Stinky Pond Odors And Organic Muck

A most unpleasant symptom of heavy organic loads in a pond is a stinky smell or odor. It's important to keep in mind that much of this is coming from the release of gases from the rotting and decaying material at the bottom of a pond.

This muck layer, which may have filled in and built up over a number of years, may eventually get abundant enough where naturally occurring bacteria found in many ponds may not be able to keep it's effects in check.

When organic loads are high, it's not uncommon to see algae and other unwanted growth along with the smell.

There are several options available to lessen the effect of this organic build up at the bottom of the pond.

algae One option is to dredge the pond out, back down to it's original base or bottom and physically remove the mucky layer. This may be a viable option for some pond owners but it may be too expensive for others to undertake.

The other option that exists is to attempt to boost or supplement the amount of beneficial bacteria in the pond up to adequate levels. Past use of chemical algaecides and low amounts of dissolved oxygen may lead to the depletion or very low numbers of bacteria.

If chemical use is stopped, it may be helpful to reintroduce bacteria into the pond which can help turn the pond around and begin to clean up the system. Odors can be reduced and other water quality issues can be reversed or improved.

It should be noted that in ponds with very stagnant water and poor circulation, mechanical aeration may be very beneficial to helping improve the overall condition of the pond and provide benefits to the existing fish population (if any) and good bacteria that's found in the pond.

Our recommendation therefore, when treating a bad odor problem in a pond of any size is to first look at adding an aeration system if one isn't already present. There is a size to fit nearly any pond.

Second, we suggest using beneficial bacteria for at least several months and look for conditions to improve regarding the off odors. Along with bacteria, we might suggest adding Bio-Blast product to help target the organic loads more specifically and use these once per month in the pond as well.

Normally with consistent use and improvements in the supportive system for good bacteria, many conditions will improve within about 30 to 60 days. However ponds that are in very poor condition may require more time to show improvement.

If you have additional questions that are not answered here, please contact us and we'll be happy to help.

Or if you'd like to post your questions in the comment section below we'll be happy to provide some answers and share this Q & A with other pond owners.