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Adding too many grass carp can be a problem. They are very difficult to remove, especially in larger ponds that cannot be drained down. After they reach about 18-24 inches, they get lazy. If you are feeding your pond with fish food pellets, the grass carp swoop in and open their mouths like big vacuum cleaners.

Stock no more than 2 to 3 grass carp per acre in ponds used to attract waterfowl. Grass carp can control vegetation in sportfish ponds when stocked at 5 to 10 fish per water surface acre or 15 fish per vegetated acre. This rate gives good vegetation control in about three years after stocking the fish.

Most plants can be controlled over the growing season with 20 grass carp per surface acre. Soft aquatic vegetation is quickly eradicated with 40-60 grass carp per surface acre while ponds with Chara spp. may require up to 100 grass carp per surface acre.

Grass carp are usually stocked at rates ranging from 5 to 12 per acre. The 10 to 12 per acre stocking rate generally removes all submersed aquatic plants and most emersed aquatic plants within 2 years.

Grass carp will eat algae if preferred plants are not available, but this is not a recommended control strategy. More details on grass carp are available in Pond Facts #10: Using Grass Carp to Control Aquatic Plants. Water additives are also sold to reduce algae growth.

5 fish per acre for moderate plant infestations (30 – 60% plant coverage of pond during the peak growing season-primarily August through September) 10 fish per acre for heavy plant infestations (> 60% plant coverage of pond during the peak growing season-primarily August through September)

5 fish per acre for moderate plant infestations (30 – 60% plant coverage of pond during the peak growing season-primarily August through September) 10 fish per acre for heavy plant infestations (> 60% plant coverage of pond during the peak growing season-primarily August through September)

In 1983, U.S. grass carp producers began production of a sterile (triploid) form of grass carp, mitigating the reproductive concerns associated with the diploid fish. Triploid grass carp are created through shocking grass carp eggs immediately after fertilization with either hot or cold water.