Question about carbon and fish

[Puriti]

I know this may be an obvious question but I believe my fish may have ingested carbon rocks from when I took out my last filter media and the bag started to open because I found pieces of carbon rocks on the floor of the tank and my frog trying to eat them because they looked like pellet food. I picked most of them up that i could find but if they were ingested, it would make my fish very ill would it not? I'm not sure if that's the case or what but I have two female bettas acting weird and they're constantly looking on the floor for food all the time...

 

[richiestang_78]

I dont see how it can hurt the fish to my knowloedge carbon is pretty safe.

 

[Zagz]

I'm not sure it is exactly the same thing but my step mom, accidently lost an entire filter of carbon into her 44 gal tank with 2 fancy orandas. She has black substrate and didn't successfully get all the carbon out because it looks exactly like her gravel. It has been 3 weeks and no ill effects. Now her goldies are 6" each so that may factor into it but I doubt it.

 

[tropicfishman]

shouldn't hurt them, don't they pump peoples stomach with carbon? or is it charcoal? I never can remember

 

[noncentric]

shouldn't hurt them, don't they pump peoples stomach with carbon? or is it charcoal? I never can remember

Both.

In animals (probably the same with people) - activated charcoal is used for "stomach pumping". Mostly dogs eating chocolate or pesticides.

"Activated charcoal" is basically pure carbon, but in a form that is highly adsorptive.

So you were right, both times.

 

[Puriti]

Hm...Alrighty then lol They may still have parasites or something then X.x Thanks guys