Accidentally dropped Xanax in my fish tank

[Carbon]

this is crazy - my relative family member put Xanax in my fish tank and now the little guy is totally different.
it was super shy and timid before, always hiding behind rocks, scared of me even.
but now it's like the opposite - super active, fearless, no hiding.
i just got the fish from the store a few days ago, so this is all pretty weird.
will the Xanax just break down over time or do i need to do a full 100% water change?

[sSjey]

I'd advise doing a water change right away - not a full 100%, of course, since that would leave the poor fish high and dry. Remove as much water as you can, but leave enough for the fish to swim around comfortably. Just make sure the new water is at the same temperature as the tank water to avoid shocking the fish.

Do you happen to have some activated carbon on hand, or can you grab some quickly? If so, add some to the tank filter and replace it with new carbon every day. Discard the used carbon after it's done its job. Repeat this process for a week to help neutralize any remaining Xanax residue.

[coltin]

Honestly, I'm feeling pretty relaxed about this situation, but don't let that influence your decision. Seriously though, I'd recommend doing a partial water change daily for a week to dilute the Xanax. When adding new water, make sure it's free of chlorine and chloramine to prevent any further stress on the fish.

[Burgermuncher]

I'd follow the advice given by sSjey and coltin. I'm curious, though - how did the Xanax end up in your tank in the first place? What was going through the person's mind when they decided to do that? Was it just a silly mistake or something more?

[barnicle]

Sounds suspicious, what's going on here?

[bettaMagenta]

I'm just gonna say, maybe better than pot, right. So I had this crazy idea to grow my pot plants in my aquariums, but let's just say it didn't quite work out. The fish, they just loved 'em, kept eating the roots and wouldn't leave 'em alone.

[kokomo]

The similarity in effects is laughable. I mean, it's almost like the fish are experiencing the same stuff as humans. One of the side effects is dry mouth, but I suppose the fish are exempt from that one. The upcoming water changes should be a breeze for them now, right?

[coltin]

I'm tempted to try this on my fish now, sounds like an interesting experiment.

[fineman]

I gotta get some xanax to try on my buddy's fish, sounds like a wild experiment.

[Flipside]

I'm gonna say it, might be better than a certain herb. I experimented with plants in my aquariums, but I had to yank them out - my fish developed a serious craving, they'd munch on the roots and just wouldn't stop.