I should have asked before i bought it, but here it goes: i purchased the Ultra ground titanium probe (item CD-604047 at www.drsfostersmith.com) to protect against stray voltage. is this a good model? would it be more effective in the display tank (a 72 gal bowfront), or in the sump (very small, only holds like 8 gallons), or does it not matter where it goes? are there any safety issues i should know? How effective are these probes in protecting fish health? Thanks to anyone who can assist me.
a good grounding probe?
- Thread starter Perureef
- Start date
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
Whole can of worms here...
the ground probe is a good idea for GFCI protection, but IMHO silly in regards to "stray voltage" as there is no such thing.
If the tank has "stray voltage" sticking a ground probe in the tank will cause "stray current". Your fish and corals would have been much happier with "stray voltage"
Look at it another way, a squirel on a power line does not get shocked... attach a ground probe to the squirel and then see what happens! This is no different in your tank.
People add all kinds of voodoo and eyewitness anecdotes to this debate, but most of them don't know a thing about electricity.
If you have two leaky devices that are sending current between them, then you need to replace the devices, and again the ground probe will not help and will likely cuase an even larger current to flow.
So if safety is your concern, then put the probe where you have the electric devices and are likely to get shocked. In all likelyhood your tank and sump are connected by a suitable current path anyway due to the salt water.
If your fish are your concern, then you wasted your money.
BTW if I attach 1 end of meter to the ground rod at your house and the other to the ground rod at your neighbors... I will likely find voltage, sometimes a LOT of "stray voltage". Do you get "lateral line disease" when standing between the two houses? Nope, but If you could grab hold of both ground rods, you could get shocked.
Bean
the ground probe is a good idea for GFCI protection, but IMHO silly in regards to "stray voltage" as there is no such thing.
If the tank has "stray voltage" sticking a ground probe in the tank will cause "stray current". Your fish and corals would have been much happier with "stray voltage"
Look at it another way, a squirel on a power line does not get shocked... attach a ground probe to the squirel and then see what happens! This is no different in your tank.
People add all kinds of voodoo and eyewitness anecdotes to this debate, but most of them don't know a thing about electricity.
If you have two leaky devices that are sending current between them, then you need to replace the devices, and again the ground probe will not help and will likely cuase an even larger current to flow.
So if safety is your concern, then put the probe where you have the electric devices and are likely to get shocked. In all likelyhood your tank and sump are connected by a suitable current path anyway due to the salt water.
If your fish are your concern, then you wasted your money.
BTW if I attach 1 end of meter to the ground rod at your house and the other to the ground rod at your neighbors... I will likely find voltage, sometimes a LOT of "stray voltage". Do you get "lateral line disease" when standing between the two houses? Nope, but If you could grab hold of both ground rods, you could get shocked.
Bean
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
The ground probe will work in conjunction with a GFCI to possibly safe your life.
However the ground probe is arguably a waste or even possibly harmful to your tank inhabitants.
This leaves you with a decision to make. If you run a GFCI (you should) the probe has a definite benefit in some rare situations.
Here is a good read with a little more detail.
http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM/Aquarium/GroundingProbes.html
However the ground probe is arguably a waste or even possibly harmful to your tank inhabitants.
This leaves you with a decision to make. If you run a GFCI (you should) the probe has a definite benefit in some rare situations.
Here is a good read with a little more detail.
http://avdil.gtri.gatech.edu/RCM/RCM/Aquarium/GroundingProbes.html
