How can I get used engine oil off the top of my garden pond? :help: We have just got home after a morning out shopping to find that the local toe-rags have put about 8L of used engine oil into the pond :rant: that has fish in, so usiing fairy liquid to break it up is out of the question any other ideas please.

That is so awful, how can anyone be so nasty, cant you rescue the fish and drain of the pond. Get in touch with your local aqautics and see what they recomend

I'd get your fish out of there and into something safe then take it from there.

What a horrible situation. :(

That's disgusting! There's just no need for this sort of mindless vandalism/cruelty.

I've just had a quick look on the gardening section and it might be worth PMing Jabberwocky as they know a bit about ponds.

getting the fish out could be a problem as we have nowhere else big enough to put them (some are over 2ft). I have started to lay newspaper on the surface to try and soak up the oil from the surface (this seems to be working) but I know it wont get it all out. Ringing an aquatic centre is a good idea.

Id put as much fresh water into the pond as possible, Get the hose in and pump as much water in as possible, I know its not good for the fish but its better than oil and itll flush it over the edge of the pond and out of harms way- try not to completely replace the pond water with tap water obviously, but a third full shouldnt do too much harm

Trouble is, you do all this and the toe rags might be back again to put something else in.

Id put as much fresh water into the pond as possible, Get the hose in and pump as much water in as possible, I know its not good for the fish but its better than oil and itll flush it over the edge of the pond and out of harms way- try not to completely replace the pond water with tap water obviously, but a third full shouldnt do too much harm

Trouble is, you do all this and the toe rags might be back again to put something else in.

I knew you'd have some good advice!

Just a thought (and bear in mind that I don't know a lot about fish), would it be worth getting one of those cheap pop up paddling pools in case they do try it again?

Thanks again for your advice I'm filling to overflowing as I type. Good news from the aquatic centre is that the fish "should" be ok as long as I can clear the surface of the film of oil as it will act as a barrier to an oxygen supply and suffocate them. I'm not to feed them for about 5 days.

The next time I change the oil in the car its going straight to the dump-it centre

Once again thanks for your advice

Glad things are working for you, can't understand the scum who did this.

Where abouts are you I've got a pond with not much in it I could lookafter them for you

I was going to offer the same help, but it's been said that they shouldn't be fed for five days - so that would mean any fish that are currently in your pond would go hungry too.

Why shouldn't they be fed for five days

No idea - but the aquatic centre recommended it.

Why shouldn't they be fed for five days

To stop them ingesting any oil from the surface (I think). The food we give them floats so would get a coating.

Thanks for the offer but I think it may be less stressful for the fish. if they stay where they are, but I may contact you later if I find this not to be the case, if I may.

I agree. It would be stressful for them having to move homes temporarily.

I hope they're going to be ok.

The offer is still there if you want it, obviously they wouldn't be ingesting oil from the surface of my pond so they could be fed,
I've looked after my brothers fish when his pond got a leak and they were perfectly allright when he fetched them back, better than them swimming about in oil and perhaps dying, let me know if I can help, hope you go on ok with them