Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - Grass Carp vs Tilapia

Ok, so after about a year here on the forums, I just had someone ask me for advice on thier pond. What the hell was he thinking, I dunno.

So he has a big weed and algae problem in a ~4 acre pond in central MO with an average depth of 8ft across the majority of the pond. I've not seen it to tell you what kind of weeds it is, but the issue is what fish to stock to help control the aquatic vegetation. I suggested looking into chemical treatment, but all involved seemed to shy away from that idea.

I don't know the company they used to stock fish but apparently they gave 2 recomendations, grass carp or tilapia (tilapia are verocious weed eaters, aren't they?). The stocking company said carp was the way to go, since tilapia could take over the pond and would eat the eggs of other fish species.

Does this sound accurate to anyone? You all know i know very little to none of what i am talking about, but for some reason i had gotten the idea that tilapia would die off after a little while, since they are native to a more tropical climate than MO. So what's the deal? Anyone want to set me straight on this once and for all?

edit: already stocked are BG, LMB, Some large catfish and BC
pond was built by my friend's grandfather, roughly 40 years ago

Sure. I think I read on another post that you had a 3 acre pond that was infested with coontail. It's been a while since I first got my GC, but TPWD will issue a permit for a max of 10 per acre if the total coverage is over 50-60%. That permit is good for 10 years, and no more can be added until the permit expires. "If" you initially stock all 30, and they don't control the coontail, you'll still have to chemically treat the coontail. If they do eliminate all the coontail, then they're going to be rooting around looking a new food source, and will muddy the water. I've got 110 in my pond, and and I ladder stocked them over the last 8 years.

I've resolved myself to having to deal with a limited about of coontail, and the GC are now handling most of it. I still treat with chemicals, but at not near the volume that I used too.

Grass Carp Permit Info - It can take weeks to months to get the permit, so I would handle that first. TPWD may make you go exactly by the fencing info if a public BOW is downstream of you. My pond is at the top of Lake Fork, and it took me months to get the permit. Others with no downstream issues get the permit quickly.

Aquaplant Coontail Control - A great source of information on pond plants, and their control.