Mastering the aquatic plants within a pond, or in any body of water is extremely critical. Why you say? Simple, since for some reason or another, you’ve decided that you don’t want it there. Whether these plants have generated a sort of hindrance for swimmers, or have have simply stopped up the engine on your favorite motorboat, you want them to be gone, and there are several ways to do this.
Of course you could use chemicals, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling them up, or even dye, however those are mighty inconvenient, and there is no promise that the pond, or even the fish, would ever be anywhere near what it was following such an effort. Therefore it’s about time to have a look at different means—methods that will not break your back OR the pond.
In 1963, a brand new fish was introduced in to the United States ecology, and that fish was called the Grass Carp. This fish was deliberately introduced into our ecosystem for the simple purpose of eliminating 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 of the fact that the phrase Carp has derogatory interpretations here in the U.S., and the word “Amur” refers to the river that the fish comes from, a river that borders China and Russia.
The Grass Carp, is what is known as an intrusive species, indicating that it’ll multiply and overtake the ecosystem which it is introduced into (similar to humans), but fortunately science has come a long way, and though it took a lot of time, and lots of gene manipulation, sterilizing a Grass Carp finally became standard procedure everywhere in the world so that it’s introduction does not hurt or eradicate the local ecology.
Another thing to take into account, is the fact that the Grass Carp doesn’t consume everything, of course it loves plants, and would eat the vast majority of it, but just like humans, there are items that it prefers more than others. A couple of the things that the Grass Carp does like, are:
Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass
There’s several others, and a quick trip to a library, an Internet query, or talking with an expert would quickly reveal what the grass carp would consume.
When purchased in bulk, Grass Carp is fairly cheap, ranging from about $10-20 for each fish, and that is perfectly reasonable when you consider how long it will last; surviving for about 10-11 years.
In some states, you will be required to acquire a license prior to putting Grass Carp in any body of water, whether it is owned by you. To discover if this is required, speak with a game warden near you, or just examine the laws of the state, as this information is readily available to any person who needs it.
As you can see, Grass Carp are a great alternative from utilizing chemicals, or even lining the pond with a plastic cover, because not just are they perfect for getting rid of unwanted plants, you should additionally keep in mind that it’s an interdependent relationship, you give the thing they desire, and in return they provide a service to you, keeping you from having to do this yourself. On the whole, this is a good deal.