Containing the plant life in a pond, or any body of water is extremely critical. Why is this you say? Simple, because for whatever reason, you have chosen that you don’t desire it to be there. No matter if those plants have generated some type of nuisance for swimmers, or have have clogged up the motor on your favorite motorboat, you wish them to be gone, and there are several ways of doing it.

Of course you could use chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling, or perhaps even dye, but those are fairly inconvenient, and there is no promise that the pond, or even the fish, would ever be the same again following these actions. Therefore it is time to have a look at different methods—techniques that will not damage you OR your pond.

Around nineteen sixty-three, a new fish was placed in the U.S. ecological, and that fish was known as the Grass Carp. It was deliberately introduced into our ecosystem for the simple purpose of eliminating  aquatic plant life, and thus far it has done a great job. In the United States, the Grass Carp is commonly called a White Amur, probably because of the fact that the word Carp has negative interpretations here in the United States., and the name “Amur” is a reference to the river that the fish comes from, a river which runs the border between China and Russia.

The Grass Carp, is what’s referred to as an intrusive species, meaning that it will multiply and overtake the ecosystem which it is introduced into (sort of like humans), however science has progressed far, and while it required some time, as well as a lot of gene manipulation, sterilizing a Grass Carp became standard all over the world so that it’s introduction does not hurt or destroy the local ecology.

Another thing to take into account, is that the Grass Carp does not eat every kind of grass, naturally it enjoys plants, and will eat the vast majority of it, but just like with human being, there’s items that it enjoys over others. A couple of the items which the Grass Carp will enjoy, are:

Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass

There’s several others, and a visit to a library, a web search, or talking with a professional would immediately reveal what the grass carp would consume.

When bought in bulk, Grass Carp is fairly cheap, ranging from about $10-20 per fish, and that is perfectly reasonable when you consider how long it will last; surviving for around ten to eleven years.

In certain states, you’ll need to get a license before you place Grass Carp into any body of water, even if it is owned by you. To find out if this is necessary, talk to a game warden in your area, or simply check the laws of your state, since this information is readily accessible to any person that needs it.

As you can see, Grass Carp are an excellent alternative to utilizing chemical compounds, or lining your pond with a plastic cover, because not just are these great for getting rid of undesired plant life, you must additionally keep in mind that this is an interdependent relationship, you provide something they desire, and then they provide their services to you, keeping you from having to do it yourself. On the whole, that’s a good deal.

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