JBJ ATO = Automatic Tingle ometer

homesick fisho

New member
Noticed earlier this week if I put hand in tank or sump that it started to tingle and was moderately painful on small cuts or sensitive skin. Was definitely some foreign voltage in the tank from somewhere. Shut everything suspect including all pumps down last night and was still getting belted. In desperation shut off the JBJ ATO and it stopped. Must be getting belted somehow through the float switch. Haven't got a circuit diagram but surely this circuit is low voltage and switches the 240 volts to the pump through a relay or transistor? Surely they wouldn't be so stupid to put mains voltage through the piddly submerged float switch in salt water. Have a spare switch that I will try tonight, after disconnecting the mains.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14989260#post14989260 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by redfishsc
Have you noticed any odd coral or fish behavior?

No not really. Never seen a fish with one arm in the aquarium and a bare foot on the floor :D

Seriously though can't see that it would make a difference. No current should be running through the water until bozo me sticks his paw in. Stranger things have happened though and the lateral line on fish is a very unique organ. Not sure if it has any electromagnetic functions but you never know it might be upset by being at a high potential. Fish are strange creatures and I'm sure there is a lot of things we still don't understand. As for coral??
 
As a general question, is it just me - or do things like this seem to be happening with greater frequency? In my first 15 years of aquariums I never had any problems with stray voltage, but in the past few years I've had 5 seperate occurences. Am I just unlucky, or has anyone else seen this happening more often?
 
Yup... most equipment is now made by cheap Chinese labour using cheap chinese parts..
I'm tired of getting zapped too.
 
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