Mastering the aquatic plants in a pond, or in any other body of water is quite critical. Why you say? Simple, since for whatever reason, you have chosen that you do not want it to be there. No matter if these plants have create some sort of nuisance for swimmers, or have just simply stopped up the engine on a favorite boat, you wish them to be gone, and there are many ways to do it.
Naturally you can utilize chemicals, plastic lining, freezing, manually pulling, or even dye, but these are mighty inconvenient, and there’s no guarantee that your pond, or fish, would ever be anywhere near what it was following these actions. Therefore it is time to look into alternative means—methods which won’t damage you OR your pond.
In 1963, a brand new fish was placed in the U.S. ecological, and this fish was known as the Grass Carp. It was purposefully integrated into the ecosystem for one reason of eradicating aquatic plant life, and so far it’s done a great job. In the United States, A Grass Carp is often referred to as the White Amur, presumably because the word Carp has negative interpretations here in the United States., and the name “Amur” refers to the river which the fish originates from, the river which runs the border between China and Russia.
The Grass Carp, is what is known as an intrusive species, meaning that it will multiply and take over any ecosystem that it is placed in (similar to humans), but fortunately science has progressed far, and though it required some time, as well as lots of gene manipulation, sterilizing the Grass Carp became standard all over the world so that the integration doesn’t harm or eradicate the ecosystem.
Another thing to note, is the fact that the Grass Carp does not eat every kind of grass, of course it loves plant life, and would eat most of it, but just like humans, there are things which it enjoys over others. A few of the things which the Grass Carp will like, are:
Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass
There’s many additional grasses, and a visit to the library, a web query, or talking with an expert would quickly let you know the things a grass carp would eat.
When purchased in large amounts, Grass Carp is fairly inexpensive, ranging from about $10-20 for each fish, and that is very reasonable considering the years of service it will give you; living for around 10-11 years.
In certain states, you’ll be required to acquire a license prior to putting Grass Carp into any body of water, whether it is owned by you. To find out if that’s necessary, talk to the game warden near you, or simply examine the regulations of your state, as this info is freely available to anyone who requires it.
As you can see, Grass Carp are an excellent alternative to using chemical compounds, or lining your pond with plastic, since not just are these great for ridding you of unwanted plants, you should also keep in mind that this is an interdependent relationship, you give something they want, and then they give a service to you, keeping you from having to do it yourself. All in all, that’s a good exchange.