Grass Carp Food

Grass carp are used for management of aquatic weed problems.

Grass carp, also known as white amur, is a fish that is commonly used for aquatic weed control. Grass carp eat only aquatic plants including hydrilla, which is considered a pest weed in ponds, rivers and lakes.

Type

Different than common carp, grass carp are herbivorous, meaning that they only feed on plants. As a plant eater they do not have to compete with game fish for food.

Juveniles

Juvenile grass carp feed on plankton, which is microscopic plants and animals in the water. When they reach 6 inches in length, they change their diet to feed exclusively on vegetation.

Adults

Mature grass carp eat hydrilla, musk grass, banana leaves, grass clippings and algae. When this food is not available they will feed on hanging vegetation above the surface of the water.

Feeding

The grass carp is considered a grazer, which means that they tend to feed in shallow water and on the surface of the water. Their preference is soft tips of young plants and plants immersed in water.

Conditions

Grass carp feed continuously when the temperature of the water is above 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Under the most favorable conditions grass carp can eat numerous times their body weight in plants a day.

References

• University Of Florida IFAS Extension: Grass Carp--A Fish For Biological Management of Hydrilla and Other Aquatic Weeds in Florida
• North Carolina State University: Biology of The Grass Carp