Can you float something on top of the water to absorb it? Paper towels, quilt batting? Have you tried to start a suction on your hose and then just suction off the oil on top. (I had to do this when some construction workers were cutting vinyl clad Styrofoam panels by the pond. I had Styrofoam saw dust every where in the pond and around it--not too bright on their part.) Hope nobody dies.

Sounds like you have already done the right thing by attempting to float the oil off by overflowing the pond. I can't imagine what good epsom salts would do. The nice thing is that oil and water don't mix, and as you have found, the oil will float on top.

I assume the pump has been removed. I would think that leaving the pond still for a few hours ought to allow the oil to rise to the surface instead of being mixed in. If the pond is small, you might want to try some paper towels on the surface to get most of it, but more overflow should work too except that the inflow is disturbing and remixing some of the oil.

For a moment, I was thinking that an oil layer could block oxygen transfer, but as long as you don't wait days or weeks to remove it, there should be some oxygen to keep fish ok. After most of the oil is gone, you should probably do more water changes to dilute oil additives that might be the real problem. It is convenient that you are on well water. Me too. I never worry about adding water whenever.

Keep the hose on and let the oil naturally overflow out of the pond? How big is your pond? Is it feasable to catch and remove your fish?

Barley matts will naturally catch oil. Think that's what they used in the Gulf oil disaster.

What a terrible accident. I'm so sorry.

What kind of filter system do you have? A bottom pump/filter is obviously not going to do you any good. If you can get one of those floating skimmers It might help along with lots of quilt batting. This is one of those occasions I would look into the clumping chemicals but I doubt they are intended for oil.

This is one of those times I really wish some of the long time ponders who faded away would come back. They might have had some experience with the old style pumps.

I'll try to do some research but can't promise anything. In the meantime I would remove everything possible from the pond, plants, decoration, etc. and find a temporary tank for the fishies. A childs swimming pool perhaps. Then I would clean the bottom of as much mulm as possible. It would soak up oil like a sponge and just keep releasing it over time.

Dick Boyd's Chemi Pure will remove any dissolved toxins. They are pads of varying sizes and will also remove the floating oil. Initially the float and as they get full they will sink.

You can run a good ol' Diatom Filter with the activated charcoal plus have the outflow go through the Chemi Pure.

I did this years ago when similar happened to us. The only thing I am not sure of is if Chemi Pure is still made. I am 99% sure it is an should be available at most salt water fish shops. Lemme check ...

Dick Boyd's Chemi Pure will remove any dissolved toxins. They are pads of varying sizes and will also remove the floating oil. Initially the float and as they get full they will sink.

You can run a good ol' Diatom Filter with the activated charcoal plus have the outflow go through the Chemi Pure.

I did this years ago when similar happened to us. The only thing I am not sure of is if Chemi Pure is still made. I am 99% sure it is an should be available at most salt water fish shops. Lemme check ...

I am an idiot! Chemi Pure goes in the filter and clears things out. It is not the matt material which escapes my feeble brain....

It is POLY FILTER that floats and does wonderful things. Both are available at most salt water fish stores.

I will look for poly filter. I'm still floating out the oil it is now 36 hours and it's still in there. My yard will cave in soon with all of this water. My pond is big-5000 gallons and taking out all of the huge koi would be a problem. Going to keep floating till someone calls the police on me for flooding. Putting in the new pump tomorrow and will run the water through lava rock to see if it catches any then eventually put in the bioballs I got today. So far no dead fish. What a nightmare!

keep laying newspaper on top, it'll soak up the oil - then drag it out. had the same thing happen in a 20,000 gallon pond....everyone made it! take heart!

I know this has been a horrible experience for you but the info will be good for the rest of us on some not so pleasant day in the future.

Just to be clear....all pumps have oil. They are either filled w/ motor oil (ie a sewage pump used for a pond) or they are filled w/ mineral oil, which is nontoxic.

Are you positive which brand of pump he installed?

Here is a link that might be useful: Step by step cleanup

5000 gallons is a lot of water. I think you can safely consider that you have already diluted your pond out far more than necessary for now. The newspaper approach sounds like an excellent idea in the short time frame. Let the rest that is not likely to stay attached to bottom crud, slowly separate and rise and pull it out with the newspaper every week or so. If you crashed a couple Dodges in there, it might be a different story.

I thought magnetic drive pumps did not have oil in them.

I stand corrected

I would like to say something about this forum...Great way to jump in and help :-)

This same thing happened to me about 10 years ago and I ran to this forum for help. Just like this post, many jumped to help with great suggestions. This was my first GW forum and one of the best groups that I have seen. Thank you folks!

I used newspaper and flooding and lost no fish, BTW :-)

Pam