I've got current running through my tank

[dakota9]

Stuck my hand in my tank today while barefoot (as usual) felt a slight familiar sting. I've got current running through my tank. I'm taking out one enternal filter hoping it is causing the electrical leak. Any other suggestions? In 20 years I've not had this problem

Thanks

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Well you SHOULD have a grounding probe and a GFCI on your outlets. This would prevent this problem or atleast keep you and your fish safe!

The GFCI can be gotten from homedepot and the grounding probe from sam over at aquabuys I think.

 

[dakota9]

OK, enternal power filter was the culprit. Now, my question is..... Could this be why my tank has been "off" for the past week? My Kenya tree has dropped 9 frags, and everything has been going dormant, normal a few days, then going dormant again, silvery slime layer and all each time.

Also, I've had this Uber Film on the surface of the water that the surface skimmer couldn't even pick up. I had to take a wisk and "break" the surface of the film to get it into small enough pieces to go in to the surface skimmer.

It wasn't much electricity, the only way I could feel it is I have a hang nail and that finger being more sensitive felt a slight shock. Other fingers felt normal in the water though....

Was looking for a Koralia to replace that enternal filter with anyway, so alls well that ends well.

Any opinions?

Thanks

 

[dannybradley]

This one worked really well for me.

 

[dakota9]

I'll be checking with Sam tomorrow as that is where I plan to buy the Koralia

Thanks

 

[dakota9]

I'm all about a grounding probe, but not sure I want the GFCI. If it trips for some reason, doesnt EVERTHING turn off?

Would a grounding probe work on its own?

 

[dakota]

Sam does have the grounding probe you need at a good price, and he should be getting in some Koralias this week. Please leave one Number One for me.

I installed a ground probe using the loop to the screw on the outlet plate. Thought I was in good shape until Bud dropped by with a voltmeter and tested the outlet. There was .7 volts on the mounting screw, so there I was introducing .7 volts back into my tank thru the grounding probe.
ARRRRGGGHHH!!!!
Fortunately, the ground in the outlets was at 0 volts, so I plugged the grounding probe into an outlet. I guess the moral of the story is to check the wiring thoroughly. Even though you have the right equipment; and it's set up correctly, you still can't assume that you have all the bases safely covered.

If you have a grounding probe you MUST have a GFCI circuit. I divided my equipment between two GFCI circuits plugged into a power strip fed by the other outlet. If one trips, the other will allow my tank to limp along for a while.

Still not ideal. I might need to plug that strip into another GFCI, just in case the tank breaks and gets the outlet or power strip wet.

 

[dakota9]

So is installing a GFCI fairly easy? How is it different from just changing out a regular outlet?

Dakota...... Just FYI, I lived in Loganville for 8 VERY long years of my life. I'm a Loganville High School Grad, I've heard it's REALLY been built up A LOT!!!!
I still however feel; no desire to go back. I lived out in Between

 

[dannybradley]

I was looking for a solution and came across this somewhat related, yet neat, project.

 

[dakota9]

Danny....... If I do nothing, my fish might die, if I try to wire that contraption, I may die! LOL

 

[jgoal55]

yeah...thats what I was thinking...wouldnt a gfci extension cord do the trick?

They sell a cheap version that I use for my ATO's called fireshield and then there is a more expensive version that I cant remeber the brand name of but it is balck and yellow and has three outlets all GFCI protected....

 

[jeep9783]

Well thanks for all the good links i just purchased mine to rid my problem. +1 Danny

 

[cameron]

You should always run a GFCI as it can save your life as can in most situations a grounding probe. However, a grounding probe is a temp fix for electricity in the tank. You should always find the source and remove it.

 

[george]

Many times the wording on grounding probes is misleading. For instance the wording that the one Danny listed (which I also use) is flat out wrong:

The titanium ground probe removes harmful voltage released into the aquarium by electrical equipment.

What a grounding probe does is provide a pathway that is of lowest possible potential which means it has the greatest difference between the voltage of your current source. The voltage is still there and the current is still there until you find the source of the leak and remove it. The term "stray" leads one to believe voltage can flow or wander which it can't. A better term would be "excess voltage" or "excess voltage potential". Nothing actually strays/flows/wanders until you stick your hand in the tank or attach a ground probe. The main benefit of a grounding probe is providing a pathway that will trip a GFCI switch to alert you that there is faulty equipment without you having to stick your hand in the tank and complete the circuit yourself. Without the GFCI, you can still get current flow through yourself even with a grounding probe.

Since your tank is surrounded by equipment much of which has an electromagnetic field and your water has free charged ions, with a standard multi-meter, you'll see a slight voltage difference between the tank and ground. This doesn't mean you have leaky equipment. Since it's induced voltage potential and does not affect the current flowing through the GFCI outlet, it will not factor in to the GFCI operation, however.

Jgoal55;62502 wrote: yeah...thats what I was thinking...wouldnt a gfci extension cord do the trick?

GFCI extension cords will work fine as long as you can't (or don't) jump the GFCI portion (i.e. plug something into the socket instead of the GFCI extension cord other than your grounding probe).

 

[cameron]

Good post George +1 on the rep.

 

[wbholwell]

George;62592 wrote:
Since your tank is surrounded by equipment much of which has an electromagnetic field and your water has free charged ions, with a standard multi-meter, you'll see a slight voltage difference between the tank and ground. This doesn't mean you have leaky equipment.

George, I'm pretty sure I've got an induced voltage in my tank from my T5 ballasts and/or bulbs. It makes my pH monitor go nuts- it seems to read fine in my sump or when I turn off my lights. Could this have any negative effects on my fish & corals?

 

[george]

wbholwell;62606 wrote: George, I'm pretty sure I've got an induced voltage in my tank from my T5 ballasts and/or bulbs. It makes my pH monitor go nuts- it seems to read fine in my sump or when I turn off my lights. Could this have any negative effects on my fish & corals?

I wouldn't think that it would be that much induction. The problem with the pH probe is that it's essentially an extremely sensitive DC voltmeter, albeit measuring via dissolved ion potential instead of electron potential. The pH probe is measuring an actual DC potential difference but there's a relevant AC voltage present as well.

In thinking about this issue and all the pumps and devices I have in my tank, especially the 3 pumps in my skimmer, I'm thinking there is merit in making a dedicated pH probe container of some sort that I can place away from interference. I'll have to do some testing.