Pond Help

[biggamefish]

 I have a pond and have a good population of crayfish, bluegills, perch,fathead minnows and a triploid grass carp. The Grass carp means no plants. Which also mean i get algae growth. I blocked off a section of the pond with stones so I could put some lily's and hornwort in there to fight the algae naturally. So i put 3 decent bunches of hornwort  in my pond and the next morning they were gone!!!! I know the carp couldn't get in there but I have no idea what ate the plants.  The only thing that could get through the stone wall would be crayfish or minnows and I have a hard time believing they would have eating all the plants in one night.

Question is what could eat all the plants in one night?

[Culvercreek hunt club]

16 minutes ago, biggamefish said:

 I have a pond and have a good population of crayfish, bluegills, perch,fathead minnows and a triploid grass carp. The Grass carp means no plants. Which also mean i get algae growth. I blocked off a section of the pond with stones so I could put some lily's and hornwort in there to fight the algae naturally. So i put 3 decent bunches of hornwort  in my pond and the next morning they were gone!!!! I know the carp couldn't get in there but I have no idea what ate the plants.  The only thing that could get through the stone wall would be crayfish or minnows and I have a hard time believing they would have eating all the plants in one night.

Question is what could eat all the plants in one night?

where is the pond located approximately?

[biggamefish]

my back yard!!

 

 

Albany county

[grampy]

I do know deer will eat aquatic plants. Is there deer that visit the pond Matt?  Just a suggestion, as I have no clue what ate them, for sure.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

9 minutes ago, biggamefish said:

my back yard!!

 

 

Albany county

any possibility there are turtles in that pond?

[biggamefish]

Yes I have seen 10-15 painted turtles at one time sunning themselves. I never thought about turtles!

Edited July 10, 2018 by biggamefish

[Culvercreek hunt club]

56 minutes ago, biggamefish said:

Yes I have seen 10-15 painted turtles at one time sunning themselves. I never thought about turtles!

I'd be betting on them especially if the pond is a barren as you said. Even if they don't eat the stuff they can be uprooting little buggers. 

[left field]

Easy enough to drop some veg into the area, sit back with a beer and watch what eats it. Personally, I'd lose the carp as they are always rooting up mud.

Another algae option is to float a bale of barley straw in the pond, though it may be too late in the season for that. I did it last year and saw zero algae in the August bloom time.

[G-Man]

shoot the damn carp. if you have crabs and snails you dont need them..they will dig for roots and youll have a muddy mess.. its sounds like a very unhealty pond if they are being eaten by turtles who prefer fish.. 

Edited July 10, 2018 by G-Man