Dwarf hairgrass is the easier carpet and Monte Carlo is the lower, rounder one. Tropica rates hairgrass easy with a low demand for light and CO2, and Monte Carlo medium on all three, saying it needs good light and added CO2 to become really compact. Hairgrass also grows taller, as a carpet of 6 to 15 cm.
Side by side
| Dwarf hairgrass | Monte Carlo | |
|---|---|---|
| Sold as | Eleocharis acicularis | Micranthemum tweediei ‘Monte Carlo’ |
| Leaves | Fine blades | Compact, round, light green, on creeping stalks |
| Light demand | Low | Medium |
| CO2 demand | Low | Medium |
| Difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Height | A carpet of 6 to 15 cm | 3 to 5+ cm |
| Origin | Cosmopolitan | Argentina |
What each needs
Tropica says dwarf hairgrass thrives in almost all conditions in an aquarium, though an open space without shading from other plants is still preferable. That makes it the carpet you can grow in a low-tech tank.
Monte Carlo can grow in light shadow, Tropica says, but it requires good light and added CO2 to develop optimally and become really compact. Without them it still grows, just less compact. Our CO2 injection page covers what adding it involves.
Keeping each one low
Hairgrass spreads by its roots, which Tropica says colonise the surroundings after planting. If the carpet grows too tall, you can cut it back carefully to the height you want. Monte Carlo stays low by nature, at 3 to 5+ cm, and Tropica describes it as creating a fast-growing carpet at the front of the tank, although its spec table rates the growth rate as medium.
Which to choose
No CO2 injection means hairgrass, and so does a first carpet. Pick Monte Carlo if you already inject CO2, have good light, and want a lower, softer lawn of round leaves. The carpet plants guide ranks both against the harder options.
Dwarf hairgrass vs Monte Carlo questions
Can you grow dwarf hairgrass or Monte Carlo without CO2?
Hairgrass, yes: Tropica rates its CO2 demand as low. Monte Carlo will survive, but Tropica says it requires added CO2, along with good light, to develop optimally and become really compact.
Which is easier for beginners, dwarf hairgrass or Monte Carlo?
Dwarf hairgrass. Tropica rates it easy and says it thrives in almost all conditions. Monte Carlo is rated medium for difficulty, light and CO2.
Which carpet stays lower?
Monte Carlo, at 3 to 5+ cm in Tropica’s figures. Hairgrass forms a carpet of 6 to 15 cm, which Tropica says you can cut back if it grows too tall.
Sources: Tropica, Eleocharis acicularis; Tropica, Micranthemum tweediei ‘Monte Carlo’.