Why is my pond water milky?

I have never seen this before, the pond water is definitely milky.

The pond is small (about 100 litres) pre-formed one. It has been raining very heavily for a month so I think something has been washed into it.

The odd thing is that everything seems fine, the oxygenating plant in the bottom, the floating Frogbit and the Ivy stems reaching the water are all OK and look healthy so it doesn't seem to be any harmful chemical.

Then again, I am smelling something a tad chemical- like and we have new neighbours who apparently wish to "blitz everything out and start again" just behind the fence so perhaps they have spread something that has leeched into the water.

The other pond in the front is clear, no sign of any milkiness.

Any ideas?

 

You don't mention any fish or other wildlife in it as any garden weedkiller etc would likely have killed them straight away.

As the pond plants are still looking ok and we assume any surrounding plants ? wonder if the discolouration could be from the sap of some of the plants the neighbours have chopped off or from some fence paint they may have used or even some cement /concrete dust etc. ?

Think we would first make sure there is a gap between the surrounding soil/stones and the ponds edge so if any water does wash down near the pond its will be guided away.

As its only 100 ltrs think changing as much of the water as you can would be the first line of action, if possible use a dechlorinator product if using tap water, if you have a water butt even better.

 

According to my go-to pond expert, Bill Heritage, it's always a sign of something 'animal' decomposing in the water.
Oh and can just possibly be a result of bonemeal being washed into the pond.

 

Thanks!

There's no wildlife apart from visiting insects and resident wrigglies and other small unidentified lifeforms, all hiding at this time of the year as expected.

I have just scooped out the leaves right down to the bottom and thankfully nothing big was discovered... Of course there is a slope for anything to crawl out if accidentally fallen in but the thought is terrifying.

Bonemeal or some chalk based wash on the neighbours' side of the fence seems possible.


I'll change most of the water and watch what happens. Thankfully nothing is dying so it's not anything like reckless use of chemicals.

 

have you had many fireworks around your area, just a long shot, but maybe a rocket has landed in the pond loaded with chemicals.

 

While on this theme, it would not take much bonfire fall-out /woodash to colour 100 litres.....

 

Thanks all!

This is the milky wonder (bits of the oxygenating plants are floating because I did some heavy handed leaf removal, breaking and loosening some of the growth from the bottom)



Now I wonder if the new neighbours used a pressure washer on their step and small patio? During the heavy rains the water level stayed right at the surface of the lawn so it is possible something has leached my way.

I'll change some water when I get rid of the idea of something dead rotting in there... Thanks a lot @noisette47 ...

 

I wouldn't bother changing the water, as long as its obviously not toxic it will sort itself out.

 

Can't really see the point of all the speculation Bill Heritage was a renowned pond expert and he listed all the possible states/colours that the water can take on. He was quite clear that milky water is caused by flesh-based debris decomposing. In a small pond that could be something as small as a frog, toad or possibly even a newt. It won't do much good changing the water if whatever is causing the problem is still in there.

 

Well, as the other option is to find the corpse, I'm firmly planning to speculate until the last breath of any remaining specules, then I will procrastinate, then ignore things until they go away and perhaps a stint of living in denial will happen as well.

Very true that in such a small drop of water any small change can be dramatic.

It's just odd that I have never seen this before and even the minuscule delivery-man catcher pondlet in front is crystal clear.

I'll commence the procrastination phase tomorrow. Or next week.