Pond Boss Forums MANAGING AN EXISTING POND Evaluating and adjusting fish populations Grass Carp Diet

I was recently looking to get some Grass Carp for a neighbors pond. He is loaded with what looks like WaterThread Pondweed. However, I was told that Grass carp don't like Pondweed. I think I've heard a lot about what they don't like. My question is: Just what do they like to eat and what will they eat to keep from starving? It's probably too late to try stocking anything in Texas ponds. Getting too hot. I expect I'll use Aquathol but would like to use Grass Carp for the future.

Dave don't where you heard that one. Pondweed, Potamogeton is like a sirloin steak to grass carp. When stocking ponds with several aquatic weeds it is usually the first to go. ALso they are tough fish and should haul fine even in the heat.

Greg, Thanks. We still have to go through the permit process and then buy the fish. Hauling doesn't bother me as much as trying to equalize water temps in Texas during August.

I don't blame you being nervous about the heat. I tell you this, of all the fish I haul and stock I think the grass carp are the least likely to die from hauling stress, water temp change, etc. Good luck

In a pond with duckweed and hydrilla, what plant will go first?

hydrilla will go first, duckweed wont go at all, it reproduces faster than grass carp can eat it.

Dave, my grass carp loves the top water fish food. I wish they would try something else. They look like Razorback hogs swimming around the pond.

Good point Tony. The grass carp in most hatcheries are raised on a pelletd diet and unfortantely they do eat alot of your fish food. They only fish food they do not like is higher fish meal content such as higher $ Aquamax.

So the carp will eat duckweed if i run out of Hydrilla? Duckweed is the thing that really took over.

I have just found that the only local supplier will not stock anything in North Texas from June through September. That makes pretty good sense around here. Hot dry weather is the norm.

Dave that is too bad, since by then the weeds will be much worse. I have stocked grass carp in close to 100 degree weather and they did fine. To answer the other question yes grass carp will eat duckweed but they cannot control it. Research shows that even at 80/ac they did not control duckweed.

Thanks for the info guys.