Hey everyone! One of our members had a sad mystery. After cleaning and doing a water change, and scrubbing at algae with a Dobie pad by Scotch Brite, her fish began dying. 
Although many factors could have come into play here, the only thing she did differently this time (unlike other times when the fish were just fine) was to use a Dobie scrubber pad. I was curious and asked on Amazon if the pads were impregnated with any sort of cleanser. All the answers said no, the scrubbing power comes from elbow grease, friction, and the texture of the pad. I was in Walmart today and happened to be in the dish soap aisle. I saw a Dobie pad package and read the back. It said "Not for aquarium use." Some other folks have speculated that the fibers used to make the pad more biodegradable might be agave, which can be toxic to fish. I am not expert on ANY of this stuff, but thought it was worth mentioning. Save the Dobie pads for scrubbing out your sink! It's not worth risking the lives of your pond critters!
Although many factors could have come into play here, the only thing she did differently this time (unlike other times when the fish were just fine) was to use a Dobie scrubber pad. I was curious and asked on Amazon if the pads were impregnated with any sort of cleanser. All the answers said no, the scrubbing power comes from elbow grease, friction, and the texture of the pad. I was in Walmart today and happened to be in the dish soap aisle. I saw a Dobie pad package and read the back. It said "Not for aquarium use." Some other folks have speculated that the fibers used to make the pad more biodegradable might be agave, which can be toxic to fish. I am not expert on ANY of this stuff, but thought it was worth mentioning. Save the Dobie pads for scrubbing out your sink! It's not worth risking the lives of your pond critters!
