Should You Use Grass Carp For Aquatic Weed Control?

Controlling the aquatic plants in a pond, or in any other body of water is extremely important. Why you say? Well, since for whatever reason, you have decided that you do not want it there. Whether those plants have create a type of nuisance for swimming children, or have just clogged up the motor on your favorite motorboat, you want them to be gone, and there are many methods of doing this.

Of course you can use chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling, or even dye, but these are fairly inconvenient, and there’s no promise that the pond, or fish, would ever be anywhere near what it was after such an effort. So it is time to have a look at alternative methods—methods that won’t damage you OR the pond.

Around 1963, a brand new fish was introduced in to the U.S. ecological, and that fish was called the Grass Carp. It was purposefully integrated into our ecosystem for the simple reason of eradicating aquatic plant life, and so far it has done a great job. In the US, the Grass Carp is commonly referred to as a White Amur, probably because the phrase Carp holds derogatory interpretations here in the U.S., and the name “Amur” is a reference to the river that the fish comes from, the river which runs the border between China and Russia.

The Grass Carp, is what’s known as an intrusive species, indicating that it will multiply and overtake any ecosystem that it is introduced into (sort of like humans), however science has progressed a long way, and while it took a lot of time, and a lot of gene manipulation, sterilizing a Grass Carp finally became standard everywhere in the world so that it’s introduction does not harm or destroy the ecosystem.

An additional detail to note, is that the Grass Carp doesn’t consume every kind of grass, of course it enjoys plants, and would eat most of it, however just like humans, there’s things which it enjoys more than others. A couple of the things that the Grass Carp does enjoy, are:

Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass

There are many others, and a visit to a library, an Internet search, or talking with a professional would quickly let you know what the grass carp would eat.

When bought in large amounts, Grass Carp is pretty inexpensive, ranging from about $10-20 per fish, and that is very reasonable considering how long it’ll last; living for around ten to eleven years.

In certain states, you’ll be required to get a license before you place Grass Carp in any body of water, whether it is your water. To find out if this is necessary, talk to the game warden in your area, or simply check the regulations of the state, since this information is freely accessible to any person who needs it.

Clearly, Grass Carp are an excellent alternative to using chemical compounds, or lining the pond with plastic, since not just are these great for ridding you of undesired plant life, you must also remember that it’s an interdependent relationship, you give something that they desire, and then they provide a service to you, preventing you from having to do this yourself. All in all, this is a great exchange.

Filed Under: cattail removal