Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Grass Carp > Fertilizer?

My water tends to be naturally acidic & infertile, so I must lime every couple of years. I've also made it a habit to fertilize to get a bloom, trying to do it as early as I can so don't encourage too much plant growth.

I still get too many plants, especially with water level down two or three feet this year. But if I don't fertilize, hard to get much of a bloom at all.

So I'm wondering if stocking GC might be smarter than fertilizing. They naturally reduce excess plants, and their excretions serve to fertilize water & reduce visibility. Any thoughts on this strategy?

The trick is to get the alkalinity as high as possible, I really like to have 40 as a minimum. Fertilize early in the year before the plants start growing so the phytoplankton can utilize the fertilizer and less goes to feeding the plants. Toss some TGC in there, but remember that the plants are providing cover for the fish, without the cover you have to add more cover to make up for the plants not being there. I don't know how much fertilizer the TGC will provide since they are turning the nutrients from the plants into fish flesh too.

If the alkalinity is low, get it up before adding fertilizer or you might be trading one problem for another.

I really dislike grass carp. They are essentially forever as they live 25+ years. I'm trying to re-establish native vegetation in a 70 year old lake. I fight GC and turtles for every scrap. GC won't eat the damn alligator grass and that's all you'll have if you take out everything else. It would have to be bad before I would use them. A balanced environment needs plant life.

Thanks to both of you for the advice! Don't like using chemicals, they are expensive and strictly a one time cure, but maybe that's best.

What exactly are you fighting?