Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations the smell is back

the "pondy" smell is back. this is at least twice now in the last 2 years. my old pond had it from time to time also and when it did the fish had a strong, foul taste.

here is a little recent history. i fertilized about 3 weeks ago and got a little bloom. also about 6 days ago i finally got the pond pump installed and have been pumping cool, creek water in the pond. i have pumped water on and off with a trash pump and kept the pond nearly full during this drought. each time the smell starts the water color gets kinda grey/green looking. from a distance the water looks almost like it had a light fog on the surface.

fish are fine and feeding like crazy. any idea what might be causing it?

When my pond had a breakout of blue green algae it would smell very musty. Not sure if that is what you smell.

I remember the same smell at other ponds that I have visited during my life. I will do some blue green algae research. did you have visible algae or just off colored water?

Visible emerald green then it turned blue when pieces floated to surface and died. I was told to put some in a coke bottle and wait a few hours then uncap it and smell it....... If smell is lake smell that's good but if it smelled musty then probably blue green algae.... Mine smelled horrible. I added tilapia to help remove the excessive nutrients..... It's gone now for whatever reason

Wow Pat, That's great news about your algae. I just assumed it would take a year or so to get rid of it! Congrats!!

all the times that it has happened to me (couple of times at each pond) it only lasted a week at the most. i don't have any visible solids at all, just odd colored water. it didn't get any worse today.

I believe Doc Cody says it can take many forms.... Or I dreamed that up....

Great news, Pat. Sounds likely that TP had something to do with it.

I haven't had any such issues, but my pond is less fertile than yours. Plus I put in 150 lb of TP in late spring.