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I've got a 10 gallon tank with a dirted substrate and decent lighting. Wanted to try a carpeting plant like Monte Carlo or Dwarf Hairgrass, but I'm worried it's too small. Anyone have experience with carpets in nanos?

Nah, 10 gallons ain't too small if you got the right setup. I've seen folks pull off killer carpets in nanos. Just gotta keep up with trimming and make sure your lights are strong enough. What kinda lighting you running?

Monte Carlo can work in a 10 gallon, but it'll need consistent CO2 and high light. Dwarf Hairgrass is a bit more forgiving. How often are you dosing fertilizers? Substrate depth matters too, at least 2 inches for roots to spread.

bryson4 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 04, 2025 12:43 am Nah, 10 gallons ain't too small if you got the right setup. I've seen folks pull off killer carpets in nanos. Just gotta keep up with trimming and make sure your lights are strong enough. What kinda lighting you running?

Agreed. I've had success with Monte Carlo in a 10 gallon using a Nicrew light and weekly ferts. It's doable but requires patience.

Thanks for the input. I'm using a Finnex Stingray and dosing Thrive twice a week. Substrate is about 2.5 inches deep. Guess I'll give Monte Carlo a shot and see how it goes.

Stingray should work, but you might wanna bump up the ferts if the carpet starts looking thin. Also, keep an eye on algae, high light can mess with the balance if you're not careful.

Golos wrote: ↑Thu Sep 04, 2025 6:10 am Thanks for the input. I'm using a Finnex Stingray and dosing Thrive twice a week. Substrate is about 2.5 inches deep. Guess I'll give Monte Carlo a shot and see how it goes.

That sounds like a solid plan. Just remember to trim regularly to encourage horizontal growth. Let us know how it turns out.

If you're worried about algae, you could start with a shorter photoperiod and gradually increase it. I ran my lights for 6 hours initially, then bumped it up to 8 once the plants settled in.