Holistic Help

Controlling the aquatic plants in a pond, or any body of water is quite critical. Why you say? Well, since for whatever reason, you have decided that you don’t desire it there. No matter if those plants have generated a type of nuisance for swimmers, or have have simply stopped up the engine on your favorite boat, you want them gone, and there are many methods of doing it.

Naturally you could utilize chemical substances, plastic lining, freezing, manual pulling, or perhaps even dye, but all of those are fairly inconvenient, and there is no promise that your pond, or fish, will ever be the same again after such an effort. So it is about time to have a look at different means—techniques that won’t break your back OR the pond.

In 1963, a new fish was placed in the United States ecology, and that fish was known as the Grass Carp. It was deliberately introduced into the ecosystem for one reason of eradicating  aquatic plant life, and so far it has done a great job. Here in the United States, the Grass Carp is commonly referred to as a White Amur, probably because the phrase Carp holds negative interpretations here in the U.S., and the word “Amur” is a reference to the river that this fish originates from, a river which runs the border between China and Russia.

The Grass Carp, is what’s referred to as an intrusive species, indicating that it will multiply and overtake the ecosystem which it’s introduced in (sort of like humans), however science has progressed far, and though it required some time, and a lot of gene manipulation, sterilizing the Grass Carp finally became standard procedure all over the world so that it’s integration doesn’t harm or eradicate the local ecology.

Another detail to note, is the fact that the Grass Carp doesn’t eat every kind of grass, of course it enjoys plant life, and will eat most of it, but as humans, there’s things which it enjoys more than others. A few of the things which the Grass Carp does enjoy, are:

Coontail
Spikerush
Smartweed
Bladderwort
Bulrush
Water hyssop
Eelgrass

There are several others, and a visit to the library, an Internet query, or talking with an expert would immediately reveal what the grass carp would consume.

When bought in large amounts, Grass Carp is pretty cheap, at about $10-20 for each fish, and that is very reasonable considering how long it will last; surviving for around 10-11 years.

In some states, you will need to acquire a license before you place Grass Carp into any body of water, whether it is your water. To discover if this is necessary, talk to the game warden near you, or simply examine the regulations of the state, since this information is readily accessible to anyone that requires it.

As you can see, Grass Carp are a great alternative to utilizing chemical compounds, or even lining the pond with plastic, since not only are they perfect for ridding you of undesired plants, you should additionally remember that it’s a symbiotic relationship, you give something they desire, and then they give a service to you, preventing you from having to do it on your own. Overall, that’s a good trade.