Managing the aquatic plants within a pond, or in any body of water is quite critical. Why is this you say? Well, since for some reason or another, you’ve chosen that you don’t want it there. Whether those plants have generated a sort of hindrance for swimming children, or have just simply stopped up the motor on a favorite motorboat, you wish them gone, and there’s many ways of doing it.

Naturally you can use chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling them up, or even dye, however these are fairly strenuous, and there is no promise that the pond, or fish, would actually be the same again following these actions. So it’s about time to look into alternative methods—techniques that won’t damage you OR the pond.

In nineteen sixty-three, a new fish was introduced in to the U.S. ecology, and that fish was called the Grass Carp. This fish was purposefully introduced into our ecosystem for the simple reason of eliminating aquatic plant life, and so far it’s lived up to it’s reputation. Here in the US, the Grass Carp is often referred to as the White Amur, presumably because the word Carp has derogatory meanings here in the U.S., and the word “Amur” refers to the river which the fish comes from, the river that borders China and Russia.

The Grass Carp, is what is known as an invasive species, meaning that it will multiply and take over any ecosystem which it’s placed in (sort of like humans), however science has come far, and though it took a lot of time, as well as a lot of gene manipulation, sterilizing a Grass Carp became standard everywhere in the world so that it’s introduction does not harm or eradicate the local ecology.

An additional thing to note, is the fact that the Grass Carp does not eat everything, naturally it enjoys plant life, and will eat the vast majority of it, however just like humans, there’s items which it prefers more than others. A couple 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 visit to a library, an Internet search, or talking with an expert will quickly reveal the things a grass carp would consume.

When bought in large amounts, Grass Carp is fairly cheap, ranging from about $10-20 per fish, and that is very reasonable considering how long it will last; surviving for around ten to eleven years.

In certain states, you’ll need to acquire a license before you place Grass Carp in any body of water, even if it is owned by you. To discover if this is required, talk to the game warden in your area, or just check the laws of your state, since that info is readily available to any person that requires it.

Clearly, Grass Carp are an excellent alternate means from utilizing chemical compounds, or lining your pond with a plastic cover, since not just are these perfect for ridding you of undesired plants, you must also keep in mind that it’s an interdependent relationship, you provide something that they want, and then they give a service to you, keeping you from having to do it yourself. Overall, that’s a great deal.