Carbon Filters

[Caprichoso]

I don't use carbon but I'm trying to gather info for someone else. The person didn't rinse the carbon insert before putting it into his fish tank and then his fish started gasping for air at the surface. He already has an existing filter and he just set up a secondary one where he added the new, un-rinsed carbon. Can this cause any sort of negative side effect? I tried googling for info but can't find anything. I had heard years ago that you have to rinse the carbon inserts thoroughly because the fine carbon particles can remove oxygen from the water. Is this true of just another one of those fish keeping myths? Or, can the particles harm the fish if they ingest them?

Thanks in advance!

[Sprucegruve]

hmm thats a little weird.i use carbon in some of my tanks,i usually give it a rinse with dechlorinated water then put it in,but there have been a couple times i forgot to rinse the carbon and there was no ill effect to my fish,plants,or tank.

how old is the tank?,have they introduced new fish or plants recently?

maybe a fish got that one sick,do they have a quarantine tank?

-edit- im really not sure if this will help, but if there gasping for air maybe add a air bubbler

Edited August 9, 2011 by Sprucegruve

[425nm]

If too much particulate carbon got into the water I can see it getting into the fishes gills and possibly causing problems. This is speculation however.

[Pleco]

I stopped bothering with carbon when i found out it doesn't last very long.