The forgiving carpet plant. Round bright-green leaves on creeping stems that form a dense lawn — easier to establish than HC Cuba, and it roots far more securely. Grown in sterile Vitro Culture®, so it arrives free of snails and algae.
What You’ll Receive
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Choose Your Pack Size: Available in 1 BAG, 5 BAGS, 10 BAGS, or 20 BAGS to suit any project size.
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Ready to Plant: Each sealed 4-inch Vitro Culture® bag provides approximately 2–3 small clump plantlets, perfectly primed to transform your aquascape.
Plant Profile
- Common name — Monte Carlo, MC, New Large Pearl Grass
- Scientific name — Micranthemum tweediei 'Monte Carlo'
- Origin — Argentina and Uruguay
- Placement — Foreground carpet
- Shipped size — Approx. 2-3 tissue-cultured clumps, roughly 1 inch
- Mature height — 1–2 in
- Suits — 5 gallons and up
- Growth rate — Fast
Care
- Difficulty — Intermediate
- Light — Medium to high. Stronger light keeps it flat rather than climbing
- CO₂ — Recommended, not required
- Water — 68–78°F · pH 6.0–7.5
- Substrate — Required. Fine nutrient substrate holds the plantlets best
- Growth habit — Amphibious. Also grows emersed
- Propagation — Runners — trim and replant
Grower’s Notes
- It roots far more securely than HC Cuba. That is the main reason to choose it — newly planted portions stay put instead of floating off, which is the failure mode that defeats most first carpets.
- Separate the culture into small portions and plant them an inch apart. It fills the gaps by runner faster than you expect.
- Without CO₂ it still carpets, just slower and slightly taller. This is the carpet that works in a low-tech tank.
- Trim once it reaches an inch. An untrimmed mat thickens, shades its own base, and starts lifting away from the substrate in sheets.
- Rinse the gel off completely before planting. Also available as fresh-cut and potted plants.
Want to go deeper? Read our complete Monte Carlo Care Guide.
Notes
- Photos are for reference; color and density vary with lighting, CO₂ and nutrients.
- Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.
Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.
Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.
T
Monte Carlos arrived on time and in perfect condition. Pictured is the planted aquarium day the plants arrived.
G
They got to my house in great condition and looking good .
K
Ordered Monte Carlo and S. Repens. They arrived pretty quickly this week and they were healthy. I'm glad I found APF on Google. Waiting to see how they do in my aquarium.
R
They came looking fantastic and so far haven't melted in my aquarium. 🙂
K
These plants arrived a gorgeous green and were packaged securely in thermal bubble wrap, and arrived early! They are healthy and there are no dead spots at all, and it's been a few days since I bought them, and no browning has occurred. I will definitely buy from this shop again!
D
I got 10 monte carlo and 5 dwarf hair grass tissue cultures and used DSM on my 90p! Very happy with my purchase and can't wait for my carpet to grow! #ADA #CUBE GARDEN
A
Will defiantly buy again, perfect to add as leaves on a bonsai tree!!!!
E
Grabbed two of these , kept one intact & broke up the other since when soaking it loosed a little bit more than the first, but actually turned out well so I’m happy !!! Extra excited about how much they have opened up and have started growning upward I’m short time
M
These plants look so green it's amazing. I ordered around 20 and so happy I did. I dont think I needed as many for a dry start method but I wouldnt change a thing. The Montecarlo portions are more then I was hoping for and beautiful. Made planting extremely easy and peaceful. I will order again once I'm ready to flood my tanks maybe try some red plants this time and cant wait as everything I ordered was literally perfect. Buy with absolute confidence and look forward to recieving greatness. I appreciate a company that puts this much into all aspects of customer service and it shows from the packaging to the beautiful plants. Thank you very much.
B
Arrived healthy, will pecked and look great in the aquarium
J
The plants arrived very healthy. They have adjusted and begun to grow.
S
All plants were packaged well anf in good condition.
S
I LOVE Monte Carlo, and my last shipment came in pristine condition. I used this as the "leaf" portion of a "bonsai tree" in my newest tank, and this looks great. I've had zero leaf melt, and the plants are vibrant and doing well. Will bit be my last order from APF!!
K
The montecarlo arrived looking pretty great . I had to order the vitro version, I don't think they had potted at the time. One week later, they are just about completely melted. Sad. But I suppose this is typical during cycling a new tank. Im giving a high rating because they arrived nicely packaged and very healthy looking.
S
I've ordered several plants. All of them arrived quickly & in good condition. Each plant quickly adapted to my aquarium, all are still thriving. It's wonderful to find a company I can rely on.🙂
R
Excellent
T
Arrived healthy and happy...no melting looks great in my nano
p
Arrived healthy and as described
C
My single portion was so generous that I put good amounts into 4 separate tanks to see how it does in different lighting and substrate conditions). I still had a little left over to test on a 5th tank. The APF folks went above and beyond in every area. They helped me to navigate ordering around a major storm and that I would be out of town for a 2 day window. It worked out perfectly except that my shrimp had not had supplementary feeding while I was gone and swarmed the Monte Carlo (really all the plants I ordered) as soon as it was planted. They kept digging it up from everywhere it wasn't glued. I spent several days replanting it repeatedly. I only lost a significant amount in one tank that had shrimp AND nerite snails (and still some survived). Lesson learned feed everyone well before planting. It's really thriving at 2 weeks now and has numerous small offshoots coming out.
c
These plants are so cute and add so much to my aquarium.
L
Super pleased with the quality of my Monte Carlo tissue cultures! I will buy from APF again
E
APF never disappoints. Arrived well packed and healthy. Wouldn't buy anywhere else.
H
I have over ten years of aquascaping experience. While I have had great success with potted Monte Carlo I did not have much luck with this tissue culture. It slowly turned to brown mush in my aquascape. It looked plenty healthy upon arrival. It might be due to the fact that I use soil based substrate without co2. I believe that tissue culture plants acclimate more successfully in high tech tanks.
D
Shipping was fast and the plants all arrived in great health! This will now be my go to source for plants. Can’t wait to see how they grow!
C
I planted my 10 cups of Monte Carlo about 2 weeks before this review and I've experienced very little melt back (less than I'm used to with new aquarium plants) and I already see it rooting in and plenty of new growth! Very happy with my plants from APF!
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