be your light strength, it didnt grow at first and it ALL melted, i found that the light was too high ! After lots of conferring with people and diff advice I simply lowered it and Monte carlo was good and thick growth
 
Hi

I have a twinstar ea less powerfull than yours and the monte carlo grew lush, so it cant be your light strength, it didnt grow at first and it ALL melted, i found that the light was too high ! After lots of conferring with people and diff advice I simply lowered it and Monte carlo was good and thick growth

I don't think the light is under powered, it's more my hardscape arrangement which shadows the MC on the left hand side. The right hand side looks fine for light, but maybe it isn't getting enough because it's slightly shadowed and my inlet/outlet sits above it.
 
I don't think the light is under powered, it's more my hardscape arrangement which shadows the MC on the left hand side. The right hand side looks fine for light, but maybe it isn't getting enough because it's slightly shadowed and my inlet/outlet sits above it.
How about lowering the light as well as moving it forward a bit....
 
I've moved it 3cm forward forward so will see how it goes. Not going to lower it again as i've caused staghorn on the pinnatafida and trying to resolve that.

since I use the vivid 2 on full blast I got staghorn on some of the pinnatifida leaves that are near the water surface too...I should dim after the final shoot, that is MUCH light on a 60p haha
 
I'm struggling with the pinnatifida and staghorn, i know sooner or later ill see some BBA. It seems to spread much faster on pinnatifida, my other plants are fine.

I'm going to give the MC one more month and see if it improves. If not I will be replacing it with something else like dwarf hairgrass or another small grass type of plant. I'm sick of replanting MC it's so stressful :lol:
 
I'm struggling with the pinnatifida and staghorn, i know sooner or later ill see some BBA. It seems to spread much faster on pinnatifida, my other plants are fine.

I'm going to give the MC one more month and see if it improves. If not I will be replacing it with something else like dwarf hairgrass or another small grass type of plant. I'm sick of replanting MC it's so stressful :lol:
How did you get on with your MC?
 
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