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#179171 08/17/09 05:03 AM
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What is the best way to control weeds in a larger lake? I have two smaller ponds and have grass carp in them, but non were put in the large lake when we stocked it and I'm afraid we made a mistake. The bass are growing like crazy and seem to like it. About 7 acres of the lake is fairly shallow and the grass is really thick up on that end.

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Can you post a photo of the weeds, ideally a close-up so identification can be made? Grass carp are an option depending on the weed type but you could also fertilize depending on the type of weed and the depth where it's growing. If you get a good plankton bloom going early in the spring it cuts out sunlight penetrating through the water so the weeds can't grow. How shallow is the upper end?

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Post a pic Ted.


It's not about the fish. It's about the pond. Take care of the pond and the fish will be fine. PB subscriber since before it was in color.

Without a sense of urgency, Nothing ever gets done.

Boy, if I say "sic em", you'd better look for something to bite. Sam Shelley Rancher and Farmer Muleshoe Texas 1892-1985 RIP
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What percentage of the pond is covered in weeds? The species of the weed is also important. Remember, some weeds of certain species are NOT bad... Depending on your goals for the lake, they can be very good!

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Weeds do provide great habitat for fish, especially as a refuge for fry and fingerlings to escape predation, and they also provide habitat for many invertebrates that the fish eat. Just depends on the species and your goals, as CJ noted, as to whether they're good or bad.

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I talked to the man who stocked the lake for me today and he thinks it's chara. He said grass carp are not crazy about eating it. I would guess that it's in about 5 to 7 acres of the total 25 acres. How about Tilapia?

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If you start in early spring before the weeds have begun growing well, a fertilization program can eliminate submergent weeds by the plankton bloom blocking the sunlight from penetrating through the water to the plants. The plants can't photosynthesize without sunlight so they die. But now would not be the time to start that; early spring, the first of March or even possibly late February in your area, would be the time.

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TedJ, tilapia will eat chara but I don't think your stae allows them. Contact Greg Grimes, he's in Ball Ground, Ga. He can help you out with your problem and let you know all your options. Hopefully Greg will chime in.

BTW, Pictures man, Pictures!!



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It's my understanding that I would have to buy them each year because they would die in the winter? I'm in the west central part of Georgia. Used to buy trout that would die in the summer, now looking at tilapia that would die in the winter. I have two smaller ponds, and this large lake, so fertilizer is just not an option since I don't charge anyone to fish.

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Ted feel free to give us a call. Ironic was in/near Lagrange all day yesterday, working on Foxworthy farm, Joel Upchurch in Hogansville and Blalock Lakes in Newnan so all around you it seems. We go down there once a month or more often if you desire a consult.

It all depends on what species you have as far as what to recommend for control. Grass carp will eat chara if nothing else to eat or density is high enough. We can get those down if you want a price comparision. good luck


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Thanks Greg. I may give you a call. David Bell is coming by this afternoon to make sure it's Chara. The grass crap may be the way I have to go. It's very thick. The problem is that my bass are so big, (2 lbs), that I would have to put in larger grass carp.

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Ted David is a good guy. That is not a problem with that size bass, 10-12 inch grass carp is fine. We get them established easily with 6 lb bass and stocking that size.

If indded Chara difficult to treat this time of year but possible with use of granular copper just be careful. i work more toxic fishkills from overuse of granular copper than any other type of herbicides.


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David came out today and it turns out that it is fanwort. We are going to kill it and then put in some grass carp.
Thanks everyone.

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The chara is back. After paying $1600.00 to get rid of it last summer, it's growing again. I'm just at a loss as to what to do. Any grass carp that I now add will be expensive, but that probably is my only choice. I guess any solution will be expensive. I really had no intentions to keep a lake of this size fertilized, even though I know that would help in the problem.

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Originally Posted By: TedJ
The chara is back. After paying $1600.00 to get rid of it last summer, it's growing again. I'm just at a loss as to what to do. Any grass carp that I now add will be expensive, but that probably is my only choice. I guess any solution will be expensive. I really had no intentions to keep a lake of this size fertilized, even though I know that would help in the problem.


Not necessarily. Once the excessive Chara is established you will only enhance the Chara by fertilizing unless you kill it off. It's actually a form of algae btw, but you probably already know that. ( But didn't you say it's fanwort in an earlier post?)

Perhaps you need to give the grass carp more time. It typically takes a year or two to see results with grass carp.

As a long time sufferer of Chara I have a lot of experience with it. grin On the plus side it holds a lot of invertebrates.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Years ago the local lake had a really bad infestation of Chara. It would grow up to within a couple inches of the surface in water as deep as 3'. I really hated the stuff because it really limited fishing from shore. Now the Chara is 90%+ gone, replaced by Eurasian Water Milfoil. Oh for the good old days!!


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Just sold a Lake Mower today for chara in dripping springs so we get to see how mechanical works on it. smile


If at first you don't succeed...look in the trash for the directions.
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Originally Posted By: TedJ
The chara is back. After paying $1600.00 to get rid of it last summer, it's growing again. I'm just at a loss as to what to do. Any grass carp that I now add will be expensive, but that probably is my only choice. I guess any solution will be expensive. I really had no intentions to keep a lake of this size fertilized, even though I know that would help in the problem.


In my limited experience with chara, it's achilles heel is sunlight. It seems to need a lot.

I had a bad infestation in my minnow pond after I cleared up the water. When I replaced the clear
water with muddy water from my big pond, the chara died off very quickly. If you could somehow muddy
or dye the water dark for a couple of weeks, it could possibly help. Of course it could hurt your
beneficial plants and interfere with spawning.

As an experiment, you could spread a sheet of black plastic over a patch of chara and see how long
it takes to die. Or, get a 4x8' sheet of foil backed Styrofoam sheathing, letting it float above a
thick patch of chara.

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Good points. The dye and blocking sunlight works for me in my ponds but I don't think it's a good option in a 25 acre lake.

One other plus in a lake infested with chara: The water's usually crystal clear.


If pigs could fly bacon would be harder to come by and there would be a lot of damaged trees.






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Cecil, You are exactly right. We first thought it was chara, and it did turn out to be fanwort. I don't know how I got the chara in my head again. Anyway we ordered 200 grass carp today and are going to try that.

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Originally Posted By: Cecil Baird1
25 acre lake.


Never mind! laugh

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Grass carp will eat fanwort but its usually not preferred. If there's any other fleshy plants in the water, they will go after that first.


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Is the cabomba (fanwort) red green or purple?


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Fluridone would be my plan. Just Sonar or Whitecap the hell out of it. You need something systemic for sure, as that stuff roots, and mowing can actually spread it. Stuff is so delicate it is meant to break and reproduce. Some say Grass Carp won't touch the stuff. In fact, no known biological controls for it. I've never that, but some studies say so. Nuke it.

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Ted, I know we spoke yesterday did you order the grass carp?? I did not see the order.


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