# My monte carlo are dying out - Pressurized CO2 time?



## xquisit (Sep 2, 2014)

Good day planted tank community,

I am rocking a 6.2g tank with a Finnex Planted+ fixture.

I dose macro and micro nutrients daily (each on separate days for three days total each)

Furthrmore, I am dosing 5mL of Seachem Exel but it seems to not be doing the trick.


Take a look at my monte carlo, is it time to go pressurized or just DIY?











Any advice would be much appreciated (and sorry for the dirty tank).


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## Nigel95 (Mar 5, 2017)

Pressurized is expensive but your plants will benefit great from it. I never had any regret buying it. My monte carlo never looked like that in my 6.6g with just an all-in-one ferts.


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## Krispyplants (Apr 15, 2014)

The excel is killing the Monte carlos. This plant does not require co2 at all.


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## fusedpro (Dec 29, 2011)

Krispyplants said:


> The excel is killing the Monte carlos. This plant does not require co2 at all.


It doesn't _require_ CO², but it certainly does benefit from it. I've been using glut (Excel) and my MC is doing just fine. 

Could potentially be using too much Excel? Assuming I did the math right, a tank your size only needs like .6 mL daily (could safely do 1 mL).

From your picture, your MC looks okay. I'm guessing this is a new tank? If so, MC grows in rather slowly, especially without CO². I run a Finnex Stingray on my 5.5g, so your lighting probably isn't the issue either. You can check out the journal in my signature to see my MC progress. There's little change, but the carpet definitely isn't dying.

If you want to go pressurized CO², by all means your plants will love it. That said, there are many reports out there saying MC is one of the few carpets that doesn't need it.


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## FishEggs (Mar 19, 2017)

How long has it been in the tank? It might just still be adjusting to the new parameters.


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## xquisit (Sep 2, 2014)

The MC has been in my tank for three weeks.

I have been double dosing exel so that may be why (I have been dosing 5ML daily).

I am definitely getting algae as well. Too be expected I suppose with not that much CO2 and such high light?


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## xquisit (Sep 2, 2014)

Maybe I should go DIY for now, or would it cost just as much as a pressurized in the long run?


Also what are some more simple plants to grow? Ripens?


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## JonA (Mar 8, 2017)

xquisit said:


> Maybe I should go DIY for now, or would it cost just as much as a pressurized in the long run?
> 
> 
> Also what are some more simple plants to grow? Ripens?


I got the DIY Co2 from ebay, the bubble counter and diffuser from amazon. I don't remember the cost but it was under $50 for everything. I use baking soda in one bottle and vinegar in the other. Works great. My Monte Carlo is filling out nicely, anubias nana petite is growing good but getting some holes, and the S. Repens is growing like crazy. I use Flourish and Excel. Might need some potassium for the holes in the anubias.

Edit: I put Java Moss, Frogbit, and Duckweed in there a little while ago. The Frogbit is doing okay, the java moss looks like crap, and the duckweed is just hanging out by the skimmer.


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## BlackThumb (Oct 4, 2014)

xquisit said:


> I am rocking a *6.2g tank *with a Finnex Planted+ fixture.
> 
> Furthrmore, I am dosing *5mL of Seachem Exel* but it seems to not be doing the trick.



Not sure if that's part of your problem right here, but 5mL is the daily dose for a *50g* tank. 1-2mL would be more appropriate for a 6.2g.

I had a severe melt-off of my monte carlo even with pressurized co2. It was growing super-fast, had almost completed my desired carpet, then all of a sudden died off in mass quantities. I ended up pulling all of the dying parts and replanted the little bits I could save. That stopped the die-off, but it took forever (literally months) for it to bounce back and start growing again.. Never found out why.


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## yrral (May 13, 2014)

Lower your dose of Excel to 1mL a day. MC takes awhile to establish itself. I took me about 3 months to carpet in low tech. Also you can stick em in deeper in the substrate and they wont die, seems like you have some stems poking out of the substrate


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