Managing the aquatic plants in a pond, or any body of water is extremely critical. Why is this you ask? Simple, because for whatever reason, you’ve chosen that you don’t desire it there. Whether these plants have create a type of nuisance for swimmers, or have just simply stopped up the engine on your favorite boat, you want them gone, and there are many ways of doing this.

Naturally you could use chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling, or even dye, but those are fairly inconvenient, and there is no guarantee that your pond, or fish, will actually be the same again after these actions. Therefore it’s about time to look into different methods—methods which won’t damage you OR the pond.

In nineteen sixty-three, a new fish was placed in the United States ecology, and this fish was called the Grass Carp. It was purposefully introduced into our ecosystem for one reason of eradicating aquatic plants, and so far it has lived up to it’s reputation. In the US, the Grass Carp is often referred to as the White Amur, probably because the phrase Carp has derogatory meanings here in the United States., and the word “Amur” refers to the river that this fish comes from, a river which borders China and Russia.

The Grass Carp, is what is referred to as an intrusive species, indicating that it will reproduce and take over any ecosystem which it is placed in (similar to humans), however science has progressed far, and while it took a lot of time, and a lot of gene manipulation, sterilizing a Grass Carp finally became standard procedure all over the world so that the introduction does not harm or eradicate the ecosystem.

Another detail to note, is that the Grass Carp doesn’t consume everything, of course it loves plant life, and would eat the vast majority of it, however as with human being, there’s things that it enjoys more than others. A few of the things that the Grass Carp does like, are:

Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass

There’s several additional grasses, and a visit to a library, an Internet search, or a consultation with an expert would quickly let you know the things a grass carp would consume.

When bought in bulk, Grass Carp is pretty cheap, ranging from about $10-20 per fish, and that is very reasonable when you consider how long it will last; surviving 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, even if it is owned by you. To discover if this is necessary, talk to a game warden near you, or just check the laws of your state, since this info is freely accessible to any person who needs it.

As you can see, Grass Carp are an excellent alternative from utilizing chemicals, or even lining your pond with plastic, because not just are these perfect for getting rid of undesired plant life, you should also keep in mind that it’s an interdependent relationship, you provide something that they want, and in return they provide their services to you, keeping you from having to do it on your own. All in all, this is a good trade.