help stray electrical current!!!
- Thread starter shaneh
- Start date
coralfarmer
Aquarist
Usually it's the heater.
PharmrJohn
New member
First of all. You need to be very careful with this. Electricity and water as a combination can kill both fish and humans
You need to find out where this is coming from.....well, pretty much now. To answer your question, yes can kill your fish...and inverts and corals and anything else you put in your tank. I came very close to getting shocked but good when I reached in for a PH. That particular PH had a bad electrical cord that was actually sparking in the sump. Yanked my hand back just in time. The next day, I replaced my heater and all my PHs (they were third rate anyway....a Craig's list find). So check your wiring good. This is not something you want to mess with at all.
Now, the next thing I would get if I were you would be a ground probe. A nice titanium ground probe that actually plugs into the wall. Those GPs that attach to the center screw of the wall outlet have been known to NOT carry charge to the ground as they are supposed to. You can MOD them, but why? Just get the plug in kind.
Also, look into GFCI outlets to replace your wall outlets that you use for your tank. I have done this as well, in addition to the ground probe.
So you have a solid project in front of you. Been there dude. Been there.
You need to find out where this is coming from.....well, pretty much now. To answer your question, yes can kill your fish...and inverts and corals and anything else you put in your tank. I came very close to getting shocked but good when I reached in for a PH. That particular PH had a bad electrical cord that was actually sparking in the sump. Yanked my hand back just in time. The next day, I replaced my heater and all my PHs (they were third rate anyway....a Craig's list find). So check your wiring good. This is not something you want to mess with at all.
Now, the next thing I would get if I were you would be a ground probe. A nice titanium ground probe that actually plugs into the wall. Those GPs that attach to the center screw of the wall outlet have been known to NOT carry charge to the ground as they are supposed to. You can MOD them, but why? Just get the plug in kind.
Also, look into GFCI outlets to replace your wall outlets that you use for your tank. I have done this as well, in addition to the ground probe.
So you have a solid project in front of you. Been there dude. Been there.
Last edited:
PharmrJohn
New member
And dude. Seriously. Be careful. Electricity and water as a combination can kill. Fish and humans both.
I got it all figured out it took me over an hour, I'll look at the brand of pump tonight and let everyone know but it was a CL special i have had for about 4 years. never had a probelm with it till now. I'm just glad the current was not stronger it may have been a diffrent story. Now where is the best place to order the grounding probe? I'm not messing around with that anymore, way too scary. All my fish were just looking at me like i was doing it on purpose....still don't know for sure if they could feel it but i could. It was about a 12 volt battery shock...not gonna kill you but it hurts a bit. just think i had to unplug each item one by one and put my finger back in the water to test....here was the run down, skimmer, heater, return pump, 4 powere heads, GFO powerhead, UV, fuge power head and last but not lest fuge pump. Of coure it was the last item I tried. We should do a group buy on grounding probes...this scared he heck out of me each time i put my finger in to test i didn't know if the current had gone up....glad it didn't. I'll tell everyone the brand of pump tonight.
