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Containing the plant life within a pond, or in any body of water is very critical. Why is this you say? Simple, since for whatever reason, you have decided that you do not want it to be there. Whether these plants have generated some sort of hindrance for swimming children, or have have clogged up the engine on your favorite motorboat, you want them gone, and there are several ways of doing this.

Naturally you could utilize chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manually pulling, or perhaps even dye, however those are mighty strenuous, and there is no promise that your pond, or fish, would ever be anywhere near what it was following these actions. Therefore it is time to have a look at alternative means—methods that will not break your back OR the pond.

Around nineteen sixty-three, a brand new fish was introduced in to the United States ecological, and that fish was called the Grass Carp. This fish was purposefully introduced into the ecosystem for the simple purpose of eliminating  aquatic plants, and so far it has done a great job. Here in the US, the Grass Carp is commonly called a White Amur, probably because of the fact that the phrase Carp holds derogatory meanings here in the U.S., and the name “Amur” refers to the river which the fish originates from, a river which borders China and Russia.

The Grass Carp, is what is referred to as an invasive species, indicating that it’ll multiply and take over any ecosystem that it’s introduced in (similar to humans), but fortunately science has progressed far, and while it required a lot of time, and lots of gene manipulation, sterilizing the Grass Carp became standard procedure everywhere in the world so that the integration doesn’t hurt or eradicate the local ecology.

Another thing to note, is that the Grass Carp doesn’t consume every kind of grass, of course it enjoys plant life, and will eat the vast majority of it, but just like with human being, there are items which it prefers more than others. A few of the things which 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, a web search, or talking with an expert will quickly let you know what the grass carp will eat.

When bought in large amounts, Grass Carp is fairly inexpensive, at about $10-20 per fish, which is perfectly reasonable considering the years of service it will give you; surviving for around 10-11 years.

In certain states, you’ll be required to get a license before you place Grass Carp in any sort of water, whether it is your water. To find out if this is necessary, talk to a game warden near you, or just examine the laws of your state, since this info is freely available to anyone who requires it.

Clearly, Grass Carp are a great alternative to using chemical compounds, or lining the pond with a plastic cover, since not only are these perfect for ridding you of unwanted plant life, you should also remember that it’s a symbiotic relationship, you provide something that they want, and in return they give a service to you, keeping you from having to do this on your own. On the whole, this is a good trade.

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