How to Buy a Grass Carp
Stocking your pond or lake with grass carp can be very beneficial. Grass carp eat plants and provide a long-term solution to controlling vegetation. Stocking grass carp is also less expensive than many other control methods. Another plus is grass carp allow you to control the vegetation in an environmentally friendly way. The way you buy grass carp depends on where you live and what kind of regulations are in force in your state. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Procedures
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Check with your local or state government to find out what kind of applications and permits are required to stock grass carp. Some states don't require permits or require permits for only certain types of carp. To see an example of an application, look at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation under Resources below.
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Check with the government body (or a local carp dealer) to find out the recommended number of carp for each acre of vegetation. This number will vary by the temperatures in your part of the country as well as the amount of vegetation and type of plants in your pond or lake. Overstocking carp can lead to the extermination of aquatic plants. Not having enough carp, meanwhile, won't control the vegetation.
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Obtain a list of dealers from the government body. Make sure you get the carp from a registered and licensed dealer.
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Buy the grass carp and have them delivered in the spring. Spring is the best time of the year to stock grass carp.
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Buy or restock carp every five to seven years. Carp live an average of 10 years and don't eat as much in old age.
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Tips & Warnings
Some states require that stocked grass carp be certified as disease-free and sterile. Take into account the number of grass carp that may have been killed by predators when restocking your lake.
It is important to get the number of grass carp right. They are very difficult to capture or remove if you overstock.
