Struggling to plant Monte Carlo

[Chickadee24 44]

I'm at my wit's end with this stuff. There is no stem to poke into the gravel. I can barely see the roots. I have bent tweezers, but I can't get the knack of using them. As soon as I gently open the tweezers and wiggle, the plant just shoots out of the hole like a rocket. There is no grab to hold it in place. Also, my snails seem to like roving over them and nibbling on them, so I keep finding them floating at the surface.

I've lost patience with the tweezers. Currently I'm just shoving the plants in with my fingers while simultaneously dropping handfuls of gravel over it with my other hand, then laying small rocks on top to keep them in place. It almost requires 3 hands. This is not easy to do in a crowded 10g tank. So much for my nice aquascaping tools.

What am I doing wrong? Substrate is Caribsea Eco-Complete BTW.

 

[Back in the fold2 1]

Some stem plants are almost impossible to root . I gave up years ago but here’s a thought . How about a still aquarium used only to get the roots started and then transplant them ?

 

[Tomsfish2 1]

I've seen ground cover plants grown on screens that just get weighted down or barely covered.
Try to place your MC on a screen very near the surface where it will not wash away until the roots attach to screen.
Maybe even place the screen in a breeder type contraption?

 

[Chickadee24 44]

Thanks, I will try these suggestions! Here's a pic of what I'm trying to accomplish. I have this vertical piece of driftwood that needs to be anchored in place. I should have glued it to a base, but it's too late for that now. So I'm using rocks to support the base and then wanted to grow the MC around the rocks and create a slope towards the "trunk." I think the shrimp would like it.

The suggestions are helpful and I'll see what I have around the house that I can use.

 

[Tomsfish2 1]

For screening think craft fabric of plastic like for needlepoint.
Easy to cut to size/shape, cheap and should be easy to find.

 

[Jennet23 81]

I left my mc in rockwool (or whatever it is that they wrap plants in and put in the little plant baskets) for my little shrimp tank and its still growing down and over the sides. About 6 weeks ago when I bought it. I was thinking of leaving it in there. Will this harm the shrimp when I eventually get them do you think?