Oil slick update.

[June]

Hi guys, had major problems last year with an oil slick on my new barrel pond. I’ve finally managed to get rid of it and the water is now crystal clear. I put in a small solar aeration pump which works a treat. The plants seem healthy , but coming into the winter season I’m not sure what to do to over winter some of them, so I may return with questions.

 

[addy1]

Glad you got it cleared up

 

[GBBUDD]

What you are seeing is probably not an oil slick in the common sense. Not a bad thing for the most part, if you put your finger or a stick into the slick does it stick or does it seem to run away from your finger. If the latter it's natural occurring decay, it's the oils within the plants being released as they die or that have been damaged. if it sticks to your finger then it's a petroleum product say from your water pump which is not a good thing to see obviously.

 

[June]

Glad you got it cleared up

Thanks addy1. Took a long time and a lot of filling and emptying but the oil disappeared suddenly so still don’t know where it came from. I suspect it was from the barrel and whatever it was treated with.

 

[sissy]

Welcome and slick probably came from the wood in the barrel

 

[June]

What you are seeing is probably not an oil slick in the common sense. Not a bad thing for the most part, if you put your finger or a stick into the slick does it stick or does it seem to run away from your finger. If the latter it's natural occurring decay, it's the oils within the plants being released as they die or that have been damaged. if it sticks to your finger then it's a petroleum product say from your water pump which is not a good thing to see obviously.

Thanks GBBUDD, The oil did run away from my finger and I did have some old plants in there which I later removed . I was wondering if it might have been from the barrel itself. The pump is a solar one.

What you are seeing is probably not an oil slick in the common sense. Not a bad thing for the most part, if you put your finger or a stick into the slick does it stick or does it seem to run away from your finger. If the latter it's natural occurring decay, it's the oils within the plants being released as they die or that have been damaged. if it sticks to your finger then it's a petroleum product say from your water pump which is not a good thing to see obviously.

 

[June]

Welcome and slick probably came from the wood in the barrel

Thanks sissy , fingers crossed it doesn’t return.

 

[sissy]

when it rains it will come out again .Do you have an insert between the wood and the barrel to make it waterproof .I have seen wine barrels here made into entry ponds at homes and they only use plants

 

[June]

when it rains it will come out again .Do you have an insert between the wood and the barrel to make it waterproof .I have seen wine barrels here made into entry ponds at homes and they only use plants

Hi sissy, I presume you mean between the water and the barrel. No I don’t as the barrel is watertight and I would rather not have a liner.

 

[sissy]

I am guessing by the looks of the barrel it was red wine unless it was stained

 

[Brian B]

My barrel pond was made from a used wine barrel. I did NOT have any oil slick issues at all. I have fish in mine.
The wood that mine is made of looks different, looks a lot lighter. Maybe a different type of wood? Did you stain your barrel?

I keep a couple of feeders in mine. It is watertight up to about the top few inches....no need for a liner. That would just ugly it all up

 

[Brian B]

Are you sure it was used for wine? Maybe it was used for olive oil or something?

Mine was purple on the inside and has a winery stamp on the bottom.

 

[GBBUDD]

Do the regular water changes every week and the barrels previous content is pretty much irrelevant. Solution through dilution.

 

[June]

My barrel pond was made from a used wine barrel. I did NOT have any oil slick issues at all. I have fish in mine.
The wood that mine is made of looks different, looks a lot lighter. Maybe a different type of wood? Did you stain your barrel?

I keep a couple of feeders in mine. It is watertight up to about the top few inches....no need for a liner. That would just ugly it all up

My barrel pond was made from a used wine barrel. I did NOT have any oil slick issues at all. I have fish in mine.
The wood that mine is made of looks different, looks a lot lighter. Maybe a different type of wood? Did you stain your barrel?

I keep a couple of feeders in mine. It is watertight up to about the top few inches....no need for a liner. That would just ugly it all up

Hi Brian B , it was a whisky barrel from Scotland. It seems to have been painted with something on the inside. probably where the oil came from or as GB BUDD suggested earlier, from old plants which I should have thrown away. The barrel is watertight to about 4” from the top so I don’t need to line it. I did consider a lining but the barrel is very big and it would have been difficult to hide the liner at the top and there would have been so many folds to deal with. Anyway it seems to have settled down. Thanks for all the suggestions. June

 

[June]

Do the regular water changes every week and the barrels previous content is pretty much irrelevant. Solution through dilution.

Hi, I’ve done numerous water changes throughout this last winter and spring and something seems to have worked. No signs of oil now so hopefully it won’t return. Thanks for your help. June.