Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants Help ! Chara?.Najas?.Milfoil?.taking over ..

Something is growing like crazy and taking over the sides and bottom of my pond. It covers the bottom in large mats and grows up to the surface.
It has long evergreen like needles that are very fine, I thought it might be milfoid but doesn't have groups of four as discribed in my handbook, it also looks simialr to a najas or chara.
I have put cooper sulfate an also tried cutrine on it but it doesn't seem to make much difference.
Anybody have any suggestions or ideas?

Without seeing the weed, it may be difficult to ID.
If you want, email me and I'll give you my address to send me some so I can ID it.
Email: argoresponse@toast.net

It doesn't happen to resemble this picture, does it?

Is that Muskgrass or Southern Niad? I may have the same problem in S. Tx. Put in 100 Tilapia about six weeks ago. Seems worse now. Was wondering how long before you notice the change with Tialpia.

Could it be it's worse because the tilapia are eating the filimentous algae leaving the chara to take it's place?

Kelly,
Is that bushy pondweed?
It is taking over our pond edges and gets worse as the water lowers with the drought we're having.

Casca, if pondweed, tilapia won't help - I am told grass carp should control.

George Glazener
N.E. Texas 1/4 acre and 2 acre ponds

Good luck! You're gonna need it....

Kelly,
"Good luck - you're gonna need it"

Is that for me or Casca - or - both of us......??
George Glazener

I have 8 grass carp in their since 2001. They don't seem to make a difference either. And if the Cutrine does not help, then just phisically removing as much as possible may be the only hope. The fish are fine but it just makes fishing almost impossible. What type weed did ya'll decide was in the picture?

George - The "good luck" was meant for anyone that finds this particular plant specie in their pond. At this point, a minnow seine may be the only viable management option - short of draining the pond.

For what its worth, I am presently working with a manufacturer on a potentially new aquatic herbicide - presently operating under an EUP (experimental use permit) issued by the EPA. I would be interested in locating a pond (that contains slender spikerush) in which we could run some trials under the EUP. If interested in hearing more details, email me with the specs on your pond (regarding the EUP product: fishing, swimming & livestock watering are OK, but irrigation is not)

Kelly,
I'll get you a photo next weed - it doesn't look like your slender spikerush photo, unless the photo is highly magnified.

It is heavily matted and thought it was chara at first but definitley not.

When you pull it up does it have a skunky odor? And or does it have calcium deposits on it? If so it's Chara. I grows 2 to 4 feet thick on thwe bottom of a couple of my ponds. I rake it out occasionally from the trout pond around the edges to keep it from producing shallow water areas that warm too much.

Cecil,
Doesn't have a "skunky" odor - definitely not chara.It grows out to about 4 ft water depth, but with drought water level is dropping.

Kelly,
It has been identified by a fisheries biologist as "BUSHY PONDWEED".
Pardon my typo.

One of the common names for Southern Naiad is "Bushy Pondweed" - but is sometimes repeated as "Brushy Pondweed". This plant is technically called Najas guadalupensis, and is a very common pond inhabitant. {ID link}


Grass carp are one effective means of managing it. However, I wouldn't recommended using grass carp as a sole means of bringing a SEVERE problem under control since it would take a high stocking rate that could eventually denude the pond of all edible forms of vegetation.

Instead, reducing the plant's population with manual removal methods or herbicides and then stocking with a moderate level of grass carp to maintain desired levels of plant-life, may be a more preferably alternative.

I am 90% sure it is the Niad or brushy pondweed. And That lasy thought about physically removing what you can and then hoping the carp will handle the rest is the only solution I can think of. And the four foot depth seems about right also. Nasty stuff at these levels. I am hoping the fish will be unaffected by it. Let me know if it can be detrimental to the fish and I will get more aggressive on the attack mode.