Practices to encourage Monte Carlo Carpeting

[ccc24]

I have planted Monte Carlo in a 6g cube. I have an aquaeon planted tank clip-on light. I have the light on a timer and it runs for 6 hours a day. I keep nitrates at 20-40ppm with easy green. I put root tabs (easy tabs) in the root balls when I planted them (and plan on placing new fertilizer tabs monthly).
Inhabitants are a betta (Quasar) & 2 nerite snails (and an unspecified number of tiny ramshorn hitchhikers that could be one or five)
This is my first foray with a carpeting plant  - is there any other adjustments I should make or changes that would encourage carpeting? Anything I’m doing that would inhibit carpeting? 
 

completely unrelated - I do have brag on my sweet husband who custom 3D printed the castle to theme the tank to fit the room it is in (Board Games). It was originally meant as a shrimp hide (it has a spiral staircase from top to bottom that leads to the roof) but the betta immediately moved in. 

Edited July 16, 2022 by ccc24

[bryanisag]

Looks sweet. Good luck. Patients is probably key. I definitely don't know so make your best guess but it seems like that light might be a bit weak so maybe increase the duration? 

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/16/2022 at 7:24 AM, ccc24 said:

This is my first foray with a carpeting plant  - is there any other adjustments I should make or changes that would encourage carpeting? Anything I’m doing that would inhibit carpeting? 

It's definitely not easy.  I'm right there with ya.
 

There's a few videos, this one might be helpful for your tank because it's on that specific plant. I also check out videos like this to go ahead and make sure I'm attempting to do things right.  I usually find 4-5 of them, but generally these two I linked have a lot of good info.
 

Generally, trying to carpet you'd want to plant something in this fashion.  Spreading the clumps might be beneficial for you to get it going.

[ccc24]

On 7/16/2022 at 10:59 AM, bryanisag said:

Looks sweet. Good luck. Patients is probably key. I definitely don't know so make your best guess but it seems like that light might be a bit weak so maybe increase the duration? 

I can give that a whirl. I have at 6 as that seemed to be the balance that didn’t grow hair algae. Now that there are carpeting plants…maybe I can increase the light duration without growing hair algae. 

[ccc24]

My husband pointed out with how small the tank is - I could just “cheat” and buy about 3 more and “boom, carpet.” I mean he’s not wrong. 😂