It is indeed the case that they are non-discriminatory in their eating. If
it is green, they try it. Check how many your pond needs before putting any
in!

Jim

--
__________________________________________
Check out Jog-A-Thon fundraiser (clears $140+ per jogger) at:
www.jogathon.net
See our pond at: http://www.home.bellsouth.net/p/pwp-jameshurley
"Kathleen" wrote in message
...
Phyllis and Jim Hurley wrote:

You might try a professional on the opinion regarding grass carp. They
pretty much clear out all vegetation down here in the South.

My folks put four of the sterile grass carp into their 30' by 75' pond
last year to try to deal with the excess vegetation. They think one of
them might have died because they'd never seen more than three of them
at any given time, but it was hard to tell because they were very shy
and had no distinguishing marks. They took care of the extra vegetation
all right, then turned their attention to my mother's beloved water
lilies.
My parents gave some thought to adding some sort of prolific plant
(water hyacinth maybe) to keep them fed, but were afraid that the carp
might continue to eat the lilies by preference, and then they'd have a
fish problem AND a plant problem.
The conservation agent told them to cull one or two of the carp, and
that since they won't bite on a hook, it would have to be with a bow and
arrow, a gig, or a gun.
So my dad went out there one day and sat on the bank of the pond until
he saw one of them grazing along the dam on the opposite side. He
nailed it with his .22. We all felt kind of bad about it, but there was
really no other way to remove the fish. It was huge, too. Well over
two feet long, and fat from a diet of exotic lilies.
I think the other carp got word that there was a contract out on them.
They went into hiding and weren't seen for a full week.

Kathleen