Who Gives A Fish Forums

I had this question, I didn't mean to but I accidentally sniffed the tip of my pencil and it smelled really good, now I'm worried I've got lead in my system. I'm concerned that when I work on my aquarium tank, I might contaminate it with lead - I basically inhaled it, so do I pose a risk to my fish?

I'm pretty sure pencils don't have actual lead in them, so you're probably in the clear.

sidthy wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 10:45 am I'm pretty sure pencils don't have actual lead in them, so you're probably in the clear.

My mistake, I meant graphite, sorry. So, my main question is, can it still harm my fish even though it's graphite, and I sniffed it?

I'd think you'll be alright, graphite isn't typically toxic in small amounts, but to be on the safe side, just make sure to wash your hands before handling your aquarium or its contents.

bettaMagenta wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 11:42 am I'd think you'll be alright, graphite isn't typically toxic in small amounts, but to be on the safe side, just make sure to wash your hands before handling your aquarium or its contents.

No big deal about the post anyway

No worries about posting questions here, it's all good - we're all about sharing info. I actually asked something similar a couple months back, about plant weights.

If you sharpen the pencil and then go handling your aquarium, there's a risk the graphite could get in the water, potentially harming your fish.

graye wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 2:46 pm If you sharpen the pencil and then go handling your aquarium, there's a risk the graphite could get in the water, potentially harming your fish.

Thanks graye

Graphite, not lead, is what's in pencils. It's just carbon, so it's harmless.