Bad smell coming from the pond?

[Jersey_Marine]

My pond has never had an odor before but today it had a horrific odor. Yesterday we had alot of rain. I mean alot...Can that have something to do with it? The water is very clear and just had it checked recently and all the levels were spot on. I don't have an abundance if algae in the pond either. I have the largest biofalls they make which filters at least 5000 gallons and then I have another Pondmaster filter capable of filtering 8000 gallons. My pond is only 5000 gallons. I have the large biofalls creating oxygen at the base of the waterfall and I have a knocked over pot where the Pondmaster dumps out. Plenty of water disruption/movement and plenty of oxygen created by both of them combined. I have never had a smell come from the pond before and the only thing different ive been doing is using Koi Clay 3 times a week for the last few weeks... Any ideas in what it could be?

 

[peter hillman]

My pond has never had an odor before but today it had a horrific odor. Yesterday we had alot of rain. I mean alot...Can that have something to do with it? The water is very clear and just had it checked recently and all the levels were spot on. I don't have an abundance if algae in the pond either. I have the largest biofalls they make which filters at least 5000 gallons and then I have another Pondmaster filter capable of filtering 8000 gallons. My pond is only 5000 gallons. I have the large biofalls creating oxygen at the base of the waterfall and I have a knocked over pot where the Pondmaster dumps out. Plenty of water disruption/movement and plenty of oxygen created by both of them combined. I have never had a smell come from the pond before and the only thing different ive been doing is using Koi Clay 3 times a week for the last few weeks... Any ideas in what it could be?

Hyacinths can really stink sometimes, do you have any? Rinse the roots off good.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

Hyacinths can really stink sometimes, do have any?

I have alot but they never stunk before. Ohhh i had too many and dumped about 50 of them in the woods near the pond a few days ago! Could it be that rotting and since it rained its more pronounced?

 

[peter hillman]

I have alot but they never stunk before. Ohhh i had too many and dumped about 50 of them in the woods near the pond a few days ago! Could it be that rotting and since it rained its more pronounced?

Was going to ask if you're sure it's coming from the water or around the pond. I've smelt some sour W/H before.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

Was going to ask if you're sure it's coming from the water or around the pond. I've smelt some sour W/H before.

I hope its that and not a water issue. I cant see how it can be a water issue. The water is clear. The levels are good and minimal algae in the pond

 

[peter hillman]

I hope its that and not a water issue. I cant see how it can be a water issue. The water is clear. The levels are good and minimal algae in the pond

And it probably wouldn't go foul overnight unless a dead cow fell in there.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

And it probably wouldn't go foul overnight unless a dead cow fell in there.

Thats what im thinking. I think this rain stirred up those rotting hyacinths outside the pond. The entire yard smells terrible

 

[MitchM]

The only thing that I can think of is that you had an accumulation of organic matter somewhere that got disturbed.
That would have resulted in a H2S rotten egg smell.
If there was an accumulation of algae, that has it's own distinctive smell as well, once exposed to air.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

The only thing that I can think of is that you had an accumulation of organic matter somewhere that got disturbed.
That would have resulted in a H2S rotten egg smell.
If there was an accumulation of algae, that has it's own distinctive smell as well, once exposed to air.

Mitch if it is an accumulation of organice matter is it harmful to the fish?

 

[MitchM]

With a pond your size, it would have to be a significant buildup.
I don't think that's the case.
Maybe do a quick PH measurement of the water.
If you could pinpoint the source that would help a lot.

 

[Marshall]

My pond does the same thing when it rains but I have no clue what the exact cause is. It will smell normal the next day in my case anyways it always has.

 

[Marshall]

I wonder sometimes if it is acidity of the rain maybe but my ph has never spiked after rain so I am not sure.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

I know mentioning chemicals around here to some people is taboo but I use them weekly to bi-monthly depending on if I have to add water to the pond or not. My water is always clear and the water quality is always spot on when tested so I will continue to use my chemicals. I just went outside to put in a dose of liquid good bacteria, a few muck eating dry bacteria balls, chlorine nuetralizer, ammonia and chloramine neutralizer, algaecide and a dose of Koi Clay. I want to see if that does the trick....

Another thing I thought of as Im typing this!!!!!!! Maybe it's not the pond afterall.....I applied this organic fertilizer to my lawn earlier in the week called Milorganite and its made from human sewage. It hasn't rained since Monday so I havent smelled it but maybe all the rain I got yesterday really activated the smell. Ive used it in the past but never had that smell...not even close.....Then again I never had that much rain after applying it either

 

[Mmathis]

Are you missing any fish?

Once, this spring, following a BIG rain, that resulted in some overflow issues, there were a few days where I was certain I smelled something dead -- not what you want with a pond or with pet turtles! I never found anything, though I was able to isolate the odor to a "general vicinity" near one side of the pond.

All I can figure is that a fish got trapped in some rocks when the water level was high, or floated out if it got too close to the top where the overflow happened -- if it WAS a fish I was smelling. Believe me, I searched every nook & cranny with a fine-tooth comb, but never found even a corpse.

 

[Jersey_Marine]

Are you missing any fish?

Once, this spring, following a BIG rain, that resulted in some overflow issues, there were a few days where I was certain I smelled something dead -- not what you want with a pond or with pet turtles! I never found anything, though I was able to isolate the odor to a "general vicinity" near one side of the pond.

All I can figure is that a fish got trapped in some rocks when the water level was high, or floated out if it got too close to the top where the overflow happened -- if it WAS a fish I was smelling. Believe me, I searched every nook & cranny with a fine-tooth comb, but never found even a corpse.

Honestly I don't know. My 4 main fish are fine. They are impossible to miss because they are so large but I have several other small Comets and Shubunkins that can hide very well or go deep enough where they blend in. Especially the Shubunkins with their almost transparent bodies sometimes they are hard to see. The smell did smell like a dead animal. Not sure a fish but definitely resembled the smell of a decaying carcass of some kind. It could be a small fish but I looked around the perimeter of the pond and didn't see anything but then again I did a quick canvass. It could be a random dead animal as I live in the woods or it could be my fertilizer. I put all the chemicals in the pond so I guess we will see tomorrow if it gets any better. If it still smells after the lawn dries up a bit well then I have to rule the fertilizer out and keep digging...