Will human pus/blood harm a fish?

[P&BtheBetta]

Hi! When I was doing a water change, I forgot that I had a blister (that popped), and it might've accidentally dipped in the water once or twice. I was wondering if this will affect my fish in any way. There wasn't a lot of bleeding/pus or anything like that, just a thin layer near the wound.

I dipped it in the new dechlorinated tap water that I was about to add in so hopefully I don't get an infection either or anything like that.

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

Ew! lol. I shouldn't think it will do any harm, but you could always do another water change if you're concerned.

Of more concern is the potential harm to you. There are some really nasty bacteria in aquariums that you really don't want in an open wound. Make sure you've cleaned it thoroughly, and if you see any signs of infection or issues, get to a doctor fast. It's unlikely, those serious infections are rare, but worth knowing about just in case.

Always cover any open wounds before doing anything with your tanks, guys!

 

[Essjay]

I once cut my hand on a reflector during a water change and more than a blister's worth of blood dripped into the tank before I realised it was cut The fish were fine, and luckily so was I. I did stop taking the water out so I could wash my hand with anti-bac soap (we had no hand sanitiser pre Covid) then dress it before continuing the water change with a freezer bag sellotaped over my hand.

 

[Colin_T]

No it won't affect the fish but as AdoraBelle mentioned, you want to avoid getting tank water on open wounds and clean the cut after working in the tank because there are some nasty bacteria that can get into open wounds and cause major infections. Fish Tuberculosis (Fish TB) is the most common infection people contract from aquarium water getting on/ in open wounds, cuts or scratches.