Fish Info

Are triploid grass carp the answer?
To best determine whether triploid grass carp can solve your plant problem you must answer the following questions:
What type of plant is causing this problem?
Photographs of the most common problem plants are found on two other pages:
To identify your problem plants check the aquatic plant photographs provided by the University of Florida, or contact the Invasive Plant Management field office nearest you. A black and white handout that you can easily print to help you identify common Florida aquatic plants is also available.
Triploid grass carp have definite preferences for certain types of plants. Others they will not eat at all.

What are my other plant-control options?
There are two other plant control options which can be used either separately or in conjunction with grass carp. Mechanical control uses machinery to harvest and remove the problem vegetation from the water. Chemical control (herbicides) can be more specific to a particular type of plant and, like mechanical control, can target specific areas within the water body.
Note: Using mechanical or chemical control may require a permit from the Invasive Plant Management Section.

What do I need to know about triploid grass carp?
Cost: Triploid grass carp cost between $5 and $15 each and are usually stocked at three to ten fish per acre, resulting in costs as low as $15 per acre. In comparison, herbicides cost between $100 and $500 per acre and mechanical control may cost more than twice that.

Time: Grass carp usually take six months to a year to be effective in reducing problem vegetation, although they provide much longer term control than other methods, often up to five years before restocking is necessary. When used in conjunction with an initial herbicide treatment, control of problem vegetation can be achieved quickly, and fewer carp are required to maintain the desired level of vegetation.

Overstocking: Once stocked in a lake or pond, carp are very difficult to remove. If overstocking occurs, it may be ten years or more before the vegetation community recovers. Even after carp are removed, other herbivores such as turtles may prevent the regrowth of vegetation.
Water Clarity: Aquatic plants remove nutrients in the water. When plants are removed, nutrients may then be utilized by phytoplankton, turning the water green. Clarity may be improved by reducing or eliminating sources of nutrients into the lake such as road runoff and lawn fertilizer.

Inflows/Outflows: It is in the best interest of people stocking carp to keep them in the desired lake or pond. It is also a required condition of the permit. Any inflows or outflows through which carp could escape into other waters require barriers to prevent fish from escaping into waters not permitted.

Current permitted triploid grass carp suppliers
Once you have your permit, you can order fish from any of the listed suppliers.