Containing the aquatic plants in a pond, or in any other body of water is very important. Why is this you ask? Simple, since for some reason or another, you’ve chosen that you do not desire it to be there. Whether these plants have create a sort of nuisance for swimmers, or have have simply stopped up the engine on your favorite motorboat, you want them gone, and there are several ways to do this.
Of course you could utilize chemicals, plastic lining, freezing, manually pulling, or even dye, but those are fairly strenuous, and there is no promise that the pond, or even the fish, will actually be the same again following such an effort. So it’s about time to look into alternative means—methods which won’t damage you OR your pond.
Around nineteen sixty-three, a new fish was placed in 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 eradicating aquatic plants, and thus far it’s lived up to it’s reputation. Here in the United States, the Grass Carp is often referred to as the White Amur, presumably because the phrase Carp holds derogatory interpretations here in the U.S., and the word “Amur” is a reference to the river which this fish comes from, the river which borders China and Russia.
The Grass Carp, is what’s known as an intrusive species, meaning that it’ll multiply and take over the ecosystem that it is introduced into (sort of like humans), however science has progressed far, and though it took some time, as well as lots of gene manipulation, sterilizing the Grass Carp became standard all over the world so that it’s introduction does not hurt or eradicate the local ecology.
An additional thing to take into account, is the fact that the Grass Carp doesn’t consume every kind of grass, of course it enjoys plant life, and would consume the vast majority of it, however as humans, there’s items which it prefers more than others. A few of the items that the Grass Carp does enjoy, are:
Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass
There’s several additional grasses, and a quick trip to a library, an Internet search, or a consultation with a professional will quickly let you know what the grass carp would eat.
When bought in large amounts, Grass Carp is pretty inexpensive, at about $10-20 for each fish, and that is very reasonable considering how long it’ll last; surviving for around ten to eleven years.
In some states, you will need to acquire a license before you place Grass Carp into any sort of water, even if it is owned by you. To discover if this is necessary, speak with a game warden in your area, or just examine the regulations of your state, since this information is readily accessible to any person that requires it.
Clearly, Grass Carp are an excellent alternative to using chemical compounds, or lining the pond with a plastic cover, because not only are these great for ridding you of unwanted plants, you must also remember that it’s a symbiotic relationship, you give the thing that they desire, and then they give their services to you, keeping you from having to do this yourself. All in all, this is a good trade.