Shock Experiment

[saltyvixen]

So i was doin something and somehow kinda separated my nail on my thumb and middlie finger a bit. Doing something around my tank my thumb dipped into the water, since the sensitive skin was exposed it stung like crazy. But upon putting it back in again i realized not only was it stinging my whole hand was tingling... Great another voltage issue... I turned off my power strips and put my thumb in, nothing, plugged stuff up one at a time directly into wall outlet, nothing... stumped and maybe thinking i was imagining things i replugged my power strips and turned them on and yep i nice shock when my thumb is in the water. So a thought occured to me to try a new power strip, so yet again i got another strip and plugged stuff one at a time, nothing. PLugged one thing into the old one and shock... The equipment itself is fine,but when plugged into a coralife power strip it suddenly becomes an electric chair... how are my fish even alive? Im trying to figure out how the power strip creates loose volts in the water. Is it overcharging the equipment or is it ruuning voltage up the outer wires and into he water? I'd also like to add no other fingers could feel the voltage, just the injured ones. Crazy. So yet again im scrmbling to find another power source...

Edit: i still get a sting with the new strip as well... but the plugging and unplugging and what seems to shock me is inconsistent... Could it be that the voltage is so minumal that only the extremel;y sensitive skin can feel it and that the fish do not notice it?

 

[saltyvixen]

OK so also, when everything is plugged and unplugged one at a time, nothing. When multiple things are plugged i feel it.... im so lost
EDIT: ok so it has to be some wierd slatwater electricity because my biocube does the same thing

 

[myreefclub0070]

Not something you should be using your hand to test!
The fish are fine cause they are not grounded.
Is your system plugged into a gfci outlet?

 

[saltyvixen]

no , and i know not smart but i couldnt feel any sensation when my other hand was submerged just the one with a cut... I'd like to mention i tested everything with my kitchen gfci and it dd not trip

 

[nickg]

VERY IMPORTANT.... Get you a GFCI power strip!! Also get a good grounding probe!

 

[saltyvixen]

I read an article about grounding probes and they seem to be a bad idea , and yes I know I need a gfci

Sent from my Z993 using Tapatalk

 

[jrhunter0000]

Make sure you have a ground probe. They are a lifesaver and only cost around 10 bucks... i think i payed 10.20$ for mine shipped!

 

[newbie20]

GFCI aside, sounds like you need to confirm that you really do have stray current. If you don't have one, get a cheap volt meter. Ground the ground probe, obviously, then stick the tip of the other probe in the water (you can find instructions on-line if you need to). That will let you know if you have a problem. Then, start unplugging everything one at a time and pay attention to the meter readings. It may be that you have more than one source of stray voltage that individually may feel undetectable, but together are noticeable. Or, maybe it's just the reaction of the salt water with your cut. At least you'll know when you have the meter.

 

[containerman1]

SaltyVixen;957418 wrote: no , and i know not smart but i couldnt feel any sensation when my other hand was submerged just the one with a cut... I'd like to mention i tested everything with my kitchen gfci and it dd not trip

This has happened to me 2 times and both times it was the Heater.
Causing the shock

 

[joseayes]

What I would do is test each piece of equipment on a separated tank, one at the time.

 

[bulkrate]

Don't use yourself as a voltmeter... it has the potential to end badly (hehe... see what I did there?). Go by Lowes/Radio Shack/Homedepot or someplace and buy the cheapest one you can find - as long as it has a 0-120VAC range you're golden.

IMO grounding probes are a waste of time and potentially dangerous in and of themselves - your livestock can often survive a stray voltage for a time and signal distress, prompting you to step in and find it. A GFCI will LIKELY keep your inadvertently finding it from killing you or trip in the event of a catastrophic failure of something in the tank. But running a current through the water will kill stuff quickly.

 

[saltyvixen]

btw i feel nothing this morning, (i heal fast lol) I will test for stray voltage but at this point im nearly posisitve i was only feeling the natural current of moving saltwater. I will also get a gfci wall plug, but as i had also tested everything in the kitchen, submerged, and touching the water, nothing happened, no tripping, no feeling. And after doing some reading i found a few articles stating that saltwater has some reactions when moving that create electricity ( which i thought was super cool)

 

[northgahillbilly]

I just realized my heater was bad the same way. Had a cut on my finger from work and felt some current when feeding, new heater in the mail. Interested to see what it ends up being, good luck.