Should You Use Grass Carp For Water Plant Control?
Governing the plant life within a pond, or any body of water is quite important. Why is this you ask? Well, since for whatever reason, you have chosen that you do not want it there. Whether these plants have generated some sort of nuisance for swimmers, or have have clogged up the engine on your favorite motorboat, you want them gone, and there are many methods of doing it.
Of course you can utilize chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling them up, or even dye, but these are mighty strenuous, and there is no guarantee that the pond, or even the fish, would ever be anywhere near what it was following such an effort. Therefore it’s time to look into alternative means—methods that will not break your back OR the pond.
Around 1963, a brand new fish was introduced in to the United States ecological, and this fish was called the Grass Carp. It was deliberately integrated into our ecosystem for the simple purpose of eradicating aquatic plant life, and thus far it’s done a great job. Within the US, the Grass Carp is often called a White Amur, presumably because the word Carp holds derogatory interpretations here in the U.S., and the name “Amur” is a reference to the river that this fish originates from, a river that borders 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’s placed into (sort of like humans), however science has come a long way, and though it required some time, as well as a lot of gene manipulation, sterilizing the Grass Carp became standard everywhere in the world so that it’s integration doesn’t harm or eradicate the ecosystem.
Another detail to take into account, is that the Grass Carp doesn’t consume every kind of grass, of course it loves plants, and would eat most of it, however just like with human being, there’s items which it enjoys over others. A few of the items that the Grass Carp will like, 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 an expert will quickly reveal the things a grass carp will consume.
When purchased in bulk, Grass Carp is pretty inexpensive, ranging from about $10-20 for each fish, which is very reasonable considering the years of service it will give you; living for around 10-11 years.
In certain states, you will be required to acquire a license before you place Grass Carp in any body of water, whether it is your water. To discover if this is necessary, speak with a game warden near you, or simply examine the laws of the state, as this info is freely available to anyone who requires it.
Clearly, Grass Carp are a great alternative to utilizing chemicals, or lining your pond with plastic, because not only are they perfect for getting rid of undesired plants, you should additionally remember that this is a symbiotic relationship, you give something that they want, and in return they provide a service to you, keeping you from needing to do it yourself. On the whole, that’s a great trade.