OIL SLICK?

[Jerry]

It is so faint I keep thiking I am wrong, but my wife has seen it too.
Where could it be coming from?

The awful tree guys left chain saws near the pond.  I told them not too.
The fish seem fine.

[Kittyzee]

Could your pump (if it's submersible) be leaking oil?   

[tweetybaby2005]

Jerry, my pond has the oil slick (ever so slightly) when I feed the fish.  I think it was from the fish food.  It never bothered my fish and they love the food.  If you feed the fish, see if it is from that.  As with the chain saw, I hope it is not from it because it if is, that chain saw must be leaking bad.

Hope other will chime in soon with more suggestion.  You don't happen to have a pump with oil, do you?  I use Pondmaster's magnetic waterfall pump because they adverise it as no oil.

Kuan

[Mike S.]

I guess they're still making pumps with oil, but it's been a long time since I've bought a pump, I wouldn't know. If it is oil leaking from a pump, you'll know shortly, as they tend to die soon after that starts.

Oil from chainsaws used near a pond could cause a slick, but it really isn't all that likely unless they did something really stupid. . .

Most Koi foods do contain fish oil. Some of the less expensive ones (actually re-labeled cat fish food,) contain a lot of it and will leave a sheen on the water. Nice for feeding algae blooms.

Decompositon of any organics will also do this. Anything from fish to frogs, to plant parts. This is also a common cause of a sheen on the water.

Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL

[miguynmkoi]

If I have sunscreen or moisturizer on my hands when I hand feed the fishes I see an oil film that spreads out from my hand too.  I also see a film when I crush the pellets for the baby fish.

I remember way back when for my turtles aquarium I had a pump that did leak.  The pump didn't last, I tossed it right away.  Since that time I've only bought the magnetic drive pumps (I think that's how they're described).

[Jerry]

I suspect it is the food.  I had the guys remove the saws at once. My pump is a good one, a "Sequence."
Again, what I see is ever so slight.  I even doubted it for a while.

[scokaw]

If you notice the slick only after the tree was cut, the chainsaw would be my guess.  Oil from the chain probably transferred to all the rubbish from the cutting and some probably got into your pond.  I've made that mistake myself.

[Jerry]

very logical!  Thanks.

[Windwalker7]

Here is how a chainsaw works.

 First, chainsaws have two stroke engines. That means, they need to have oil mixed in with the gasoline.


Second, chainsawa also need another kind of oil called bar oil. This is oil that goes onto the chain and bar. The bar is the blade the cutting chain rides on. This bar oil helps keep the chain cool and lubricated. When you rev up a chain saw while it is not in the cutting process, oil will fling off of the chain.

In other words, if I were to point a chainsaw at a white wall and rev the engine, it will splatter oil onto the white wall. just a very small amount but more and more the longer I hold it there and rev the engine.

I suspect that bar oil somehow was flung into the pond as the workers were cutting wood in the area.

[Jerry]

I am sure you are right. Those guy were a nightmare.  Always use referals! Not a throw away ad.

[Windwalker7]

Watch this video starting at about 1:00 into it and you can see what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6YcOnFR1OU

[newpondgal]

So glad I'm not the only one!!  I saw this near the skimmer in my pond and my DH thinks I'm nuts because he doesn't see it!  I wasn't too worried though since my fish and plants have been fine but I just thought it was strange to see.