What kind of fish is the grass carp?

Grass carp is a perfect fish who helps to keep the rampant vegetation and algae in your home pond under control.

Can it live with other types of fish?

Yes. The grass carp is a herbivore.

Will the grass carp eat the water lilies?

According to literature it doesn’t eat blossoming plants.

Will it reproduce by itself?

The white amur doesn’t reproduce in Estonia, because the necessary conditions are not met (not enough warm time) .

How big will it grow and how long will it live?

In Estonia, in prefect conditions, it can grow until 20 kilograms and about 20 years. In a pond it probably won’t grow that big.

How many grass carps should you put into the pond?

It depends on the size of the pond and the purpose of the fish. If you have a lot of vegetation and algae, and you want to clean the pond, then you should put more fish at the beginning (for example 5-10 juvenile fish in a 100m2 pond). When the pond is clean and it looks like the fish don’t have enough food, then you can feed them with mown grass. After 3-4 years when the fish have grown bigger you can catch and eat them.

Can you eat the grass carp?

The grass carp is a tasty white meat fish.

How should you transport the white amur?

You can use a round high container (for example the black plastic containers 65l-90l which are sold in construction stores). Depending on the transport duration you can transport 30-100 white amurs in that container.

How will it survive the winter?

When the water becomes depleted of oxygen (aquatic hypoxia), no fish except Crucian carp survives. White amur is usually undemanding of oxygen. During hibernation the white amur doesn’t feed.