Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Grass Carp Myths and Lies...........

Sunday I snagged, boated, and thankfully removed a 4 foot grass carp from my 65 acre lake. The grass carp were stocked in 2005 about 250 of them that's all. In a years time they had eaten every single piece of vegetation in the lake, there are no plants in the lake still today except for the lily pads and spatterdock I've managed to get started behind barrier fencing. Here's my question, I thought grass carp were only supposed to eat plants, how did one get 4 feet long, be in completely great health 14 years with no weeds in the lake???? Lake managers that tell you they won't eat invertebrates and other creatures intended for your bluegill and bass are just not telling you the truth I bet they even eat fry anything to survive. I hate these fish just a cheap alternative to proper lake management.

Bingo

https://phys.org/news/2011-10-herbivorous-fish-meat.html

Spicelanebass, you are correct to a point. Triploid won't eat invertebrates and other creatures intended for your bluegill and bass PROVIDING there are still plants left for them to eat in the pond/lake.

Same goes for about almost any fish. it's a matter of finding something, anything to eat or die.

Tilapia focus on eating algae. If that's all gone they will look for something else to eat.

If you ran out of food, I'll bet you would try eating a whole bunch of different things to survive. Same with the fish.

The trick is to get the correct amount of fish stocked so they don't eat themselves out of house and home, but if the pond owner wants 0 weeds in the pond they have to know what will happen when they are all gone.