How much electricity is too much?

[fishmonger2]

So I ponder a question to you guys, how much electricity is too much?

I know electricity in a tank is terrible for fish, I've seen it firsthand, but I've heard small doses of current can aid coral growth. I have seen some posters say when they had currents in their tank their corals grew faster. I also read a news article about how scientists are trying to send small micro currents into one of the reefs to get the corals to regrow, so it seems what some posters have said is true to an extent. What I'm wondering is where is that point when it's too strong and it causes damage to SPS. I ask because one of my heaters has been malfunctioning, and I believe that my house is not grounded (this is only a guess) causing my grounding probe to create a circuit thus ending with a large amount of current in my tank. How large is large? It's enough to cause me to recoil my hand when I get shocked, and it is definitely more than a ***** or tingle.

Therefore I ask this question. Could my poor SPS growth, color and overall health be contributed to this large amount of current? I am thinking yes, but I wanted to see other people's opinions on the subject. I feel that amount of electricity is bad for most things, especially SPS that are sensitive.

 

[fishmonger2]

Nobody?

 

[iamwrasseman]

any measurable voltage is bad as 1 volt at 1 amp can easily kill you . its not the voltage that hurts but the amperage . a spark plug is 20,000 to 50,000 volts and it wont kill you because it has no amperage . if you are grounded good enough [saltwater spill], you can get hit hard so be careful and find out where the stray voltage is comming from .

 

[fishmonger2]

any measurable voltage is bad as 1 volt at 1 amp can easily kill you . its not the voltage that hurts but the amperage . a spark plug is 20,000 to 50,000 volts and it wont kill you because it has no amperage . if you are grounded good enough [saltwater spill], you can get hit hard so be careful and find out where the stray voltage is comming from .

Well I'm pretty sure it was from my two heaters. I think the seals broke and was filling with water causing them to emit the electricity. However (and this I'm not sure about) I think my house isn't grounded, and when I had the grounding probe in there it completed a circuit. I have since removed all that stuff.

I thank you for your concern and what you say is true, but I'm not to concerned about it killing me. I've been hit with much worse at work. What I'm really curious about is it's affect on corals. Could a large amount of electricity cause corals to brown or even start dying?

I know most will then ask about my parameters and during this problem they have been:

Alk 9dkh
Cal 450
Nitrate 0
Mag 1300+
Phos < 0

That is why I wonder if everything else is normal could this be the bane of my existence?

 

[iamwrasseman]

very interesting question there ,in theory the electricity will travel through the path of least resistance . pure saltwater has much less resistance than a coral or fish so i would have to say that the electricity would have to go around the coral or fish unless it is actually touching the source ,then it would receive some stray voltage but again theoretically it would be very very small amounts of residual voltage .

 

[fishmonger2]

I borrowed a volt meter from somebody I know, and it is reading 20. Which I don't know is good or bad lol.

 

[LifeAquatic]

Here is a cool article about electric reefs. Or try "Electric Reef" in goolge. Very interesting concept using electricity to grow and save coral reefs.

http://www.ecosmagazine.com/?paper=EC147p10

 

[LifeAquatic]

It would be intersting to try this concept at home. Who will be the first??

 

[iamwrasseman]

twenty volts is alot ,if you become grounded well ,say wet feet or touch something like a pipe that is grounded as all house pipes are you will find out what twenty volts are . enought to shake ,twitch ,flinch yep lol and if you get the right conditions it can and will kill . i have been hit and was lucky enough as it just suprised me but it can kill .nothing to laugh at my friend .