Pond Boss
Posted By: jenniee Grass Carp in California? - 08/13/22 10:20 PM
Does anyone know where to get Grass Carp in California, and if they even work on Chara Algae in hard water ponds? The copper algaecide I used didn't do anything to it.
Posted By: Bill Cody Re: Grass Carp in California? - 08/14/22 01:18 AM
I have hard water ponds with total hardness of around 230 mg/L. Chara grows abundantly. Grass carp(GC) do eat Chara in my ponds. However I have learned over time that all GC are NOT the same in their affinity or taste for pond plants. Some are like people and some will prefer certain foods while others prefer another food such as fish pellets with their plant diet. Some GC eat plants more readily than others. Plant taste does enter the picture here with GC. I have a few GC in a pond that readily eat pellets when pellets are offered and in another pond the pair of GC do not show up when pellets are fed. Individual tastes also apply to grass carp. Go figure!.
Posted By: FishinRod Re: Grass Carp in California? - 08/14/22 03:30 PM
Originally Posted by Bill Cody
Grass carp(GC) do eat Chara in my ponds. However I have learned over time that all GC are NOT the same in their affinity or taste for pond plants. Some are like people and some will prefer certain foods while others prefer another food such as fish pellets with their plant diet. Some GC eat plants more readily than others.

I see a big market for GC that are feed-trained to eat Chara! grin
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